SEALAB II and the Dawn of Saturation Diving
Kevin Hardy writes for Ocean News & Technology.
It was the Fire of Prometheus carried into the sea. A diver descending to great depths to work might actually be able to stay there for days until the work was finished, then pay the decompression penalty just once at the end. Like many great breakthroughs, it was not immediately obvious to seasoned practitioners. Hard-hat diving was just not done that way. There were rules, regulations and procedures to follow, and they were written with good reason.
It was the Fire of Prometheus carried into the sea. A diver descending to great depths to work might actually be able to stay there for days until the work was finished, then pay the decompression penalty just once at the end. Like many great breakthroughs, it was not immediately obvious to seasoned practitioners. Hard-hat diving was just not done that way. There were rules, regulations and procedures to follow, and they were written with good reason.
