Diving & ROV specialists
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This website exists due to the efforts of some scientists, document writers, engineers, divers, and client representatives. Please remember that it is a fully independent platform that does not depend on pressure groups, and whose purpose is only to provide accurate and honest information free of charge. However, doing this takes a considerable time, and every support is welcome to help us to improve this project. Fast means of donation have been neglected since the launching one year ago, and some of you said they were missing. That is corrected now, with this first link that allows making donations easily (Note that 1$ = 36 THB).
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Food for thought
The previous posts can be accessed by clicking on the buttons below.
Discussion Februry 2022
Entertainment
Discussion March 2022 Discussion April 2022
Updated on the 10th of November 2023
Discussion May 2022 Discussion June 2022
Wind turbines
Wave energy conversion
Floating and offshore solar farms
Offshore geothermal resources
Also, remember that you can be part of this project by providing articles or information.
Discussion August & Sept. 2022
About nitrox fabrication
 Discussion Dec 2021 Discussion January 22
Invasive sea species
This rubric aims to provide elements allowing us to analyze new potential markets and events that may influence our professions in the future.
Tidal turbines
Discussion Novembre 2022 About Mini & ultralight ROVs Discussion January 2023
The previous posts can be accessed by clicking on the buttons below.
Hyperaric Oxygen Treatments
About mini & ultralight ROVs
About O’dive pro services
About Azoth systems - O’Dive pro
Click on the covers above to see the descriptions of the publications
About DMS
About Diver Monitoring Systems
About standards
Discussion November 2023 About diver held SONARs
About diver held SONARs
Discussion Mach 2023
Diver’s bailout system design
Several companies have banned the use of smartphones and tablets in dive and ROV control rooms due to isolated incidents of distraction. These policies are based on emotional responses rather than documented analysis. This discussion proves that contrary to what people imposing such authoritarian rules think, smartphones and tablets can be powerful tools for improving work procedures and safety. It also proves that restrictions imposed following emotional events and anger are usually inappropriate. This article is accessible through the button below
About the use of smartphones and  tablets in dive and ROV control rooms
The "Basic rigging and lifting procedures handbook" has been available since August. We remember that this document aims to promote the essential principles for organizing basic lifting procedures for various loads for diving and ROV teams for the operations they may undertake during the construction projects they are involved in. It is based on national and international
Our new document research series, "Index for Document Research: Scientific Papers and Books," presents a supplementary research method to complement the chronological lists and search engine available on our website. This additional document offers a subtopic organization of the chronologically classified papers in our database. Please note that an article that discusses a
standards and guidelines, such as ISO, EN, ASME, ASTM, OSHA, and HSE standards, and manufacturer recommendations. It is composed of two parts: 1. The description of the lifting systems. 2. The management procedures, elements to consider, and particular procedures such as personnel transfer.
subject with implications for multiple related topics is classified in each related sub-topic. This additional classification method will gradually expand to other primary topics in our database.
Note that the diving management study #13 is underway. It will discuss the rules and tools developed to frame the work of the scientists who study diving tables.
“Theoretical considerations on the ultimate depth that could be reached by saturation human divers” is a document written by Jacques H. Abraini, Hélène N. David, Nicolas Vallée, Jean-Jacques Risso, and published in 2016.
Narcotic episodes have constituted, beyond the high-pressure neurological syndrome, the major limitation of deep diving. The authors believed that it is of interest to examine what could be the ultimate depth that could be reached by saturation human divers. Based on previous data and the critical volume model of inert gas narcosis, they suggest that the maximum depth for saturation diving could be around 1,000 m.
“High Pressure Diving Nervous Syndrome” is a study published in 2022 by Munire K. Ozgok Kangal and Heather M. Murphy- Lavoie. It reviews the evaluation and management of the high-pressure nervous syndrome (HPNS) and explains the role of the interprofessional team in managing patients with this condition. This document can be considered a complement of the study above
Many technical documents are published alongside scientific papers, and our handbooks and studies. Some, such as, those about mapping procedures using specific ROVs, could also be published in the "Studies of ROV concepts" section. For this reason, we suggest using our search engine to refine research. Among the new documents we publish, note the following:
“From shallow sea to deep sea: research progress in underwater image restoration” is a study recently published by Wei Song, Yaling Liu, Dongmei Huang, Bing Zhang, Zhihao Shen, & Huifang Xu. It reviews underwater image restoration technology, bridging the gap between shallow-sea and deep-sea image restoration fields through experimental analysis.
“Recent progress on underwater soft robots: adhesion, grabbing, actuating, and sensing”, is a document written by Yeming Zhang, Demin Kong, Yan Shi, Maolin Cai, Qihui Yu, Shuping Li, Kai Wang, & Chuangchuang Liu, This paper provides a view of the development of various tools, sensors, and propulsors of underwater soft robots.
