MAR 526 UNDERWATER TECHNOLOGY

Survey of undersea activities in oceanography and offshore engineering

Tools of underwater operations
Decompression chambers
A diving chamber has two main functions:
as a simpler form of submersible vessel to take divers underwater and to provide a temporary
base and retrieval system in the depths;
as a land or ship-based hyperbaric chamber to artificially reproduce the hyperbaric conditions
under thesea (pressures above normal atmospheric pressure) for diving-related and non-
diving medical applications such as hyperbaric medicine).

Basic types of diving chamber[edit]
There are two basic types of submersible diving chamber differentiated by the way in which the
pressure in the diving chamber is produced and controlled.
Open diving bell[edit]
Main article: Diving bell
The historically older open diving chamber, open diving bell or wet bell is in effect a large diving
bell, utilising an open bottom, the equivalent of a moon pool, to equalise internal air pressure and
external water pressure automatically without the need, necessarily, to measure and control it. An air
compressor or bottled compressed air is required to maintain the volume of the air as it becomes
compressed with increasing depth, or to make up for oxygen depleted by the
occupants' breathing and for carbon dioxide removed from exhaled air by a carbon dioxide
scrubber system. This type of diving chamber can only be used underwater, as the internal air
pressure is directly proportional to the depth underwater and raising or lowering the chamber is the
only way to adjust the pressure.
Hyperbaric chamber[edit]
A sealable diving chamber, closed bell or dry bell is a pressure vessel with hatches large enough
for people to enter and exit, and a compressed breathing gas supply to raise the internal air
pressure. Such chambers provide a supply of oxygen for the user, and are usually called hyperbaric
chambers whether used underwater or at the water surface or on land to produce underwater
pressures. However, some use submersible chamber to refer to those used underwater
and hyperbaric chamber for those used out of water. There are two related terms which reflect
particular usages rather than technically different types:
Decompression chamber, a hyperbaric chamber used by surface-supplied divers to make their
surface decompression stops
Recompression chamber, a hyperbaric chamber used to treat or prevent decompression
sickness.


