Aqueos has announced the delivery of 'Splash', a special purpose dive support and survey vessel designed to specifically address safety concerns with traditional methods of live diving.
The vessel is based on a proven, durable shallow-draught catamaran hull and power plant that produces a rugged, lightweight, stable, and high-speed vessel. Built specifically for live diving support, 'Splash' has a built in dive control station with a 3-diver IMCA compliant manifold, deck decompression chamber, Nitrox air enriched diving system, a jet pump, berthing for 12 and a tailored diver recovery system.
Typical live diving involves a diver performing work underwater while the diver's hose is being tended from the bow of a propeller driven utility vessel, using its main propulsion system to keep position with the diver. 'Splash', with its twin jet drive propulsion, is specifically designed to eliminate the two major risks associated with this practice. These are the potential of the diver's umbilical and equipment entanglement with the vessel propellers and the potential injury to the diver jumping from the high bow freeboard into the water.
Other safety enhancements include: a "raised" pilot house with integrated 360° view to monitor diver position, joystick control for enhanced low speed manoeuvrability, as well as integrated USBL and diver work beacon to allow the vessel master to "see" the diver's subsea position relative to vessel position.
