Commercial Deep Diving

This afternoon was spent visiting the National Polytechnic College of Engineering and Oceaneering located at the port of Los Angeles. It’s an affiliate of the National University System that basically teaches students to become eligible for certification as underwater divers. Dan, our tour guide and an instructor, began by showing us three large above ground dive tanks that are used to acquaint students to the different types of helmet apparatus and introduce them to the underwater environment. The platform above the tanks was a beehive of activity as teams rapidly changed out dive gear and lowered teammates into the drink.

Next, Dan directed us to where they teach the students various underwater tasks from rescue to conduit assembly. This part of training is conducted in about 40 feet of murky L.A. harbor water, where visibility is generally less than 5 feet, giving students a feel for what’s in store for them as professional divers. Next came the hyperbolic chambers and I can tell you they don’t look fun. Imagine living in a 12 by 4 foot bottle with three other people for a week while your body eliminates nitrogen. After your week getting prepared you are transferred to a diving bell, lowered to work depth (500+ feet deep) where you spend the next four weeks working in shifts only to return to the surface to spend another week in the bottle so you can start breathing real air again. The professional diving world definitely does not provide 5 star accommodations and it takes a very unique person to handle the lifestyle. If you are interested in the exciting life of a deep diver here you go.