Early decompression (recompression) chamber in the park at Broome, Western Australia. The chamber was used to
treat decompression sickness in Japanese pearl divers who were, generally, of small build. The chamber is now
located indoors in the Broome Historical Society Museum.
When used underwater there are two ways to prevent water flooding in when the submersible
hyperbaric chamber's hatch is opened. The hatch could open into a moon pool chamber, and then
its internal pressure must first be equalised to that of the moon pool chamber. More commonly the
hatch opens into an underwater airlock, in which case the main chamber's pressure can stay
constant, while it is the airlock pressure which shifts. This common design is called a lock-out
chamber, and is used in submarines, submersibles, and underwater habitats as well as diving
chambers.
Another arrangement utilises a dry airlock between a sealable hyperbaric compartment and an open
diving bell compartment (so that effectively the whole structure is a mixture of the two types of diving
chamber).
When used underwater all types of diving chamber are attached to a diving support vessel by a
strong cable for raising and lowering and an umbilical cable delivering, at a minimum, compressed
breathing gas, power, and communications, and all need weights attached or built in to overcome
their buoyancy. The greatest depth reached using a cable-suspended chamber is about 1500 m;
beyond this the cable becomes unmanageable.
Related equipment[edit]
In addition to the diving bell and hyperbaric chamber, related diving equipment includes the
following.
Underwater habitat: consists of compartments operating under the same principles as diving
bells and diving chambers, but fixed to the sea floor for long-term use.
Submersibles and submarines differ in being able to move under their own power. The interiors
are usually maintained at surface pressure, but some examples include air locks and internal
hyperbaric chambers.
There is also other deep diving equipment which has atmospheric internal pressure, including:
Bathysphere: name given to an experimental deep-sea diving chamber of the 1920s and
1930s.
Benthoscope: a successor to the bathysphere built to go to greater depths.
Bathyscaphe: a self-propelled submersible vessel able to adjust its own buoyancy for
exploring extreme depths.
Underwater use[edit]
As well as transporting divers, a diving chamber carries tools and equipment, breathing
gas cylinders to replenish
[citation needed]
scuba tanks, and communications and emergency equipment.
It provides a temporary dry air environment during extended dives for rest, eating meals, carrying out
tasks which can't be done underwater, and for emergencies. Diving chambers also act as an
underwater base for surface supplied diving operations, with the divers' umbilicals (air supply, etc.)
attached to the diving chamber rather than to the diving support vessel.
Diving bells[edit]
Diving bells and open diving chambers of the same principle were more common in the past owing
to their simplicity, since they do not necessarily need to monitor, control and mechanically adjust the
internal pressure. Secondly since internal air pressure and external water pressure on the bell wall
are almost balanced, the chamber does not have to be as strong as a pressurised diving chamber
(dry bell). (Actually if h is the distance between a point on the side of the bell and the air/water
interface at the bottom, the air pressure at that point is higher than the water on the other side by a
water head pressure equivalent to h, but this is a small and constant amount, and is not a structural
problem).
A wet diving bell or open diving chamber must be raised slowly to the surface with decompression
stops appropriate to the dive profile so that the occupants can avoiddecompression sickness. This
may take hours, and so limits its use.
Submersible hyperbaric chambers[edit]
Submersible hyperbaric chambers can be brought to the surface without delay to allow divers to
decompress since they can maintain the same pressure at which the divers were working. The
divers can stay in the chamber on the support vessel to decompress. This flexibility makes them
safer to use and more useful in an accident or emergency, including problems affecting the dive
support vessel, such as sudden bad weather. They are used to support saturation diving for which
the decompression times are very long.
A diving chamber based on a pressure vessel is more expensive to construct since it has to
withstand very high pressure differentials. These may be both crushing pressures when the chamber
is lowered into the sea and the internal pressure is kept less than ambient water pressure, or it may
be an outwards pressure when it is out of the water and its internal pressure is set the same as
water pressure at a certain depth.
Hyperbaric chambers also require more sophisticated systems to set and control internal gas
pressure. However modern manufacturing techniques and control systems have reduced the cost
and this type of diving chamber is now more common than the older dive bell type.
Hyperbaric lifeboats are specialized diving chambers or submersibles able to retrieve divers or
occupants of diving chambers or underwater habitats in an emergency and to keep them in the
required decompression phase. They have airlocks for underwater entry or to form a watertight seal
with hatches on the target structure to effect a dry transfer of personnel. Rescuing occupants of
submarines or submersibles with internal air pressure of one atmosphere requires being able to
withstand the huge pressure differential to effect a dry transfer, and has the advantage of not
requiring decompression measures on returning to the surface.
Out of water use[edit]
Hyperbaric chambers are also used on land and at the ocean surface
to take surface supplied divers who have been brought up from underwater through their
decompression stops, either as surface decompression or after transfer from a wet bell.
(decompression chambers)
to train divers to adapt to hyperbaric conditions and decompression routines and test their
performance under pressure.
to treat divers for decompression sickness (recompression chambers)
to treat people using raised oxygen pressure in hyperbaric oxygen therapy
In saturation diving life support systems
in scientific research requiring elevated gas pressures.
Hyperbaric chambers designed only for use out of water do not have to resist inward crushing
forces, only outward expansion forces. Those for medical applications typically only operate up to
two or three atmospheres, while those for diving applications may have to go to six atmospheres and
above.
Lightweight portable hyperbaric chambers which can be lifted by helicopter are used by commercial
diving operators and rescue services to carry one or more divers requiringhospitalisation.
Decompression chamber[edit]
A decompression chamber is a pressure vessel used in surface supplied diving to allow the divers
to complete their decompression stops at the end of a dive on the surfacerather than underwater.
This eliminates many of the risks of long decompressions underwater, in cold or dangerous
conditions.

Two United States Navysailors inside a decompression chamber about to undergo training

One person chamber

Control panel of a basic deck decompression chamber

The medical lock of a basic deck decompression chamber with the door closed

Exterior view of a basic deck decompression chamber

Transportable decompression chamber

Divers breathing oxygen during surface decompression

Operating a chamber from the control panel
History[edit]
The decompression chamber was invented in 1916 by the Italian engineer Alberto Gianni.
[1][2]

Hyperbaric treatment chamber[edit]
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber[edit]


Monoplace chamber for clinical hyperbaric oxygen treatment
A hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber is used to treat patients, including divers, whose condition
might improve through hyperbaric oxygentreatment. Hyperbaric chambers capable of admitting more
than one patient (multiplace) and an inside attendant have advantages for the treatment
of decompression sickness (DCS). Divers with serious complications or injuries may be attended to
in this manner during treatment. Multiplace chambers are capable of greater depth of recompression
than soft chambers which are unsuitable for treating DCS.
Recompression chamber[edit]
Further information: Treatment of decompression sickness


