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 The main purpose for my recent trip to Cape Town was to fly in three ex-military jets, taking off from the runway of the international airport, reports Michael Cocks. However, I could not stay away from diving and was delighted that, wherever I went, divers seemed to have read this magazine and knew of my column. I managed several dives during my ten day visit, including a 50-metre chamber dive at Southern Oceanics, one of our advertisers, a dive with sharks in the local aquarium, and a quarry dive with the CDT diver training school. Finally, at DRC, I was taught how to take a Superlite helmet off under water and put it back on so that I could breathe again. Welcome At Southern Oceanics I was made very welcome by Admiral Woody Woodburne, formerly head of the South African naval diving section and a fellow member of the Historical Diving Society. Set up in 1982, this privately-owned company designs, manufactures, installs and supports high-quality military and commercial dive systems. Examples of its work are recompression chambers built for the Canadian Navy, a 50-man containerised Submarine Escape and Rescue Decompression system built for the Singapore Navy, and a wet bell system rated to 100 metres built for the Royal Malaysian Navy. I was particularly impressed by the design of Southern Oceanics' wet bell, which has a clear top. My 50-metre chamber dive, apart from changing my voice (perhaps welcome to some), as usual had very little effect. I was particularly impressed by the layout of the factory and the large collection of standard diving equipment belonging to David Park-Ross, who is also an ex-navy diver. CDT is run by Frans Malherbe, who has more than 30 years' diving experience. Frans served in the South African navy and was one of the last South Africans to be trained in the UK in 1972. He took me to see the historic naval diving base at Simon's Town, where I marvelled at the ten Superlite 27 helmets, all of which looked in pristine condition. The old Part III course at CDT lasts for between seven and eight weeks and costs around £1500. Most of the diving is done off a very suitable dive boat, the Argo Cadet, and a depth of 30 metres can be reached close to the shore. Some diving also takes place in a quarry, where, due to the peat bottom, completely black conditions are created, as I found out. Swimming Trainees have to pass a swimming test, and Frans will fail anyone who does not reach a certain standard. 
I found the equipment good - mainly soft helmets but with a Superlite being introduced at an early stage. I also enjoyed diving in a wetsuit, although as usual I found it hard to keep the weightbelt securely fastened round my ample middle. Frans also runs four-week courses for supervisors, and here the divers participate in actual dives - something I have asked to happen in the UK.CDT also arranged for me to dive with some sharks in the local aquarium wearing Chinese standard gear. Although the sharks had not been fed for a week, they took no interest in a stringy Brit. Frans and his wife Liz could not have looked after me better and I hope to meet them when they visit the UK shortly to see their son, a keen rugby player, who is teaching and playing over here. Discovery Another welcome discovery was that a number of dive companies, such as Smit Octo, give further training after the courses are completed. I visited the works of DRC Systems, which has recently moved to larger premises. DRC supplies diving equipment and renders technical support as well as helping newly-trained divers with additional equipment familiarisation. I tried one of my favourite helmets, the Kirby Morgan 27, in the DRC training tank and also practised taking the 17 helmet off under water and putting it back, breathing through the oral-nasal. This is another way of building up the diver's confidence in his equipment and the sort of training I want introduced in the UK. I was made very welcome by DRC's owner, Dries Erasmus, trained at Fort William, and his wife, Lets. I have now been invited to visit both the saturation and advanced air-diving courses run in Johannesburg by Grant Jameson, and the school in Port Nolloth, on the Namibian borders. The latter was set up by Dan Harvey to train divers for the diamond industry, but it is now training more generally for the commercial diving industry. I hope to be able to get to both these schools on my next visit, which I am planning for April. Impressed Overall, I was impressed by what I have seen so far of the South African diving scene. Some of those responsible for diving safety and training have recently held talks in London with the HSE. I am sure that much can be gained from the exchange of ideas around the world, and I understand that both CDT and Port Nolloth intend to join the International Diving Schools Association, to which no British diving school now belongs. Why not? |
© 2002 Underwater World Publications Ltd.