SCUBA in Commercial Diving

[Bombay High]

I was just going through Mark Longstreath's latest compilation of diving deaths and fatalities, and the one thing that stood out was the startlingly high percentage of fatalities were working divers on SCUBA.
The few fatalities in Saturation were mostly victims of vessels sinking or other catastrophes.
That percentage seems to be getting higher in recent years.
It is my firm personal belief that SCUBA does not belong in the Commercial Diving world. I am sure others will disagree, but the statistics speak for themselves.

Stay safe.

 

[DeepSeaDan]

I couldn't agree more BH - I've argued the point many times on this board over the years. There is a right way / safe way to do things, & those who want to undercut legitimate operators by using Scuba are a hazard, plain & simple.

Regards,
DSD

 

[Darol]

The combination of a limited air supply, and not in all cases, but usually, no communication with the surface, then add to that, again not in all cases, but usually, no back up diver, and you have a recipe for disaster. Most fall for the quick money, and the thrill, and mostly the lack of knowledge of how much danger they are putting themselves in. Sad but true.... For the record a lot of divers, including myself, have dabbled in
this circumstance, most won't admit it.

 

[Superlyte27]

You are correct. SCUBA and Commercial Diving don't mix.

 

[Bombay High]

Darol : Exactly ... a combination of one or more of the factors mentioned. Some cases they guess it was as simple as events cascading from the diver overbreathing a regulator, with CO2 and panic building up. The rest as they say is history. With no comms, usually its anybodies guess as to what transpired. I can't imagine trying to work a pipeline loose or hammering a washer loose while breathing a conventional SCUBA reg.

 

[Akimbo]

There just isn’t much that a diver can accomplish without surface support and comms. Quick jumps to attach a line for simple recoveries “might” have a role when surface supplied spreads are not onboard. But to be fair, the vast majority of commercial divers really suck, literally and figuratively, on Scuba. Like every tool, there is a skill set that goes with it and not many commercial divers get the water-time to stay proficient on Scuba.

 

[DivingOtter]

I wont even do small wheel jobs in scuba. It is usually done very close to the inlet and ive taken more that enough slams to the hat to realize it would have cracked my skull, knocked me out and i most definitely would have drowned. I see "salvage" companies that operate with scuba who arent even commercial divers, just local fire dept volunteers. Its a scary stupid world out there.

 

[Bombay High]

But to be fair, the vast majority of commercial divers really suck, literally and figuratively, on Scuba. Like every tool, there is a skill set that goes with it and not many commercial divers get the water-time to stay proficient on Scuba.

Agreed. I sucked at SCUBA until I went into semi retirement from Sat Diving and decided I needed to learn. I still suck (literally and figuratively) , but a little less than before

 

[Darol]

Bombay High said:

Agreed. I sucked at SCUBA

How very true.... Everyone does, or they don't get to breathe....

 

[Superlyte27]

The only close call I had while commercial diving was a day I was on scuba. I was wearing my SL-27 in 33 degree water (Fahrenheit). I was NOT surface supplied, and was using an LP104 as back gas, which held about 150cu' of air in it. I was in an 84" pipe bolting in an 84" flange with 1/2" stainless still bolts. I'd drill the pipe from the inside, then put the bolts in, then head out of the pipe to put the nuts on.

I remember thinking to myself, "man this regulator is really breathing like crap today". Then I realized, I wasn't surface supplied. OH CRAP!!! I started my exit out of the pipe as fast as I could. Thankfully I was only about 20' down and about 50' in. Yes, I realize that all the danger I encountered was 100% my fault.

I ran for the exit and the surface. I made it to the surface as I breathed my last breath of gas and scrambled to get the hat off, while running for the shore signalling to the surface team that I needed help. They jumped into the water and sprinted towards me. I got the cams popped but couldn't get the toilet ring off my shoulders before I lost consciousness and collapsed into the water.

No comms, no backup gas, no pneumo, no surface supply. Who's fault? No one but mine for agreeing to do the dive.

Scuba does not belong in Commercial Diving, even in 20' of water.