Recompression chamber
A recompression chamber is a hyperbaric treatment chamber used to treat divers suffering from
certain diving disorders such asdecompression sickness.
[3]

Treatment is ordered by the treating physician (medical diving officer), and is usually in accordance
with the U.S. Navy Diving Tables.
[4]
Other treatment tables have been developed, including the
Catalina Tables, and others, including proprietary tables.
When hyperbaric oxygen is used it is generally administered by built-in breathing systems (BIBS),
which reduce contamination of the chamber gas by excessive oxygen.
[5]

Test of pressure[edit]
If the diagnosis of decompression illness is considered questionable, the diving officer may order a
test of pressure. This typically consists of a recompression to 60 feet (18 m) for up to 20
minutes.
[citation needed]
If the diver notes significant improvement in symptoms, or the attendant can
detect changes in a physical examination, a treatment table is followed.
Representative treatment tables[edit]
U.S. Navy Table 6 consists of compression to the depth of 60 feet (18 m) with the patient on oxygen.
The diver is later decompressed to 30 feet (9.1 m) on oxygen, then slowly returned to surface
pressure. This table typically takes 4 hours 45 minutes. It may be extended further. It is the most
common treatment for type 2 decompression illness.
U.S. Navy Table 5 is similar to Table 6 above, but is shorter in duration. It may be used in divers with
less severe complaints (type 1 decompression illness).
U.S. Navy Table 9 consists of compression to 45 feet (14 m) with the patient on oxygen, with later
decompression to surface pressure. This table may be used by lower-pressure monoplace
hyperbaric chambers, or as a follow-up treatment in multiplace chambers.
Saturation diving life support systems[edit]
Main article: Saturation diving


Schematic plan of a simple saturation system showing the main pressure vessels for human occupation
DDC - Living chamber
DTC - Transfer chamber
PTC - Personnel transfer chamber (bell)
RC - Recompression chamber
SL - Supply lock


