Back in the thick of it Michael Cocks puts away his bus pass and heads back to South Africa to get reacquainted with sewerage, dive in shark-infested waters and hitch a ride in a jet fighter Members of the "Fort William Six" continue their training at PDC in Durban. My latest trip to South Africa could not have been better timed; I was able to dive with six of the trainees whose course at the UK's Underwater Centre in Fort William was abruptly ended by the receivers, to dive once again in sewerage, have another flight in a Buccaneer fighter jet and have an offshore dive with Smit Terminals. Not bad for an old age pensioner. A number of trainee divers were unlucky enough to have their course fees taken off them shortly before the Underwater Centre folded at the beginning of the year. The receivers allowed them to complete the scuba part of their course but then the school was closed. Six of the unfortunate divers decided to complete their training at the Professional Diving Centre (PDC) in Durban, South Africa, at a cost, including air fare, of an extra GB£3500 - another student, who luckily paid his money directly to the receivers and got most of it back, will be on the following course. All of the six trainees seemed pleased with their training. Diving in the Zandvliet sewerage works with Breakwater Diving Services. Impressive I was determined on this trip to have a number of dives, and managed to have my first sea dive off PDC's impressive catamaran, the Heliox. In total, I was in the water for more than seven hours and it was good to dive with the Fort William six, all of whom seemed to be of above average diving ability. I also managed one three-hour dive, an event quite common at PDC, but which never occurs at a private school in the UK. I also had two long dives in the British Genesis helmet, which is being tried out in South Africa. All who have used it have praised it. There seems a strong possibility that PDC will start running HSE-approved saturation certificated courses before the year is out. While in South Africa, I was once again allowed to dive with Breakwater Diving Services in the Zandvliet sewerage works - this time in slightly thicker material. I was able to find a small bit of equipment that had been lost in the tank. I was pleased that a photograph of my previous dive at Zandvliet was included in the talk given by David Smith of Hydrospace, UK, on diving in contaminated water at the Inshore/Inland Diving Conference during Oceanology International 2004. Michael Cocks with Joe Wengrove (right), operations manager of Smit Terminals, and Captain Graham Clack (left) at Oil Africa 2004. Another highlight of my trip was being able to have another flight in a Buccaneer military jet plane out of Thunder City. We took off from the runway of Cape Town International Airport and I was subjected to a large number of manoeuvres. While in Cape Town I was able to attend the first ever Oil Africa exhibition, organised by Exhibition Management Services and Fair Consultants, South Africa, and met a number of the exhibitors. I was then driven to Mossel Bay by Braam van den Berg of Dutch-owned Smit Terminals. I have in the past written about the trouble he goes to in selecting non-South African divers and then training them. He also makes certain that they are fully integrated into Smit diving methods. Sergey Alpatov (second from left) and Vuyani Msutwana (right) at Mossel Bay. Apprenticeship On this trip I was able to meet a Part 3 South African diver, Vuyani Msutwana, who will shortly complete his surface supply training and Sergey Alpatov, a Russian diver trained at Fort William. I only wish more international companies would monitor the training of their divers and continue, in effect, an apprenticeship system. It was good to be tended by Vuyani and Sergey and to be accompanied in the water by Durande de Wet, with whom I had dived two years previously, as I inspected a single point mooring structure - I was pleased to have a transponder fitted to my leg to ward of any nearby sharks by emitting an electric current. I feel it is a compliment to me that I am allowed to dive with one of the finest diving companies in the world.

© 2004 Underwater World Publications Ltd.