I was a commercial diver.
A very lucky 1 at that....
I dived in Syd harbour for a living for ages, used to swim a ferry most mornings with a Hull scrubber, I was fit as fit can be then.
Did concreting below the opera house for 4 months.
Have been to parts of the barrier reef which are not on the Nautical charts (weren't at the time)
Had to kick sharks out of my way to do a job
400 hours structual wet stick welding, plus heaps of other non certified welding etc.
Always found myself with an ear infection the day of broco cutting, still makes me shiver thinking about it.
Deepest I can recall doing was about 180' in Gulf of Thailand, Benchamas Oil Field. I was sent down to undo a rope (called a "Down Line"), from that depth I had every colour group available, the guys needed to send me another rope (Messenger Line) so I could recover some gear left behind. When I looked up, I could see the lads on the back deck clearly enough to tell who was who.
Had a close call with the giant grouper that lives under the coal terminal south of Makay one time.
Here is yours truly dressed ready for action. Guess the location...
Have been about 15m below the seabed up of the sth coast of Niugini in a trench with near vertical walls.
Didn't mind the chamber time for surface deco, always had a good rest then.
It all came to an end though, a few things happened and was advised to give it up. Long story best for the camp fire that 1.
Hope to go for a swim with the wife again some day, and kids when they are old enough.
Got a funny story from out of Cairns when I was living there.
The local dive folk refused to acknowledge the qualification of some Nth Sea, UK and European Saturation Divers I worked on a job with, so the guys all went out for an "Introductory Dive". Got on the bottom and did everything wrong they could possibly do deliberately as a pay back. One guy hid under a rock and held his breath, another took his BCD of.... etc etc.
After they fessed up to the young girl who was taking them in the water, then paid for her and her friends all expenses night out on the town.
