Diving the Oceanos - Part II
Posted By Philip G Van Rensburg on 2 April 2004
Since the year of her sinking, the Oceanos has remained in solitary confinement, guarded by the Agulhas current and the secluded landscape of the Transkei. Then, about two years ago, South African technical divers Barry Coleman and Brett Hawton decided it was time to revisit the Oceanos. This is their story...
For many years, seasoned technical diver, Barry Coleman, has had one
consuming desire: to dive the Oceanos. "All considered," said
Canadian-American fellow team member and cave diving world record holder,
Paul Heinerth, "the Oceanos is probably one of the most, if not the most
difficult wreck in the world to dive." The difficulties of diving on the
Oceanos are extreme, but with commitment and proper planning, the dive is
not impossible. The objective was to show how the application of experience
and established diving technique to a near insurmountable challenge could
safely lead to success.
The expedition required diligent and intense preparation. A wide range of diverse considerations had to be taken care of, both personally and as a team. Physical and psychological training, descent strategies, bottom times, gas mixes, decompression profiles, equipment and logistical planning; all these considerations had to be finalised before the team arrived on location at the Hole in the Wall hotel, where supportive technical diving and medical infrastructures do not exist.
The onsite expedition requirements included everything from personal diving gear, three imported Silent Submersion scooters, twenty staged decompression cylinders, a specialized mixed gas compressor unit, several large oxygen and helium cylinders, three 7.3m rigid hull inflatable boats, an evacuation helicopter, and trained medical personnel.
Once complete, the team focused on preparing for the dives. The first meet
was a pool session where, for the first time in an underwater environment,
the divers had a chance to meet all the members of the team and familiarize
themselves with each other's equipment. Thereafter, three preparative dives
were conducted, including a complete simulation dive on the Griqualand,
which lies at 50m, where gas exchanges and emergency procedures were
rehearsed. Although Barry, Paul, and Brett would dive to the Oceanos as a
team, they were all on different equipment. Barry and Paul were on closed
circuit rebreathers, a Buddy Inspiration rebreather and a CIS-Lunar MK5P
rebreather respectively. Brett was on twin set 36-litre open circuit
back-gas, with two 12-litre side-mounted cylinders.
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