Personnel Transfer Capsule.
A hyperbaric environment on the surface comprising a set of linked pressure chambers is used in
saturation diving to house divers under pressure for the duration of the project or several day to
weeks, as appropriate. The occupants are decompressed to surface pressure only once, at the end
of their tour of duty. This is usually done in a decompression chamber which is part of the saturation
system. The risk of decompression sickness is significantly reduced by minimizing the number of
decompressions, and by decompressing at a very conservative rate.
The "Saturation System" typically comprises a complex made up of a living chamber, transfer
chamber and submersible decompression chamber,
[6]
which is commonly referred to in commercial
diving and military diving as the diving bell,
[7]
PTC (Personnel Transfer Capsule)
or SDC (Submersible Decompression Chamber).
[5]
The system can be permanently installed on a
ship or ocean platform, but is usually capable of being transferred between vessels. The system is
managed from a control room, where depth, chamber atmosphere and other system parameters are
monitored and controlled. The diving bell is used to transfer divers from the system to the work site.
Typically, it is mated to the system utilizing a removable clamp and is separated from the system by
a trunking space, through which the divers transfer to and from the bell.
The bell is fed via a large, multi-part umbilical that supplies breathing gas, electricity,
communications and hot water. The bell also is fitted with exterior mounted breathing gas cylinders
for emergency use. The divers operate from the bell using surface supplied umbilical diving
equipment.
A hyperbaric lifeboat or rescue chamber may be provided for emergency evacuation of saturation
divers from a saturation system.
[6]
This would be used if the platform is at immediate risk due to fire
or sinking to get the occupants clear of the immediate danger. A hyperbaric lifeboat is self-contained
and self-sufficient for several days at sea, and can be operated from the inside by the occupants
while under pressure.
Transfer under pressure[edit]
The process of transferring personnel from one hyperbaric system to another is called transfer under
pressure (TUP). This is used to transfer personnel from portable recompression chambers to multi-
person chambers for treatment, and between saturation life support systems and personnel transfer
capsules (closed bells) for transport to and from the worksite, and for evacuation of saturation divers
to a hyperbaric lifeboat.
Structure and layout[edit]
The construction and layout of a hyperbaric diving chamber depends on its intended use, but there
are several features common to most chambers.
Pressure hull
Main chamber
Access door or hatch
Viewports, to allow the operating personnel to visually monitor the occupants
Pressure control and monitoring equipment
Lighting and communications equipment
Firefighting equipment
Furniture for the comfort of the occupants (usually seats and/or bed facilities)
Pressurisation gas supply
Built-in Breathing System (BIBS) for supply of breathing gas different from the pressurisation gas
Forechamber (not always present) to provide personnel access to main chamber while it is
under pressure
Medical/stores lock (not always present) to provide access to the main chamber for small items
while under pressure
Some chambers are provided with arrangements which may be connected to other hyperbaric
chambers to allow transfer of the occupants under pressure.
Non-portable chambers are generally constructed from steel
Portable chambers have been constructed from steel, aluminium alloy, and fibre reinforced
composites. In some cases the composite material structure is flexible when depressurised.
Operation[edit]
Details will vary depending on the application. A generalised sequence for a stand-alone chamber is
described. The operator of a commercial diving decompression chamber is generally called a
Chamber operator, and the operator of a saturation system is called a Life support technician (LST).
Pre-use checks will be conducted on the system to ensure that it is safe to operate.
The intended occupants will be checked and authorised for compression, and will enter the
chamber.
The pressure door will be closed, communications established with the occupants, and
pressurisation started.
The operator will monitor and control the rate of pressurisation and monitor the condition of the
occupants.
Once pressurised, the operator will monitor the pressure, the run time, the chamber gas and if
applicable, the independent breathing gas supply. The chamber gas quality may be controlled
by carbon dioxide scrubber systems, filters and air conditioner systems and addition of oxygen
as required, or by periodic ventilation by adding fresh compressed air while simultaneously
releasing some of the chamber air.
When decompression is started, the operator will notify the occupants and release chamber gas
to the atmosphere or to scavenge pumps if it to be recycled. The rate of pressure reduction is
controlled to follow the specified decompression schedule within tolerance.
Compression and decompression may be interrupted if the occupants experience problems
caused by the pressure change, such as ear or sinus squeezes, or symptoms ofdecompression
illness.
When decompression is completed, chamber pressure is equalised with ambient pressure and
the doors may be opened. Occupants may exit, and will usually be checked for absence of ill-
effects.
Chamber will receive post-operation service as required to be ready for next operation or
storage as applicable.
Working pressure[edit]
A large range of working pressures are used, depending on the application of the chamber.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is usually done at pressures not exceeding 18msw, or an absolute
internal pressure of 2.8 bar. Decompression chambers are usually rated for depths similar to the
depths that the divers will encounter during planned operations. Chambers using air as the chamber
atmosphere are frequently rated to depths in the range of 50 to 90 msw, and chambers, closed bells
and other components of saturation systems must be rated for at least the planned operational
depth. The US Navy has Heliox saturation decompression schedules for depths up to 480 msw
(1600 fsw).
[5]
Experimental chambers may be rated for deeper depths. An experimental dive has
been done to 701 msw (2300 fsw), so at least one chamber has been rated to at least this depth.
[8]



