I seem to recall, only a couple years back...reading adventure the odd SF yarns where the elite navy SEALs or the secret agents attacked their enemies from the water using high tech rebreathers instead of scuba tanks because they didn’t make any bubbles and were stealthy.
I was shocked to find out that they’re actually doing it now. It’s threatening to become mainstream, and even some sport divers are starting to use it. I’ll be damned. I looked it up on google. Still can’t figure out why they’re doing it, it doesn’t seem to be any cheaper, or more efficient or safer...
I recall some other movie years ago where the divers were using “hyper-oxygenated fluids” for some reason... where they were actually ‘breathing’ a liquid. Are they actually doing that now too?
I may have to update my machine.
I remember the movie; "The Abyss." They were using the liquid because of the extreme pressures of the depths they were diving.
ReplyDeleteAs for your "Demo video..." you obviously like your own brand!
I'm pretty sure EVERYONE like my brand, Pete! ;)
DeleteA rebreather will last up to six hours and does not leave a signature on the surface, which is both good and bad. SCUBA doesn't last as long, but so long as your buddy sees bubbles from your regulator, you're okay.
ReplyDeleteExtreme depth diving is actually a cry for help, much like working your way through a fifth of vodka and playing Russian Roulette with an empty gun. All that aside, for reasons we won't go into the diver can't breathe compressed air; he needs a special mix. There's an oxygen saturated liquid that works well, or so I'm told.
The caveat is Yes, Virginia, there is life after death., but I'm not in any hurry to see what it's like.
The only other thing you can do underwater that's more dangerous than deep diving is caving. Go to any group of SCUBA divers (10 or so, with experience) and you've got a guarantee that at least one of them will know someone who got killed while caving.
When I was a kid going to school there was a fella there in his early 30's. He told us he was an 'underwater demolitions specialist' and had retired. Apparently you can only spend so mny hours at depth breathing unnatural mixtures at unnatural depths, and the guys in his line of work get retired after a certain amount of hours because the health risks become to great.
DeleteI wonder now if he was special forces of some type. Looking back on it he had the build and demeanour of one of those guys and he was as smart as a whip...