SBS: Diving

[digitalfreefall]

Can anyone confirm how deep the current record is for a supported dive ?, i cant find any credible source online.
Do the SBS have a operational limit as to how deep a diver can go ?, i find the topic very interesting and would appreciate any information.
Regards DFF

[sneaky beaky]

I have no idea of how deep the current supported dive is.
I don't think the SBS go in for records.
I do know that they only go as deep as is necessary. That would be as deep as a submarine at periscope depth, when doing exit or re-entry.
That would be about 70ft. max.
They do not have a need to go any deeper.
The SBS do not reagard diving as the be all and end all of what they do. It is a means to an end. i.e. a means of getting on to land, or a means of attacking shipping.
Sneaky

[digitalfreefall]

Thanks for the quick reply Sneaky, i found a page that says the Record is 305m.
I remembered reading that alot of SBS left the service during the heyday of the North Sea Oil fields due to their deep sea diving skills, i didnt mean to suggest that they only dived to set records, should have worded the question better.

[Sarastro]

That would be about 70ft. max.

Honestly Sneaky? That's not even a deep dive by recreational standards, seems very shallow. I would have thought that they trained deeper simply for recovery, or sabotage against mechanical targets underwater, pipelines etc, which tend to go much deeper than 70ft. Or would that be the remit of RN divers?

PM inbound by the way.

[sneaky beaky]

70 ft. is enough for the SBS.
Protection? Defence against pipelines would be the Clearance Divers responsibility. The SBS are divers because of necessity. It is a means of entry into a dodgy area. The SBS are on a par with the SAS. Why would they want to spend their time defending pipelines?!
A lot of guys did leave to go to the North Sea in the 60's and 70's. Because they could dive and could then be trained to go deeper and further.
I can't think of any instance when the SBS set out to create a diving record.
I also think, that all of you, have a very inflated opinion of what the SBS actually do!!
Sneaky

[mark22]

The max depth that an SBS diver can go is 10 metres.

[Rover]

Hello mark22,

An interesting little gem!

May I suggest that you read Sneakys post in this thread.

You may need to review your information.

Rover

[sneaky beaky]

Hello Rover!
Nice to see you!
Mark22 - please follow Rovers advice. He does know what he is talking about.!!
Sneaky

[Biggles1211]

Most of the diving is for infiltration and done with O2 Rebreathers, so the max depth is around 6 metres. Otherwise O2 toxicity will kick in. Shallow, long and no bubbles.

Other CCR rebreathers or OC rigs can be used for specific tasks, but there aren't many SBS diving tasks that involve anything more than covering distance underwater to a target.

[Rover]

Hello Biggles

Please read the post by Sneaky regarding SBS Diving and inwardly digest.

Regarding O2 diving.

BR 2806, Section 9, 1902/4.

" However, oxygen becomes toxic with depth and it cannot be safely breathed at a partial pressure exceeding two bars abs. Its use, thereforeis restricted to a maximum depth of 10 metres. If the diver is engaged in swimming or other hard work in which his oxygen uptake is high, the maximum depth is further restricted to eight metres."

Please give my regards to Algy and Ginger.
I always thought a Sopworth Pup was a retriever!

I will not go into O2 diving and the 'Sleeping Beauty'.

Rover

[Biggles1211]

Interesting excerpt from regs. My info came from ex-SB guy, now commissioned. For me (diving in civvy world only) going above an O2 pp of 1.8 is a no no. I'm surpised that SB would go down to 8-10m....certainly not for prolonged periods!?!

[Rover]

Hello Biggles,

As the regs state, the maximum safe depth for O2 is 10 metres.
Your car may be 'safe' to drive at a maximum speed of 150 mph! But that does not mean to say you have to go that fast.

As Sneaky has pointed out, 70 ft is enough for the SBS.
Although the maximum safe depth for a 60/40 mix is 82 ft

It all depends on the situation as to the depth you are operating at.

I find it strange that an 'ex-SB' leaves the SBS and then gets commissioned.
Would it not have been better to be commissioned within the SBS?

Rover

[Biggles1211]

Apparently, this wasn't a common thing at the time?

[KIMBERLYPARE]

What are good methods to use for clearing pressure in your ears/head when diving?-I only mean in a swimming pool and not wearing breathing aparatus.
2m easy 3 meters is tough at the moment.....

KP.

[Illustrious]

Kimberly, as you go down deeper, you will obviously begin to feel the pressure so be sure to pop* your ears when they start to hurt. It works as I use to do it to dive to 16ft (nice deep swimming pool)

*To pop your ears, hold your mouth and nose closed then try to breath out through your nose. You will know when you have popped them as obviously, it pops but also your hearing becomes less acute when not in the water doing it.