FAQ
Do Commercial Divers need particular qualifications?
Yes, Commercial Divers in Australia should be trained to ADAS standards, which is different to recreational tickets. There are four levels of training.
- Level I – SCUBA
- Level II – Surface supply to 30metres
- Level III – Surface supply to 50metres
- Level IV – Over 50metres mixed gas saturation diving.
The most common requirement for using tools and working in Australia is Level II or III. The Supervisor also needs to be qualified as a Diver Supervisor in the new Australian Standard AS2299-2008.
For more information visit the ADAS website www.adas.org.au
What is your sterilisation process for diving in reservoirs?
Waters Marine is one of a couple of companies in Australia who specialise in reservoir diving. We have an enclosed 3tonne trailer, which stores all equipment used for reservoir cleaning. This equipment is washed with heavy chlorinated water from new and is only used in reservoirs.
We have a large workshop for storing our other diving equipment, which is stored separate to reservoir cleaning equipment.
How much water do you use in your reservoir cleaning process?
The amount of water used will differ greatly depending on the thickness of sediment being removed, the head of water (height of water above ground), and the length of suction hose. We usually allow about 15,000litres per hour, however the amount used could be as low as 10,000litres. It is usually about the bottom 100mm of the reservoir.
Can you dive in nil visibility?
Commercial divers quickly get used to not being able to see underwater. Most diving work in dams, rivers and harbours is carried out in nil visibility. Divers use their hands to feel the job, because in these situations lights will only illuminate the many dirty particles. With the right tools and experience, divers can carry out most tasks in nil visibility.
Do you dive in contaminated water?
We have dived in raw sewerage, treated sewerage, recycled water, gelatin waste and malasis. Divers need to use a heavy-duty dry suit with gloves, mated to a diving helmet. There should be two of these suits available to allow the stand-by diver to give assistance to the diver if he gets into difficulty.
How many divers do you need on a job?
The Australian Standards (AS2299-2008) requires minimum of 3 personnel, if the water is over 1.5metres deep. The personnel will include a diver, stand-by diver, dive tender and supervisor. The supervisor may also act as the tender. If the water is under 1.5metres deep and conditions are favourable, the job can be carried out with 2 persons. Deeper work requiring decompression requires a chamber on site and staff levels need to be assessed.
How deep can divers work?
Divers can work in any depth, but dives over 25metres can start to add a lot of costs. Most underwater work is carried out in shallow water to 20metres. Deeper dives will require short bottom times and decompression with access to a decompression chamber. Austrian Standards require working divers to use DCIEM dive tables, which are printed in AS2299.
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