31 weeks in Seattle Trainee commercial divers at the Divers Institute of Technology in Seattle, on the west coast of the United States, receive no less than thirty-one weeks of intensive instruction. UCI correspondent Michael Cocks finds out why.     The Divers Institute of Technology was set up in Seattle on the US West Coast in 1968. Divers use a number of barges alongside the Lake Washington Ship Canal, with deep dives done in Lake Washington itself. Courses start each month, and class size averages 15, with a maximum of 20. The students have to spend at least 55 hours in the water, but most spend almost 100 hours there. Author Michael Cocks prepares to dive in Seattle. Michael was given a "free run' of training dives by Institute head Bruce Banks     The quality of the instructors, some of whom were trained in the navy, is impressive. The equipment - and there is a very wide variety of helmets to trial - is well maintained. And there are spacious classrooms and excellent changing and locker facilities.     While I was there, I had eight dives, lasting a total of more than 4 hours, with five different classes. Most of my dives were in a wetsuit, supplied by Copper Kettle Diving Supply Inc, located on site.     As I said to Bruce Banks, former Commanding Officer of the Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center, who took over the college almost three years ago, it was like letting a child loose in a candy store. I was given a free run of the school and in effect could "demand' a dive wherever I wanted. Michael Cocks in Standard Dress suit used by Robert DeNiro Robert DeNiro with DIT film advisers (l to r) John Searcy, Bruce Banks and Richard Radecki.     The students - the average age of which is 24 - elect a class president (much faster than is sometimes the case at national level), who runs the day's routine under the close supervision of the instructor. Students have to be able to maintain the equipment and monitor the diving. I have never felt as safe as when being dressed in by the students.     In addition to the normal commercial diving equipment, I was able to dive in the Mark V heavy (almost 200lb) standard diving equipment, which is still used in highly tidal waters, such as under the Golden Gate Bridge. The gear I dived in was used by Robert DeNiro in the film Men of Honor starring Cuba Gooding Jr as a black diver who remained diving in the navy despite losing a leg in a ship-board accident. Bruce Banks was one of the technical advisers to the film and trained the actors who dived in it.     I also made a 75ft dive (followed by a chamber decompression) in Lake Washington, in front of Bill Gates' mansion. We used the excellent training ship, the Response, a 65ft catamaran. Students have to complete two or more 165ft dives down a shot lane or on a platform. Hazardous     In addition, I took part in a two-week HazMat course, which gives students a qualification to handle hazardous materials both in and out of the water. I used a fully sealed diving suit and was also allowed to try out the protective equipment used on land, with self-contained breathing apparatus. It is a great pity that similar training and equipment for diving in polluted conditions is not always provided in the UK.     Students from poorer families can get the whole $12,000 (about £8500) cost of the course at the Divers Institute of Technology paid for; and middle-income students can get a loan for more than half the fee, to be repaid over 10 years at an interest rate of 7% - a far better deal than in the UK. Accommodation and wetsuits cost extra, but most students are helped to find evening jobs. Michael in sealed HazMat suit.     To date, 93% of the students have been found work by the college. They can also come back at any time for refresher courses, only paying for the materials used. Most students seem to keep closely in touch with the college; and, while I was there, diving companies regularly rang up looking for trainee divers.     There is an important difference between American schools and those in the UK. Schools over there are controlled by the Department of Education, and are regularly inspected by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology. And, before a new school can be set up or an existing one bought out, the finances and background of the owner have to be carefully examined, as do all advertisements.     criteria to Canadian CSA standards for British Colombia. UK training     So far, it has not been able to obtain Canadian Federal acceptance, though it seems that Canadian nationals and also Dutch nationals can complete a course at Seattle and go back to their country of residence and get an HSE-recognised certificate. This must be a nonsense if the training at Seattle well exceeds that given in the UK and even that in some Canadian schools.     The only real difference is the lack of a wet bell, which can easily be remedied, and the limited use of drysuits. I hope a dialogue will continue between the college and the HSE - in an ideal world British students would be able to train in Seattle and get a worldwide accepted ticket and be allowed to dive inside America.     The day-to-day running of the Divers Institute of Technology is now being carried out by John Paul Johnston, who has recently left the US navy, where he was one of the most highly qualified divers.     Fellow instructor Bill, another ex-navy diver, runs a very intensive scuba course. It is easy to fail this part of the training and get a restricted ticket. This course takes place in weeks 10 and 11 of the training, when students are more confident - an idea previously put forward by George Arnoux of Stolt Comex, who argued that in the initial stages of training surface supply is much safer than scuba. Student James Newman     Having persuaded a UK diver, James Newman from Chester, to do a five-week top-up course in Seattle, I thought it only fair that I should see how he was getting on.     James had quickly fitted in and seemed to be enjoying his diving - I will wait with interest to see if he can get work in the Gulf. I, too, was made very welcome by the students - though one almost dropped the Superlite helmet he was about to place on my head when he asked my age and discovered that it was almost three times greater than his.     Other foreign students train in Seattle, including two Japanese on the deep diving section, and several from Hong Kong and the Middle East. Investigation     One of the down-sides of diving in mainland America is the number of diving deaths and the lack of coordinated investigation of them - a similar situation to that in the UK 10 years ago. Frances Steppe of the national Association of Commercial Divers has been highlighting the position on the web site www.safedive.com     I am delighted to have been invited to make another visit to the Divers Institute of Technology in the future. I also hope to attend the next meeting, in May, of the International Diving School Associations, to be held in Panama City, near the US naval training facilities. This body is doing an excellent job at standardising diver training throughout the world, and hopefully this may be one way through the current impasse in HSE recognition of American training standards, which exceed those in the UK.     I am now open to offers to visit other overseas training establishments and, of course, if allowed, will continue to visit and try to help students at the two commercial diving schools in the UK.     I could not have been better looked after in Seattle and hope to return there before too long. Details - John Paul Johnston at the Divers Institute of Technology, 4315 11th Avenue NW, P.O. Box 70667, Seattle, Washington State, WA 98107-0667, USA, Tel: (206) 783 5542.

© 2001 Underwater World Publications Ltd.