This section covers the records required to be maintained during the conduct of a
saturation dive.
An official diving log shall be maintained at all times
throughout the dive. It shall contain a chronological record of the dive procedure
in addition to any significant events. A narrative of significant events is to be
recorded by the Diving Officer (or Diving Supervisor) and Saturation Diving
Medical Officer (as necessary). This log shall be retained for 3 years.
Each diving operation shall have a master protocol submitted by
the Master Diver, reviewed by the Saturation Diving Medical Officer and Diving
Officer, and approved by the Commanding Officer. This master protocol shall
contain all the information needed to ensure that the dive follows a program
consistent with the requirements for saturation diving as defined in this manual
and shall include the necessary information to carry out these procedures on the
specific operational platform.
A copy of the protocol shall be maintained as the master copy at the MCC. No
alterations except those made by the Diving Officer and approved by the
Commanding Officer are permitted. Any changes to this protocol shall be signed
and dated.
Because saturation dives generally follow a predictable pattern,
only a few elements of protocol need to be modified from mission to mission.
Consequently, once a complete and carefully written protocol is available, only
minor modifications will be needed to support future missions.
The dive protocol shall include, but is not limited to, the following:
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A detailed gas-usage plan, including projected gas supply requirements (paragraph
15-15). The required mixtures for supplying emergency, treatment, and
excursion gas shall be specified for the depth ranges expected with specific
depths to shift mixes indicated.
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A compression schedule, including planned rate of travel with rest stops, if
applicable.
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Manning requirements, including a watchbill.
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Predive and postdive procedures.
Hourly readings of chamber pressure, temperature,
humidity, oxygen, and carbon dioxide concentrations shall be recorded. In
addition, time of operation of the carbon dioxide scrubbers and time of carbon
dioxide absorbent replenishment shall be recorded.
The following information shall be recorded: date, depth, clock
time upon leaving the surface or leaving the bottom, and items locked in or out of
the chamber. This information is useful in controlling the spread of contaminants
and in minimizing the combustibles in the chamber while in the fire zone.
A record of the status of all gas banks,
including their pressure and mixture, and of the status of all DDS gas delivery
equipment, shall be maintained. This log shall be reviewed by each oncoming
Diving Supervisor prior to assuming the watch and daily by the Diving Officer
and Master Diver.
Currently approved operational procedure sheets
are to be properly completed and signed by the operator and then reviewed and
signed by the Diving Supervisor and Dive Watch Officer and logged in the
Command Smooth Log.
A set of approved emergency procedures with
each individual watch station’s responsibilities shall be separately bound and
available at the main control console throughout a saturation dive. The convenience
of having emergency procedures on station does not relieve any diver or
any saturation diving watch team member from being sufficiently knowledgeable,
thoroughly trained, and fully qualified to react efficiently and instantaneously to
any emergency. Constant training in these emergency procedures is necessary to
maintain watchstanding proficiency.
Use the Dive Reporting System (DRS) to record and
report dives, as outlined in paragraph 5-9.
