Navy Divers - Joining

[nickqatar]

Im interested in diving and was wondering if anyone could pass some more information regarding what exactely they do apart from mine clearence. Also is mine clearence the only thing they do, or what other operations could I see as a navy diver?

Thanks.

[TheLa]

Aye Up,

Clearance divers do alot more than Mine Clearance however ( Alot of Posing in Oakleys, Tan-Topping and playing with Big Watches ), The primary role is Waterborne EOD - Be it if your based on board an MCM ( Small Plastic Ships known for Snaggy Porn and Extreme Drinking ) where an OM will find the Mine via Sonar and then you'll be tasked with Diving on the Mine in pretty much any conditions day/night with no sleep stuck in a Small Gemini (Rubber Dinghy) that feels like it'll sink at any given moment under the weight of 4-5 divers plus xxx ton's of kit.
Also have shore teams known as Bomb Teams, dealing with EOD again but more likely stuff thats been washed up on the Beach, Trawled up etc.
Other than being based at Horsea to assist Baby Divers getting beasted, you can get drafted into a Fleet Dive Unit - There tasked for specific duties FDU1 are all Parachute Trained and do alot of SBS type stuff, FDU2 are shallow water Mine Clearance and FDU3 were the Experimental / Engineering team. Not forgetting loads of other oppertunities for SF stuff, AACC etc
To be honest, I would'nt let your imagination run away with you, getting on the Course is Hard enough ( Espeacilly from walking into an AFCO ) and Passing is even harder - Your easily looking at Royal Marine fitness without a doubt and you've really got to be able to cope with VERY cold temperatures for VERY long periods of time, rarely seeing your hand in front of your face, maybe if your lucky with Visability you could see the odd Paint Pot / Turd in Pompey Harbour. US style SEAL Cock Jockey kudos it is'nt.
The main rule is this - The aqualung is just a Tool to get someone from Point A to Point B to carry out a specific task.
Don't let this discourage you however, Its a Fcuking amazing and challenging career.
Best of Luck

[harry hackedoff]

Come ashore Jack ffs
Talk about anchor faced, far kinnel
Er, meant to say Welcome aboard, Jack, your bunk is under Wholley. Make sure you swamp proof everything and no playing with Wholley after lights out.
And you`re on second dog, ok?. Any probs see someone who gives a farq.
Any questions? No. Good

So, Northampton hey we lived in Brackley before we thinned
Still serving, Jack? Or happy

Welcome aboard Shippers,seriously

[Groupie59]

Nick
I went all over the world as a CD and d'you know what the best bit about it was? Hardly any of it was by Grey Funnel line. I flew everywhere by Hurcules C130's. Not that is comfy, but it is marginaly quicker, only marginally mind.
You will cover everything on the underwater list. EOD, IED, Body jobs, Salvage, War, Fishing dips, Night attacks etc etc. I loved it.
Have a look at my site. http://www.deep-sea-diving.com
Tony

[harry hackedoff]

There`s a good piece on RN site ref Northern CD Team going to Gib for a warm

And by the way, Jack, stand on your chair and repeat after me....
The Motor Car is a tool to get someone from A to B,
The Aqua lung is a tool to enable someone to breath underwater.

Matelots, hey
Oi luvs`em, oi duz

[Groupie59]

On the Sir Tristram heading South, we had an idiots lecture for Matlots about what you can eat and what you can't etc etc.

The team had one lecture about being caught and made a POW. Then there was one about escape and evasion techniques, dealing with torture, living rough in the Falklands, etc. Personally, I thought the torture lecture was very good and could be put to use in everyday life, such as when getting grilled by a loved one as to why you are three hours late and you only went out for one. Others seemed to have an even more light-hearted response to the correct way to behave in a torture situation.

One of our Chief Divers, Ben Gunnell, came up with one of the best quotes I heard in my whole time down there. He said, ‘If I were caught, they’d have to threaten me with torture ... to shut me up!’ The thing was, he meant it.

The lectures were usually by a stern and serious sergeant who obviously knew his craft very well. One lecture I remember was given by one of the marines who had served in the Falklands garrison. In fact, I am not certain, but I think, he may have even been there during the initial invasion.

The sergeant lecturer was telling us about things to eat if you’re living rough: where to find water, make a shelter, move at night, etc. All very interesting, but we were after all meant to be sailors, of a sort. We were quite convinced that if anything did ensue – and some on board were sure it never would – we wouldn’t be going ashore anyway, would we?

I remember one talk going particularly badly for the lecturer. It was about 13:30 so, unfortunately for him, just after one of our very private splice the mainbrace sessions. He was telling us the best animals to eat and where to find, trap and cook them. Then, after finding out how to kill just about everything that lived there, he seemed to think better of it.

He paused, looked at us, and said, ‘Actually ... you lot are probably best sticking to penguins. You don’t have to catch or trap them; they’ll walk up to you, and you just smash ’em round the head with something heavy!’

To which came the reply,

‘Do they have red ones down there, sarge?’ (Jan Sewell, I believe it was.)

‘Red ones?’

‘Yeah, they’re my favourite. I like to suck all the chocolate off the outside then eat the biscuit underneath.’

We thought this was highly amusing; our lecturer just sighed and carried on regardless of the sniggering.

[harry hackedoff]

Red ones indeed

Ben Gunnell Ben Gunnell

Wasn`t he in Treasure Island

[Groupie59]

No that was Robison Crusoe! On a Friday I think!

[Groupie59]

No that was Robison Crusoe! On a Friday I think!

Or was that Easter Island, at Christmas? And was it Tony Robinson?