'The divers pub'

[JR8]

I'm too old to care if you like it, I really couldn't give a fig - yeah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iwC2QljLn4
/ 2:43
Motörhead - Ace Of Spades




p.s. That said, of coure I'm a loyal and obedient servant.. blah blah ....

[JR8]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtBbyglq ... =endscreen
Aretha Franklin - I say a little prayer

[JR8]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iknxtn6L1zU
Huey 509 flyby




[I'm a whore for that buzz - just so so grateful I never had to fight in that shit-hole. Hallelujah, and I'll do church stuff from now on. I promise.

[JR8]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4S3_1yoCBQ
Tour of Duty - Intro

[offshoreoildude]

'Divers are dumb' is the common theme amongst ROV pilot / techs (who didn't enter the ROV industry via diving). I don't know what it's like now but the late 80's and 90's saw a huge number of commercial ex divers trying to enter the ROV industry - usually without any technical qualifications - and just saying 'I know what I'm looking at'. That was incredibly frustrating to qualified engineers with a lot of experience in hydraulics / electronics etc...

I don't really agree with the above comment - I've met plenty of dumb techs and engineers as well. But what I would say is that long term exposure to depths of some significance (above 100m) appears to hasten or cause retardation, blindness and deafness and that may be the reason for the above slur. I believe the reason for this damage may be due to the red blood cell changing shape under pressure and the changed shape causes damage to tiny capillaries in the ears, brains and eyes of divers. I am not certain this damage is reversible or heals by itself either.

I know several divers who have successfully transitioned over to ROV's and are still in that game; Jim Fox, Daryl Cox, Dave Andersen, Shane Schoon - all come to mind - so I am aware that the ROV bias against them is not fair either.

What I would say though is that anyone seriously considering long term deep diving for money needs to understand they will most likely not be the same physically afterwards and the money may not be worth it in the end. If you really want to see things underwater at deep depths ROV's are the safe way

[sundaymorningstaple]

Unfortunatelly, in those same early days, it was the divers who had to keep rescuing the early ROVs because the engineers, while intelligent, were abysmal drivers and succeeded on a regular basis in getting the ROV complete fouled and divers were needed to "rescue" the pilots so the pilots/techs could still claim the glory in completing the job (they just couldn't come home without help!

Fortunately, I didn't do to much deep work. Most of my stuff was surface gas or air (preferrably). Still got my wits about me and can honestly say in 17 years of diving commercially and 15 of those as a supervisor/superintendent I was never bent nor had a case of the bends on any of my jobs. I did have a couple of Barge Captians try to have me off the rig cause I shut down a job due to safety concerns, but OI always stood behind me. I was also the only licensed subsea blaster in SE Asia back in the '80's as well. Fun times, those.

[offshoreoildude]

Unfortunatelly, in those same early days, it was the divers who had to keep rescuing the early ROVs because the engineers, while intelligent, were abysmal drivers and succeeded on a regular basis in getting the ROV complete fouled and divers were needed to "rescue" the pilots so the pilots/techs could still claim the glory in completing the job (they just couldn't come home without help!

Fortunately, I didn't do to much deep work. Most of my stuff was surface gas or air (preferrably). Still got my wits about me and can honestly say in 17 years of diving commercially and 15 of those as a supervisor/superintendent I was never bent nor had a case of the bends on any of my jobs. I did have a couple of Barge Captians try to have me off the rig cause I shut down a job due to safety concerns, but OI always stood behind me. I was also the only licensed subsea blaster in SE Asia back in the '80's as well. Fun times, those.

There were some pilots who should never have been allowed near the sticks. I believe training has gotten better. I've seen some amazing umbilical knots in my time and you're correct that in the early days before garages were common that there were a lot of rescues needed.

I'm glad to hear you've escaped relatively unscathed. The deep water divers of your age that I know generally are dead or pretty useless now - it seems they really do get hurt. The divers who transitioned into ROV's are in much better health generally apart from self induced issues (Alcoholism, drugs and VD along with terrible divorces and bad financial decisions).

