Mission & Project Info | NOAA’s Aquarius Undersea Laboratory
Mission Blog

Today is the last diving day for Leg 1 of our Sat Mission.  Over the past 3 days, the saturation divers have done well adapting to using the closed-circuit underwater breathing apparatus from the Aquarius.  Each closed circuit diver has experienced a highly successful 3-hour excursion from the habitat without the need for re-charging or exchanging CO2 absorbent.  Compared to an open-circuit breathing apparatus, the closed-circuit system is a very efficient use of gas supply resulting in longer excursion times without the need for re-charging the gas supply.  A re-breather re-circulates the divers exhalation by removing CO2 and providing a make-up volume of lost gas by adding a small amount of air/oxygen into the breathing loop.    

In order to minimize the amount of unnecessary equipment and supplies stored inside the Aquarius, topside divers have been exchanging CO2 canisters and high pressure air and oxygen flask. The daily visits to the aquanauts are a minor chore compared to the daily activities the aquanauts must accomplish. Even so, the next saturation crew remains eager to exchange places. Our first set of divers, Master Diver Knudson, Navy Divers, Chief Gene Buijten, Bill Dodd, and Tim Ige will return to the surface tomorrow morning.  I look forward to capturing their observations and sharing them with you.  Please look for new postings from their experiences over the next few days.

I am very pleased so far with the performance of the UBA.  This is the first time that the U.S. Navy has had the opportunity to use a closed circuit UBA operationally from a saturation platform.  The continuing success of this application (using a closed-circuit underwater breathing apparatus from a saturated environment) may prove to be an alternative means to deploy future aquanauts and scientist from the Aquarius. As in all new endeavors, there are often lessons learned. Thus far, our list is very small and minor.  I fully expect Leg 2 of this saturation mission to be equally successful.