A decompression chamber, also known as a recompression or hyperbaric chamber, is a sealed
compartment that is pressurized to mimic different levels of atmospheric pressure. Small chambers
fit just one person, but larger versions can comfortably accommodate up to 10 individuals. They are
perhaps most commonly used in scuba diving as a way for divers to re-pressurize and get their
bodies used to normal atmospheric conditions after being underwater for long periods of time, but
there are also a number of medical uses. Chambers are often an important part of carbon monoxide
poisoning treatments, and can also be used to help people heal from certain bacterial and radiation-
related illnesses.
Basic Concept
The main goal of decompression chambers is to manipulate the outside air pressure around a
person in order to influence his or her blood chemistry and oxygen intake. People dont usually need
this sort of device unless they have spent a lot of time in an environment that has forced their bodies
to acclimate in extreme ways. Deep-sea divers are one of the most common examples. If divers
arent very careful during their ascent to sea level they can suffer from decompression sickness,
which is essentially an increase in nitrogen in the blood; time in a chamber is often the only way to
help people in these situations recalibrate. Extreme cases ofcarbon monoxide poisoning and
radiation exposure can sometimes also be reversed with pressure therapy since the chambers can
help force peoples blood chemistry to raise or reduce oxygen levels as needed to get back to
normal levels.
How it Works
Most of these chambers are small, often designed to fit just one person in a prone or lying down
position. They are completely sealed, which means that once theyre closed air cant get in from the
outside; they are also pressurized, which means that medical experts or other operators can control
the exact air pressure and quality inside the chamber.
The human body reacts to air pressure in a number of different ways, but the biggest concern where
these chambers are concerned is usually blood vessel constriction and blood chemistry. Gas
bubbles tend to form in the blood when people are exposed to different pressure systems, as is the
case under water, or when theyre in environments with a lot of toxic gas or radiation. Bubbles in the
blood often form as a way of protecting oxygen supplies, but they can lead to a lot of trouble if they
arent removed quickly once the threat has passed. Hyperbaric chambers change the conditions
enough that the bubbles either burst or grow so small as to dissipate, and people can return to their
normal resting state.
In Scuba Diving
These sorts of chambers are most widely used in the context of scuba divers, both as a means of
ensuring routine decompression from deep dives and as a way of correcting decompression
sickness. Underwater pressure is directly proportional to the increase in water depth, so the deeper
a person goes, the greater the atmospheric pressure and the more likely that a changing interplay of
gasses will begin ensue. There's a lot of physics involved in scuba diving, but one of the most
important issues here is that increasing pressure correlates to increased absorption of nitrogen, so
that the deeper someone goes the more nitrogen enters his system.
Divers fight this phenomenon by taking care to ascend slowly and also by making decompression
stops along the way, where they pause and readjust their oxygen valves to compensate for the
changing pressure. This ensures that, as the body acclimates, nitrogen bubbles dont become too
large to exit the blood and can be expelled through proper breathing. These sorts of stops arent
always possible, though. When the water is really choppy, very cold, or infested with things like
sharks or jellyfish, pausing may be too dangerous; divers who are injured or who are running
dangerously low on oxygen may also find it makes more sense to get up and to safety as quickly as
possible. A chamber on board the dive ship can help people adjust their pressure before problems
set in.
When divers dont pay attention to their ascent pressures they can suffer from what is known as
decompression sickness, which is marked by skin rash, itchiness, and stomach pains known as
"bends." On a ship as part of a normal dive, re-pressurization is normally pretty quick, in part
because its done essentially as preventative therapy nothing has actually gone wrong yet. Once
a person begins to suffer from nitrogen poisoning, though, treatment is often more intensive.
Other Medical Uses
A number of hospitals and medical offices have hyperbaric chambers even if they are far from
regular dive sites. Though divers are by far the most common users of these devices, they arent the
only ones. Medical experts have found that controlling outside air pressure can help people who are
suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, and may also be able to counter some of the negative
effects of radiation exposure, particularly nausea and weakness. As a result it is often prescribed for
cancer patients who are having a hard time with their radiation therapy. Certain bacterial infections
and skin lesions can also be treated by limiting or controlling atmospheric oxygen, though this sort of
treatment is usually reserved for truly extreme or life-threatening circumstances.
Most decompression chambers are very expensive to operate, which often means that they are only
used in extreme situations. The costs to both medical facility and patient tend to be very high.
Routine use in diving isnt usually as intensive, since people dont have to be in the chambers for
very long to simply re-establish normal levels; actually fixing problems can take many hours, though,
and a lot of attention from doctors and medical staff.

Diving apparatus
Diving equipment is equipment used by underwater divers to make diving activities possible,
easier, safer and/or more comfortable. This may be equipment primarily intended for this purpose, or
equipment intended for other purposes which is found to be suitable for diving use.
Equipment which is used for underwater work or other activities which is not directly related to the
activity of diving, or which has not been designed or modified specifically for underwater use by
divers is excluded.
The fundamental item of diving equipment used by divers is underwater breathing apparatus,
such as scuba equipment, andsurface supplied diving equipment, but there are other important
pieces of equipment that make diving safer, more convenient or more efficient.
Classes of underwater breathing apparatus[edit]
Surface supplied diving
[1]
- mostly used in professional diving. This category includes:
Surface oriented surface supplied diving (Bounce diving), where the diver starts and finished
the dive at normal atmospheric pressure.
Saturation diving, where the diver remains under pressure in an underwater
habitat or saturation spread between underwater excursions.
Standard diving dress - mostly used in professional diving. Mainly of historical interest now.
Airline or Hookah diving.
"Compressor diving" - a rudimentary form of surface supplied diving used in
the Philippines by artisanal fishermen.
Recreational forms like snuba.
Scuba diving - The use of self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. This category
includes:
Open-circuit scuba consisting of diving cylinder(s) and diving regulator(s)
Rebreather, closed-circuit or semi-closed-circuit scuba
Free diving or breathhold diving, where the diver completes the dive on a single breath of air
taken at the surface before the dive.
Snorkel allows breathing at the surface with the face submerged, and is used as an adjunct
to free diving and scuba.
Atmospheric diving suits and other submersibles which isolate the diver from the ambient
environment. These are not considered here.
Liquid breathing systems are extremely rare and at an early experimental stage. It is hoped that
some day practical systems allow very deep diving. This is not considered here.

