Surface Supplied Air?

[muddiver]

Kug,

The surface supplied air (SSA) system will still require a diver to wear a BC, full face mask and SCUBA cylinder so the idea of being less restricted does not app;ly. The benefit of SSA is the ability for a diver to have nearly an unlimited air supply if he were to become trapped underwater. It is certainly safer and in my opinion, a preferred option to carrying a second cylinder on the diver's back.

Interspiro has developed a pretty slick SSA systeam that provides hight pressure and depth and makes the tender's work much easier. There are no pneumo hoses and no regulator adjustements on the surface. There are too many benefits to list in an onoine post but the system is worthy of consideration. You can check it out at: Interspiro DP1

In addition to it being simple (KISS), it also deplys quickly and in my opinion, it could be used for rescue.

The Interspiro system is realitively new so there are not many in the field yet. I know Indianapolis has been looking at the systems and they may have purchased one. I am not aware of the present status. I also know that the Virginia State Police has scheduled a demo to evaluate the pros and cons.

Certainly, much more is explained in the Dive Rescue International program and students can learn first hand the benefits and applications of the SSA systems.

Regards,

Blades Robinson

All the information on this thread has been really good. It is tough to make a quick to set up surface supplied system other than a very simple hooka setup.

My only comment is, I don't know of any regulation/law or requirement for a surface supplied diver to wear a BC.

Someone please elaborate or explain. Is this an agency spacific requirement?

 

[Lucy's Diver]

All the information on this thread has been really good. It is tough to make a quick to set up surface supplied system other than a very simple hooka setup.

My only comment is, I don't know of any regulation/law or requirement for a surface supplied diver to wear a BC.

Someone please elaborate or explain. Is this an agency spacific requirement?

Not sure, but my team is good about complying with actual applicable laws and regs (the parent agency has a large in house legal unit) and we seldom use BCs on SSA. We add some type of bouyancy device beyond the dry suit only on deeper dives.

 

[BladesRobinson]

I received a link from a team who recently completed an in-water demo of the Interspiro surface supplied air system. (This is NOT a Dive Rescue International class)

The video can be viewed at:

YouTube - Dive Rescue-Ice Dive Interspiro Divator

Blades

 

[bridgediver]

Hi Phil

I must've missed this earlier, sorry

Hi Mark,

First, I haver said that Miami's dive team is any better or more well trained than any other. I merely wanted to point out that this team and most in Florida do not except OSHA as having anything to do with how they should operate.

Police work, SWAT, police dogs, bomb squads, marine units are all "occupations" as well and none of these is regulated by OSHA in Florida. If a department is involved in a law suit regarding a failure to properly train and/or equipment is officers. The witnesses against the department will be from the law enforcement training community not from OSCA. My point is why would you want to set yourself up to defend your department from some outside agency instead of your own set of guidelines for the specific type of diving that you do. Law suits against the department are brought based on department policy not some outside agencies rules.
They can say you should have followed OSHA, Dive Rescue International, etc. all they want but your departments guidelines will be what makes the difference.

I am sure that OSHA rules make commercial diving safer but they are not necessarily any better than your departments own policy for your dive team and divers.

Police recovery teams and fire rescue teams need to develop policies and procedures
of their own to suit their needs not a one size fits all U.S. government set of rules.

Unless your state mandates that public safety dive teams abide by OSHA standards I would rather develop my own.

Phil Rudin

I think I understand where you're coming from but instead of seeing a national standard as a guideline that you need to defend against it can also be used for something that can protect your dept - just as your internal SOGs would. How much easier is it to defend a procedure that is used by hundreds (thousands?) of other teams vs one that is used only by your team alone?
The other thing standards would do is limit and/or make these rogue teams that use sport diving practices obsolete or even illegal. I've run into more than 1 non-PSD that thinks what we do is a joke only because their exposure of PSD was of a team that doesn't know what they're doing and are down right dangerous. Its great for your community if your team is doing an effective and safe job but communities that aren't so lucky should have the same type of service IMO. How else can this be accomplished without standards?

FWIW In some of the more active PSD boards most of the membership is always talking about how to get a national standard in the US.

 

[PHIL RUDIN]

I am not advocating that each department have their own guidelines, although most in Florida due. What I am saying is that they should not be OSHA's guidelines for commercial divers. At best we should have a Florida state standard for what police recovery divers and fire rescue divers do in my state. I don't want to open a bucket of worms over police and fire, my team trained the fifty fire department divers when they went from breath holding to scuba and we work side by side all the time. However we do have different goals, at least in my area and a standard should set forth to reach those goals safely.

Phil Rudin