Surface-supplied diving: Diving on the line

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In the early days of professional diving, air was provided to the divers from the surface using a tube. Known as surface-supplied diving, this practice remains an important aspect of the commercial diving profession because of its crucial role in saturation diving. A rather complicated and costly process, surface-supplied diving is usually found in commercial and military applications where saturation diving may be necessary over time.

Organization officials such as Phil Newsum of the Association of Diving Contractors International stress the importance of this method in saturation diving, where divers are exposed to the high pressure conditions of deep-sea diving for prolonged periods.

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Surface-supplied diving has been present since the early days of the diving profession. The most recognizable form of this practice is the standard diving dress (also known as the “hard hat”), which has been in common use until relatively recently. Surface-supplied diving involves a diver to be provided air using a tube (the diver’s umbilical) that is linked to a diving compressor or a similar device.

Surface-supplied diving has many other key differences to scuba diving. Because they rarely need to float, surface-supplied divers usually wear weights. Both scuba divers and surface-supplied divers need pressurized air, which in the case of the latter is supplied through a mask or helmet linked to the umbilical.

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More information on this and other diving topics can be accessed on this blog.

Minding the mind: Phil Newsum and the neuropsychiatric considerations for divers

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Every professional in the underwater operations industry, including Phil Newsum, agrees that diving is a risky occupation. Because it deals with a high-pressure environment and a stringent lifestyle, divers need careful appraisal of their emotional and temperamental fitness. Their health should be a major consideration before instating them on duty.

Psychological well-being is an important physical aspect for future and current divers. Those who suffer from personality disorders, such as instability and anti-social traits, may be disqualified to continue with their training. Diving organizations, such as the Association of Diving Contractor International (ADCI), pay attention to such conditions because diving is the kind of job that requires tremendous physical and mental discipline. In addition, divers who are proven guilty of alcoholism and abusive use of steroids and other illegal substances are immediately removed from service.

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Phil Newsum and his colleagues at ADCI do not hire divers who manifest symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders or organic diseases of the nervous system. Those with history of any form of epilepsy or head injury with sequelae are also disqualified. Intelligence required is at least “normal” in certain standards, and speech impediment may also cause ineligibility.

Professional diving covers a wide range of activities, from deep saturation diving in support of the offshore oil and gas industry to recreational coaching by a professional instructor. Thus, excellent health is necessary to produce excellent results. Failure to comply with certain medical standards may compromise the overall quality of the service.

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Know more about Phil Newsum and Association of Diving Contractor International’s services by visiting this website.

The countdown begins: Phil Newsum and Underwater Intervention 2013

This Phil Newsum article discusses the yearly Underwater Intervention conference.

Underwater Intervention is the combined annual conference of the Association of Diving Contractors International and The Marine Technology Society’s ROV Committee. It is touted by industry insiders as the world’s premier event for those who work with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), commercial diving contractors, manned submersibles, and all other aspects of the underwater operations industry.

A brief history

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Until the early 1990s, the Association of Diving Contractors International and The Marine Technology Society hosted separate conferences: the ROV Intervention and the Diving Symposium. The shared interests between commercial diving and ROV industries led to the merger of the two conferences.

Phil Newsum works as executive director at the Association of Diving Contractors International, an organization dedicated to improving the art and science of commercial diving.

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In 1993, the first Underwater Intervention was hosted in San Diego, California. Nearly two decades later, it has grown to encompass more industries such as manned submersibles, instruments and sensors, sonar and acoustics, ocean engineering, marine salvage and shipwrecks, and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) technologies.

Back to New Orleans

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This year’s conference was held last January in New Orleans, where more than 2,400 people from 35 countries attended. The conference also featured 164 companies that exhibited various underwater instruments and equipment, and 110 technical presentations that discussed topics like ocean engineering and shipwrecks.

Next year, the conference will be held from January 15 to 17, again in New Orleans. More information about the 2013 conference is available here.

To know more about Phil Newsum and his work at the Association of Diving Contractors International, visit www.adc-int.org.