A US Navy diver at work. The umbilical supplying air from the surface is clearly visible

Diver in standard diving dress entering water at Stoney Cove, England

Scuba diver with single cylinder and open circuit regulator

Free-diver with monofin, ascending

The Newtsuit is an atmospheric diving suit which has fully articulated rotary joints in the arms and legs.
Personal diving equipment[edit]
This is the diving equipment worn by or carried by the diver for personal protection or comfort, or to
facilitate the diving aspect of the activity, and may include a selection from:
Underwater breathing apparatus[edit]
Scuba equipment: Primary cylinder(s), carried back-mounted or side mounted and open
circuit regulator(s), or rebreather sets. Alternative air source such as bailout bottle orpony bottle,
and decompression cylinders and their associated regulators. Secondary demand
valve (Octopus).
Surface supplied equipment: Helmet or full face mask, bailout block, bailout cylinder and
regulator.

Early twin cylinder set with twin hose regulator

Twin scuba cylinders with isolation manifold

Charging a small bailout cylinder from a larger aluminium scuba cylinder

Scuba regulator: First stage with primary and secondary demand valves, submersible pressure gauge
and low pressure hose for BC inflation.

Technical diver with back mounted open circuit scuba and sling mounted decompression cylinders

Diving with a closed circuit rebreather

Russian made IDA-71 rebreather set

Heavy standard diving helmet, lightweight demand helmet and band mask

Diver wearing lightweight demand helmet

Exposure protection[edit]
Thermal, sting and abrasion protection.
In cold water, a diving suit such as a dry suit (at temperatures of 0-10C), a wet suit (at
temperatures of 21-25C), or a Hot water suit (surface supplied diving only) is necessary.
Boiler suit overalls are often worn over the thermal protection suit by commercial divers as
abrasion protection
In very warm water (temperatures of 26-30C), many types of tough, long, everyday clothing
provide protection, as well as purpose made garments such as dive skins (made of lycra) and
shorty wetsuits. In some cases, simple regular swimsuits are also used.
[2]

Diving gloves
Diving hoods
Diving boots - With dry suits, the boots are usually integrated.
Safety helmet for scuba diving. (Not part of the breathing apparatus. May have a built-in
forehead light. Images at [1].)
Diving chain mail may be used as protection against bites by large marine animals
Diver's cages may be used as protection against large predators

Full wet suit

Dry suits

Short and full length wet suits

Wet suit boots
In-water stabilisation and movement[edit]
A backplate is a structure linking the buoyancy of the wing with the weight of the diving cylinders
and provided with a harness of straps which secures the scuba set to the diver's back
Buoyancy compensator, also known as Buoyancy Control Device, BCD or BC - is a back
mounted or sleeveless jacket style device containing oe comprising an inflatable bladder used to
adjust the buoyancy of the diver under water, and provide positive buoyancy at the surface. The
buoyancy compensator is usually an integral part of the harness system used to secure the
scuba set to the diver.
Diver Propulsion Vehicle - to increase the range of the diver underwater
Diving weighting system - to counteract the buoyancy of the diving suit and diver to allow
descent. Professional divers may use additional weighting to ensure stability when working on
the bottom
Fins for efficient propulsion

Jacket buoyancy compensator

Diver propulsion vehicle (scooter)

Weight belt

Swim fins
Equipment for dive monitoring and navigation[edit]
Depth gauge lets the diver monitor depth, particularly maximum depth and, when used with a
watch and Decompression tables, also allows the diver to monitor decompression requirements.
Some digital depth gauges also indicate ascent rate which is an important factor in avoiding
decompression sickness
Pneumofathometer is the surface supplied diving depth gauge which displays the depth of the
diver at the surface control panel.
Dive Computer helps the diver to avoid decompression sickness by indicating
the decompression stops needed for the dive profile. Most dive computers also indicate depth,
time and ascent rate. Some also indicate oxygen toxicity exposure and water temperature.
Diving watch is used with depth gauge for decompression monitoring on decompression tables.
Compass for underwater navigation.
Submersible pressure gauge, also known as a "contents gauge" is used to monitor the
remaining breathing gas supply in scuba cylinders.
Distance line can used to guide the diver back to the start point and safety in poor visibility.
A cave line is a line laid by a diver while penetrating a cave to ensure that the way out is
known. Permanent cave lines are marked with line markers at all junctions, indicating the
direction along the line toward the nearest exit.

