Minesweeper diver, a different diving job
Soldiers of the Navy, the minesweeper divers tracks down everyday and tirelessly neutralize some of the 300,000 underwater mines. The explosive underwater devices, vestiges of the Second World War, buried in the bottom of the waters are awaiting for a diving hero to come. Those guys also carry out various underwater work, such as cutting, welding and assembling metal structures. They can also participate in sea rescues, search for black boxes in the event of an air crash at sea, or intervene militarily in operational areas and combat zones abroad. It is an amazingly risky job, these men definitely need a perfect self-control as they only can go down to 80 meters. Accidents are rare considering the pressurized conditions. Indeed, no more than a dozen accidents are recorded for more than 250,000 annual dives. A solid training is essential for practicing this risky job. Nowadays, there is only three hundred minesweeper divers worldwide
Diving mine search, a complete learning experience
in France, the diving school of Saint-Mandrier, facing Toulon, has the responsibility to train the professional divers of the French Navy and delivers minesweepers divers certificates and superior patents. It was from this particular dive training camp of the French Navy, that Commander Cousteau worked on the creation of the Cephismer, which represent the main revolution of scuba diving as we know it today. For minesweepers, the most important skill is the understanding and management of decompression stops, in order to avoid accidents due to rapid rise up. To reduce the risk, a global scuba diving laboratory was created by Cephismer. Simulations, using a CH500 hyperbaric chamber, are done everyday there. Four divers can enter it simultaneously.
Despite the danger of this job, it still attracts many candidates every year. The adventures of Commander Cousteau always remain powerful.
