Working Under Water
On assignment in Alaska, I was taken by commercial divers performing underwater repairs to a damaged fuel pier on Shemya Island, far out in the Bering Sea. The region is infamous for harsh weather and rough waters. One at a time, a diver spent hours underwater, inspecting, welding, and hammering. A support team of three remained on land, operating a swath of various colored hoses that supplied hot water for warmth and air to the diver. Communications were continuous between the diver and the 3-person on land team using radio and video. A couple of times, a three-hour dive was cut short due to intense wave action.
As a recreational diver, I understand how physically taxing it can be when at the mercy of the powerful force of the ocean. A single open water dive can be exhausting when the conditions aren’t perfect. So, watching this team work for hours underwater, day in and day out, in some of the roughest seas, was nothing short of impressive. On my last day, I couldn’t help but express the great respect I had gained for their work. And it was, of course, a lot of fun to photograph the scene.
The pier at Eareckson Air Station, Alaska
A commercial diver's suit hangs to dry in between dives.
A commercial dive has three points of action: the diver; the diver support; and operations team.
Diver 1 is pulled out of the water after three hours.
Back on land again, the diver removes his gear.
Meanwhile, Diver 2 prepares to go underwater, minimizing downtime in between dives.
The divers require assistance to suit up.
Diver 2 is lowered into the water.
Diver 2 is hoisted back to land, three hours later.
Back to fresh air and sunshine.
Debriefing with the team leader.
Discussing next moves to repair the pier.
Diver 2 heads back in the water in the afternoon. Generally, three dives at 3 hours each are completed daily, one by each diver.
Preparing to jump in.
The dive team monitors the diver from the connex using radio and video (a video camera is attached to the the diver's headpiece).
Monitoring the diver while he works underwater.
End of day haul out of water.
The diver hangs the head gear to dry.