[sundaymorningstaple]

OSOD, there is a reason I'm in good shape. I was an old man when I started in the commercial diving industry (30 - when most are trying to get out after having been doing it since the age of 21 or 22 - albeit SCUBA since the age of 16 but only got certified in 1976). When I went to the commercial diving school, I was the oldest in the class and still came out #2, missing 1st by one half of a percent. The chief instructor of the school was an old GOM diver and he gave me some words of advice that carried me throughout my career as a commercial diver. "There are old divers and there are bold divers. But there are damn few old, bold divers". Safety has always been my motto and it's held me in good stead all those years and even till today, now with over 48 years of diving under my belt.

[JR8]

. I was also the only licensed subsea blaster in SE Asia back in the '80's as well. Fun times, those.

Hey SMS, can you explain what a subsea blaster entailed?

thx

[JR8]

OSOD, there is a reason I'm in good shape. I was an old man when I started in the commercial diving industry (30 - when most are trying to get out after having been doing it since the age of 21 or 22 - albeit SCUBA since the age of 16 but only got certified in 1976). When I went to the commercial diving school, I was the oldest in the class and still came out #2, missing 1st by one half of a percent. The chief instructor of the school was an old GOM diver and he gave me some words of advice that carried me throughout my career as a commercial diver. "There are old divers and there are bold divers. But there are damn few old, bold divers". Safety has always been my motto and it's held me in good stead all those years and even till today, now with over 48 years of diving under my belt.

Yeah, I've heard that expression too I've knowingly pushed it, only once. Don't really know why I did it, but

Eh SMS. Come 2 years Aunt Betty lay her sword on your shoulders issit?

[JR8]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZdmc-iRARs
MOST POWERFUL SNIPER RIFLE IN THE WORLD


I kinda like it. I imagine that I probably wouldn't enjoy shooting it.



But hey I'm a pussy with guns, 9mm, 12 bore. M16.... I don't like the really heavy stuff.

[offshoreoildude]

OSOD, there is a reason I'm in good shape. I was an old man when I started in the commercial diving industry (30 - when most are trying to get out after having been doing it since the age of 21 or 22 - albeit SCUBA since the age of 16 but only got certified in 1976). When I went to the commercial diving school, I was the oldest in the class and still came out #2, missing 1st by one half of a percent. The chief instructor of the school was an old GOM diver and he gave me some words of advice that carried me throughout my career as a commercial diver. "There are old divers and there are bold divers. But there are damn few old, bold divers". Safety has always been my motto and it's held me in good stead all those years and even till today, now with over 48 years of diving under my belt.

Yep. I dove recreationally but when a friend got into the rebreather deep water stuff (well 50m or so) I backed out. I almost died in 42m and I'm not stupid - sometimes you just need to know when to let a hobby go. The deepest ROV job I did was in 1800' off Bali - crystal clear water. I left the ROV industry before it really broke through the 3000' barrier.

[JR8]

William Trubridge freedives THE ARCH at Blue Hole, Dahab
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrXQbucZUDA


I've done The Arches.



But respcet to this guy.



Woof




p.s. It aint me. It ain't me, I'm no prodigal son, no.

[JR8]

Yep. I dove recreationally but when a friend got into the rebreather deep water stuff (well 50m or so) I backed out. I almost died in 42m and I'm not stupid - sometimes you just need to know when to let a hobby go. The deepest ROV job I did was in 1800' off Bali - crystal clear water. I left the ROV industry before it really broke through the 3000' barrier.

Yeah respect to that, and it's a deeply personal thing. Rules are rules but I know some oldsters who do some really crazy s*** [Backside of Jackson in Egypt, And that's live Neverland man. At night.... at 50? yeah. My mentor.... rode on a buddies tank like a polo pony. 'Gee up'!....

[JR8]

Starfighter
The Sound Of Starfighters F-104
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6K4iSxET6g





My halcyon youth. Frivolling on the front lawn at school with the vicars' daughters.

The sky knotted and torn by American planes.