These papers are available with other publications in "Documents" (see in the menu bar) or by clicking the cover pictures on the side.
"Notes on the Laurentic Salvage Operations and the Prevention of Compressed Air Illness" by Captain Damant is a book that relates the recovery of Laurentic's gold cargo in 1917 after a German mine sank her. It is a fantastic testimony to the techniques used during this period. Captain Damant was a friend of John Scott Haldane and was directly involved in the study of the first decompression table.
Navigation systems
Mini divers and ROV navigation systems
We have been informed by “Composite Beat Engels” that the two models of helmets presented in May 2022 and intensively tested in the nuclear industry and other unhealthy environments are now internationally approved for sale. This provides me with the opportunity to describe these helmets again and highlight the advantages companies may have in working with a small manufacturer. Thus, this is an opportunity to highlight the fact that monosourcing of equipment is counterproductive and, in the long term, dangerous for companies. To recall, the two helmets previously presented in June 2022 utilize the same shell. The difference is that one helmet is supplied by a continuous flow system, and the other is equipped with a demand valve regulator. They were initially studied for the needs of "Onet Technologies CN", a company specializing in diving interventions in nuclear power plants that wanted a helmet with a comparable volume to the Divex AH4 and 5 they use, and that were modified due to intermittent intrusion of water that was sometimes noticed in the past, as indicated in the article by Patrick Lucon, "Diving in Nuclear Power Plants," published in our previous edition and available in the section "Food for thought" at the bottom of this home page. These new helmets made by Beat Engel have integrated these modifications and are both perfectly sealed.
About small and false helmet manufacturers
The DSL B-2CND is a helmet equipped with a demand regulator, the Scubapro A 700. It provides more internal space than the well-known “DeepSea DSL B-2 Caribe”, and is equipped with a double exhaust valve system that maintains it at a slight positive pressure to avoid water intrusion.
The DSL B-2CNF is a continuous flow helmet designed for interventions in polluted waters and nuclear plants. It is equipped with a large viewport and an adjustable double exhaust valve system that can also be activated by pressing the dedicated button inside the unit with the head.
It must be noted that these sealing refinements were previously in place on the other helmets made by this manufacturer, notably the "DSL B2 Caribe" that "Onet Technologies CN" also successfully used. In addition to diving in nuclear pools where radiation contamination is possible and thus requires a perfectly sealed helmet, the photo below proves that these helmets can be used in the most extreme conditions. They are all equipped with a removable ballast that can be taken out to lighten the weight of the helmet when the divers have to wait outside the water without removing their helmet due to a polluted environment and a lengthy cleaning process.
DeepSea DSL B-2 Caribe
DeepSea DSL B-2 Caribe used in a wastewater treatment plant
Note that the removable ballast is also used to protect the various connections.
I need to clarify that “Diving and ROV Specialists.com” has no financial interest in the company described. Thus, the support for these products comes only from our thought that, for the good of the profession, we need to have several sources of equipment that contractors can choose from. In other words, the rules of the free market are based on supply and demand, and when there is only one supplier, this rule is broken, resulting in the only manufacturer being in a monopolistic situation and imposing its prices and delivery conditions. Regarding this point, we need to look at other industries that have understood the advantage of having several suppliers and thus diversified their sources. Competition pushes producers to progress and propose products at competitive prices, which is not the case if only one manufacturer exists. The simple reason is, why should you make efforts in research if you are alone in the market, and thus, all companies are obliged to pass by you to buy the equipment they need? This is also true when the number of competitors is limited to two or three, as they may arrange to share the market. A monopolistic situation has been a reality in the diving helmet market for two decades, with Kirby Morgan holding the quasi-totality of the market despite some attempts by small manufacturers to enter it. Of course, the problem does not arise from the manufacturer being in such a dominant position. He is simply doing his job of providing reliable products that generate the most comfortable income possible for him, which is the purpose of a commercial company. Thus, the fault lies with the commercial diving industry and the conservatism that many of us have. We have to understand that this behaviour, which many of us consider based on common sense, goes against logical market rules and quality policies that many companies today like to throw in our faces when we request their services. The real logicality should be to compare products and ensure that multiple suppliers exist for each type of equipment. For this reason, I remind you that this website displays a whole page with the addresses of the following other helmet manufacturers (see in “Logistics”):
Aqualung
Desco
Divex
Drass
Kirby Morgan
Tatum
Of course, some other manufacturers than those above may exist. If that is the case, we will be happy to add them to the list. However, it must be kept in mind that we support only real manufacturers and not people performing copies of existing devices. We can see above that, due to their function, the general design of helmets is similar. However, each manufacturer has products with a particular look and concept. Thus, they must be selected according to the client's needs based on these criteria. Opposite to that counterfeiters have understood they can generate huge profits by imitating products from reputed manufacturers. Regarding this point, I have to say that some counterfeit products are so well done that only people who know the original perfectly can detect them when looking at them. For example, in March 2022. Kirby Morgan emitted a safety bulletin regarding a counterfeit of its famous bandmask KMB 28. The photo below from this bulletin shows that both the original and the counterfeit have an identical look. Kirby Morgan says that the difference becomes obvious when using them as the regulator of the copy is far to provide the same performance and can be considered dangerous. Kirby Morgan provides procedures to detect the copy in a safety bulletin published in August 2022.
