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two years on – the Maldives - Bracknell Sub Aqua Club

two years on – the Maldives - Bracknell Sub Aqua Club

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a day at <strong>the</strong> SETT<br />

Dan Koo Mo Shan<br />

The Royal Navy’s <strong>Sub</strong>marine Escape Training<br />

Tank (SETT) at Gosport, was built in <strong>the</strong> 1940’s<br />

to provide a site where submarine escape<br />

training, practice and drills could be carried out<br />

in a c<strong>on</strong>trolled and safe envir<strong>on</strong>ment. The tank<br />

is housed in a ten storey tower, and measures<br />

just five meters wide but 30 metres deep!<br />

briefing<br />

The day started with security<br />

checks and <strong>the</strong> issuing of<br />

Royal Navy passes and <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong><br />

mandatory safety briefing, which<br />

I nearly missed being Mr. Late.<br />

<strong>the</strong> tank<br />

Briefing over, it was time for a<br />

proper glimpse of <strong>the</strong> tank. Unlike<br />

<strong>the</strong> normal users of <strong>the</strong> tank who are<br />

pushed out <strong>the</strong> airlock at <strong>the</strong> base<br />

of <strong>the</strong> tank to free ascend to <strong>the</strong><br />

surface, I would be entering from<br />

<strong>the</strong> top. This meant hauling all our<br />

scuba gear to <strong>the</strong> 10th floor... thank<br />

goodness for lifts!<br />

The water in <strong>the</strong> tank is crystal<br />

clear and, when looking down, I<br />

could <strong>on</strong>ly compare <strong>the</strong> feeling to<br />

looking down a l<strong>on</strong>g lift shaft. But<br />

this was given an odd twist by <strong>the</strong><br />

feeling of <strong>the</strong> warm water which<br />

came right to <strong>the</strong> lip of <strong>the</strong> tank,<br />

gently lapping unexpectedly over<br />

my face.<br />

<strong>the</strong> dive plan<br />

The plan was to dive in buddy<br />

pairs, with a bottom time of fifteen<br />

minutes, plus a safety stop. A<br />

routine was quickly established so<br />

that <strong>the</strong>re was always <strong>on</strong>e buddy<br />

pair heading for <strong>the</strong> bottom whilst<br />

<strong>the</strong> previous pair were ascending.<br />

into <strong>the</strong> tank<br />

I was diving with Pete Custers<strong>on</strong><br />

and it was time to enter <strong>the</strong> tank,<br />

by ladder to reduce spillage.<br />

I wish all dives could be like<br />

this... it was like entering a bath as<br />

<strong>the</strong> water temperature was a steady<br />

33 degrees.<br />

Those who have dived with me<br />

will know of my BCD’s c<strong>on</strong>stant<br />

struggle to free itself of anything<br />

attached to it, ei<strong>the</strong>r cylinders or<br />

weights. Thanks to Martin Forde,<br />

I managed <strong>the</strong> dive without any<br />

cylinder slippage but I maintained<br />

my reputati<strong>on</strong> as my cylinder’s boot<br />

did fall off <strong>on</strong> entry!<br />

down we go<br />

I had c<strong>on</strong>sidered a fast descent, like<br />

a slow moti<strong>on</strong> skydiver, but as I was<br />

worried about clearing my ears, and<br />

Pete was faffing with his new wing,<br />

<strong>the</strong> decent was nice and slow.<br />

At <strong>the</strong> bottom my dive computer<br />

registered 27 metres and it was time<br />

to look around <strong>the</strong> bottom of tank<br />

which was largely taken up by <strong>the</strong><br />

main airlock/hatch.<br />

After ten minutes, without <strong>the</strong>

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