Help for Novel

[Rich Keller]

VERY IMPORTANT! I cannot believe I didn't think of this earlier! You have a rare opportunity to observe or work hands on with surface supplied commercial diving equipment coming up this weekend. About 50 miles NNW of Philly is a place called Dutch Springs, this is a popular quarry for sport divers but this weekend there will be a group there called the North East Diving Equipment Group. They will be diving surface supplied equipment dating back as far as US Navy Mark Vs up to current equipment being used today. They allow people to dive these helmets if they contribute some time doing the tenders job supporting the diving operations. I am not sure how many actual commercial divers are part of this group but there has to be at least a few. You should go there, find the commercial divers in charge, let them know who you are and what you are doing. Volunteer you time to work topside so you can get hands on experience using this equipment. Even though you are not using this exact type of equipment in your story the surface part of the operation would be the same. You might even be able to talk someone there into letting you try one. Even though you are not a diver you could point out that the sport divers doing this know as little about it as you.

http://www.northeastdivingequipmentgroup.com/index.php

Dutch Springs

---------- Post added May 21st, 2013 at 06:35 PM ----------

If we are talking about a crashed cargo plane then that cargo could be just about anything that you say it is.

 

[Grenouille]

Oh man that sounds great but I'm already taken this weekend, I can't make it there. I might pay them a visit later, though. Thanks for the info, I'll keep their contact info. As for the cargo plane, yes exactly any material could be found inside. So I'd be looking for something to keep the pressure out, basically?

 

[Rich Keller]

Oh man that sounds great but I'm already taken this weekend, I can't make it there. I might pay them a visit later, though. Thanks for the info, I'll keep their contact info. As for the cargo plane, yes exactly any material could be found inside. So I'd be looking for something to keep the pressure out, basically?

They do this every Memorial and Labor day weekends. I cannot make it this weekend either but I am planning on going Labor day weekend if nothing else comes up. Yes any cargo on that plane that can hold the pressure out should work.

 

[Grenouille]

If they had the umbilicals, they would be limited in how far they can get, how would a diver go about extending that umbilical if they had to go further away, would that be an easy thing to do?

 

[Rich Keller]

If they had the umbilicals, they would be limited in how far they can get, how would a diver go about extending that umbilical if they had to go further away, would that be an easy thing to do?

They could just put two umbilicals together without any problem.

 

[Grenouille]

Thanks! Any reason or element that could make their going further a little risky? Does that change their air intake or anything?

 

[Rich Keller]

Thanks! Any reason or element that could make their going further a little risky? Does that change their air intake or anything?

No there should be no noticeable difference at all.

 

[Rich Keller]

You will have another chance to try surface supplied diving Labor Day weekend. Check the link for details and local places to stay.

NEDEG - North East Diving Equipment Group Homepage

 

[Grenouille]

Oh man sorry I just saw your message, too late! My partner and I have been working on wrapping up a kids book that's coming out in November, we're getting ready to get back to our main project now, we'll reread the whole thread and see if we have any more precise questions. Thank you so much!!

---------- Post added September 2nd, 2013 at 10:18 AM ----------

I just reread the whole thread, and almost all my questions are answered. Here are my conclusions:

• Not as deep as initially thought, but still deep (around 300meters)
• Depressurized, one-atmosphere suits and habitat (mainly because 20 yrs at ambient pressure could have long-term effects and I need them to reproduce in there)
• People are stuck there because the suits are too heavy to go back up on their own and because their O2 comes from the umbilicals, connected to the habitat
• They will try to build a one-atmosphere bell, but will fail
• Scifi material for the suits, so that they're resistant to pressure and heavy, but not as cumbersome as what we talked about
• Scifi gas in the buoyancy compensation pocket thingy, to help with the negative buoyancy of that suit in the water, without needing tons and tons of a gas in a small zeppelin

I guess I still have a question though, how physically demanding do you reckon it would be to wear one of those suits? Even made from a scifi material, they'll be heavy, will that be extremely difficult physically? Before getting in the water only, when still inside the habitat, or difficult in the water as well? I'm still trying to figure out what kind of training to give the character, I feel like it'd be a tough thing to wear one of those suits, especially for a young woman, I wonder how much freedom to choose I have on this particular topic.


As always, thank you so much!!

 

[Rich Keller]

The suit would be very difficult if not impossible to move around in out of the water. In the water it will not be too physically demanding to move but that movement would be slower then a regular commercial diving rig. The suits do not need to be extremely heavy, just heavy enough not to float. If the suits are too heavy in the water the divers would not be able to move around either. You do not need the suits to be made from scifi materials as the suits currently in use would work fine for your story and were available about 20 years ago when your story begins. What will keep them from leaving in a suit is having their air supply provided by the habitat. The suits do not need anything to compensate for buoyancy so there is no need for any type of gas, scifi or otherwise. Look into the details of how a JIM suit works and model your suit closely to that. The main differences between your suit and a JIM suit would be that the air is supplied through the umbilical only and the weights on your suit would need to be permanently attached.