A depth gauge and submersible pressure gauge

Suunto submersible pressure gauge

A surface supply panel for four divers showing four pneumofathometer gauges

A watch sized dive computer incorporating an electronic compass and the ability to display cylinder
pressure when used with an optional transmitter (Suunto D9)

Uwatec Aladin Pro dive computer showing the log of a previous dive

Nav finder and underwater compass - basic underwater navigation tools.

Suunto SK-7 diving compass in aftermarket wrist mount with bungee straps

50 metres of line on a reel

Line Arrow Marker

A miniature submersible pressure gauge (mini SPG) used on Pony Tanks
Vision and communication[edit]
Mask allows the diver to see clearly underwater and protects the eyes.
Full face mask protects the face from dirty or cold water and increases safety by securing the
gas supply to the diver's face. If it contains no mouthpiece, the diver can talk allowing the use of
communications equipment.
Diving helmets are often used with surface supplied diving. They provide the same benefits as
the full face mask but provide a very secure connection of the gas supply to the diver and
additionally protect the head.
Underwater writing slates and pencils are used to transport pre-dive plans underwater, to record
facts whilst underwater and to aid communication with other divers.
Torches or flashlights are essential for safety in low visibility or dark environments such as night
diving and wreck and cave penetration. They are useful for communication and signalling both
underwater and on the surface at night. Divers need artificial light even in shallow and clear
water to reveal the red end of the spectrum of light which is absorbed as it travels through water.
Hand-held sonar for a diver.

A diving half mask provides clear sight and protection for the eyes.

A full face mask covers the eyes, nose and mouth.

One piece LED dive light with soft Goodman type handle

A "canister" style dive light
Safety equipment[edit]
Diver's safety harness, to which a lifeline may be attached.
Lifeline (or tether): A line from the diver to a tender at the surface control point, which may be
used for:
communications, by diving line signals,
to allow the diver to be found by the stand-by diver following the line,
to provide a guideline to the surface control point to guide the diver on return,
to assist the diver to maintain position in a current,
in an emergency, to recover the diver to the surface, and
in some cases lift the diver out of the water.
Buddy line: A short line or strap connecting two divers in the water, used to prevent them from
being separated in poor visibility and for communication by line signals.
Surface marker buoy, which indicates the position of the divers to people at the surface.
DSMB - (Delayed, or deployable surface marker buoy), which is inflated at the start of, or during
the ascent, to indicate the position of the divers to the surface team, and as a signal that the
divers are ascending.
Cutting tool
Knife to cut lines, nets or to pry or dig. Can also be used for personal protection against
underwater predators if needed. However, this latter use is not recommended, as it is
generally ineffective.
Diver's net or line cutter. This is a small handheld tool carried by scuba divers to extricate
themselves if trapped in fishing net or fishing line. It has a small sharp blade such as a
replaceable scalpel blade inside the small notch. There is a small hole at the other end to for
a lanyard to tether the cutter to the diver.
Trauma shears. Very effective as a line cutter, with low risk of inadvertent injury or damage.
Usually carried in a pocket or special purpose sheath.
Automatic diver recovery devices
DiverGuard - A buoyancy compensator inflation/deflation unit which monitors breathing:
should the diver stop breathing, it activates an alarm. If the diver does not reset the alarm,
the unit automatically inflates the BC, which in open water will generally bring the diver to
the surface.
[3]
This is a new product introduced at DEMA 20012. According to the official
website their interpretation of a recommendation by the American Heart Association, is that
"as soon as respiratory distress is identified, the diver should be brought to the surface as
quickly as possible: it is preferable to provide urgent ventilation than to prolong oxygen
deprivation in order to surface gradually."
[3]

Divo - A buoyancy compensator inflation/deflation unit with a mechanical / pneumatic valve
that is automatically activated if the diver stops breathing or the pressure of the scuba gas
drops below five bars. This function is controlled by water depth, respiration and air tank
pressure. If the diver has not breathed for 30 seconds, or the pressure of gas supply falls
below five bars, the unit inflates the buoyancy compensator, which will generally return the
diver to the surface in an open water environment.
[4]

Front view of jacket style diver harness with removable weight pockets

Gerber River Shorty, a river/diving knife, with serrated edge for cutting lines and straps, and a blunt tip
for prying

scuba diver's net cutter. 7 inches long

Underwater Kinetics general purpose dive knife

Trilobite line cutter with sheath on diving harness

Trauma shears

DiverGuard automatically inflates the buoyancy compensator if the diver stops breathing.