Helmet manufacturers
Click on the button below the list to open the page.
The genuine Kirby Morgan is on the right side. Do you see the difference?
We can question how some people made a copy that is an externally perfect replica of the original. The answer is that in its bulletin, Kirby Morgan indicates these people's company name (Haiyun) and website address ( http://www.haiyundive.cn ). A visit to this website shows that these people are "apparently" a company settled and operating in China that sells other models of face masks and other diving equipment. China is a country with substantial industrial capabilities and a vast internal market where clients are not automatically familiar with Kirby Morgan products and safety bulletins. On their website, this copy of the KMB 28 band-mask is called CDM-16. Another question we can ask is how long these people will not be able to replicate the original regulator perfectly. I have interrogated an authentic KMB reseller, Advance Marine in Singapore, regarding the legal actions that have been taken by Kirby Morgan. The fact that KMB has published these bulletins proves that the company management considers a major threat the fact that some people copy their products and usurp their reputation. However, as with many organized illegal activities, it seems that cutting off the head of the company created by these counterfeiters may result in them starting again with a new company. Thus, the problem is not simple, and the current relationships between the US and the Chinese government does not help solving it. On our side, we believe that even if some might have the temptation to purchase such products, they should never do so. This is to avoid violating market regulations and supporting dishonest individuals who steal the names and intellectual property of others. Buying such products encourages these people to continue, resulting in authentic manufacturers losing potential clients and collapsing due to a lack of resources, which is far from profitable for the profession. Furthermore, those who fail to consider the above ethical point should keep in mind that by publishing safety bulletins in March 2022 and August 2022, Kirby Morgan has officially identified the counterfeits. Therefore, equipment resellers cannot ignore that these products exist, and those involved in selling them can be taken to court as members of the counterfeiting chain. Additionally, users of such products expose their company and themselves to the following: Counterfeit helmets are not approved by certification bodies, and therefore, their use is considered illegal and dangerous. The legal authorities of the country may consider that employers who use such helmets have intentionally endangered the lives of their workers and take them to court for this reason. Note that protecting the safety of workers is a key element of the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions. In addition to the authorities, in case of an incident, families of affected people can also take the employer to court with the support of various labour organizations. The insurance company may refuse to cover the accident, if any, and any subsequent projects undertaken by the contractor. As files of insurance companies are often shared, it will be difficult to find another. The contractor using such a product can be taken to court by the client for similar reasons as the authorities. As many clients are now members of organizations, the contractor runs the risk of losing most of them. Members of professional associations can be expelled from these organizations if it is alleged that they have intentionally used counterfeits. Also, their quality system can be considered insufficient and not in line with the minimium requirement members of an organization should apply. Additionally, companies and individuals intentionally using counterfeit products are legally considered a part of the counterfeiting chain, resulting in severe penalties if caught. To conclude the list above, there are more inconveniences to using illegal copies of helmets than actual advantages. Those ready to cross the threshold of legality should think twice. Note that a lot of reputed Chinese manufacturers are listed in our database, which should not be confused with the counterfeiters described above, because they are based in the same country. In fact, we have to consider them as indirect victims of such individuals. Christian CADIEUX
Also, recent announcements from various professional and safety organizations, and lists of scientific and technical paid documents can be consulted on a specific page by clicking the button below. Please note that the hyperlinks to the guidelines and information notes indexed on this page are solely intended for informational purposes, as "Diving and ROV Specialists.com" is not responsible for creating any of the said documents. “Diving & ROV Specialists.com” is totally independent and does not plan to apply for any organization membership. Our vocation is to provide diving and ROV teams with reliable information written by us or by others. We highlight information published by professional organizations as we consider it a part of our duties. However, as explained in the conclusion of the Diving management studies CCO Ltd #7 and #11, any guideline published by any organization should be analyzed by competent people who decide whether it can be adopted and utilized by the company they work for. In other words, it is your decision to consider the contents of each document listed on this page as suitable or not for all aspects of your diving and ROV operations.
Pollution of the sea by plastic garbages
Discussion August 2023
Diving into nuclear power plants
Announces & paid documents