Spool with line and double-ender clip

Dive reel with stored DSMB
Surface detection aids[edit]
The purposes of this class of personal equipment are to:
allow the support boat to monitor and find divers on the surface during or after a dive
prevent the diver being struck by boat traffic
mark the diver's position when drift diving or while at the decompression stop
help rescue services in lifeboats and helicopters to locate the diver
Surface detection aids include:
Surface marker buoy, decompression buoy, delayed SMB, safety sausage or blob
Red or yellow collapsible flag - high visibility, robust, usually stored bungeed to cylinder
Whistle - cheap, will only be heard by people far from engine noise
Torch or flashlight - if at sea after nightfall
Strobe light - needs long-lasting batteries
High pressure whistle - expensive but effective
Orange water dye - increases diver's visibility from search helicopters
Mirror such as a used compact disc - to reflect sunlight or searchlights
Red pyrotechnic flares - for helicopters and lifeboats
ENOS Rescue-System
Emergency position-indicating rescue beacon (EPIRB)
Glow stick - for night diving
Personal tools and accessories[edit]


Norwegian diving pioneer Odd Henrik Johnsen with underwater camera (1960's)
Camera, strobe (flash), video lights and housing - for underwater photography or underwater
videography
Diving reel or spool to store and transport a distance line or line for a surface marker buoy
Diving shot consisting of a weight, line and buoy used to mark the location of a dive site,
allowing divers to navigate to and from the surface and to do decompression stops at a safe
location
Dry box to hold objects the diver needs to keep dry at depth (wallet, cell phone)
Dry bag to carry items that must stay dry on the boat.
Dive bag to hold equipment for travel.
Diving team tools and equipment[edit]
A jackstay is a line laid along the bottom to guide the diver during a search or to and from the
workplace.
Lifting bags, an item of diving equipment consisting of a robust and air-tight bag with straps,
which is used to lift heavy objects underwater by means of the bag's buoyancy when filled with
air.
Shot lines are used to identify the ascent and descent point and to help control rate of ascent
and descent.
Decompression trapeze is used to assist in maintaining correct depth during in-water
decompression stops
Diving bells and diving stages
Surface equipment connected with diving and underwater
work[edit]


InformalRecreational diving flag
Diver down flag is flown warning others that divers are underwater
Diving air compressor to fill diving cylinders with high pressure air or other gasses
Surface supplied diving breathing gas supply system, including:
Low pressure breathing air compressors
High pressure gas storage equipment
Breathing gas distribution panels
Diver's umbilicals
Diver voice communications equipment
Boats such as the rigid-hulled inflatable boat
Dive platforms (or swim platforms) on boats.
Boarding ladders, particularly the Christmas tree ladder configuration, with a single central rail
and cantilevered rungs on both sides, which allows a diver to climb while wearing fins.
Echo sounder - a Sonar depth measuring and profiling device used for dive site location
GPS receiver - for locating dive sites
Proton magnetometer - for locating ferrous wrecks
Marine VHF radio - for communicating with rescue services and other boats
Saturation systems providing surface support for saturation diving.
Diving chambers for surface decompression and treatment of decompression illness
Diving support vessels

Surface supply air panels. On the left for two divers, on the right for three divers

A hard-wired diver communications unit mounted in a waterproof box for convenience of transport and
protection.

Personnel Transfer Capsule - a dry bell

Christmas tree style diver's boarding ladder
Special equipment for underwater work not carried by the
diver[edit]
Remotely operated underwater vehicle - for locating dive sites
Illustration[edit]


Basic diving equipment
This picture shows some of the basic diving equipment and controls:
1) the diving mask
2) the demand valve of the diving regulator
3) the buoyancy compensator inflation and vent valves
4) an alternate buoyancy compensator vent valve
5) shoulder straps of the BCD, which can be released by another diver in case of emergency
6) a depth gauge - showing 23 metres
7) the contents gauge displaying remaining pressure in the diving cylinder - showing 150 bar
See also[edit]

Submarines
Robotics and remote operated vehicles
Design criteria and applications
Corrosion and cathodic protection
Underwater inspection, maintenance and repair operations