I had previously asked my friend to join me on a planned Antarctic saturation mission.

A somewhat more hospitable environment to oversee dive operations than the 28.6oF (-2C) water and average -20oF (-29C) air temperatures in which I was working. It was an underwater habitat, where scientists would saturate for week-long periods, spending hours conducting research in the 82oF (28C) water surrounding the habitat. He had also done several saturation dives in the Hydrolab, the NOAA owned underwater habitat managed by The West Indies Laboratory of Fairleigh Dickenson University stationed in St. This experience did not qualify…ouch!Īt the time a good friend of mine had been a long time diving instructor in the Caribbean. I also was allowed to conduct some of my own research. Antarctic Program, and participate in scientific dives as needed. My duties were to keep equipment operational for the scientists diving there, check out the new incoming scientific divers and orient them to dive operations in the U.S. I was there serving as the Dive Locker Technician, and about halfway through my second season there. After a couple of months, everyone starts going a little stir crazy. That already seemed like a long time, and a few of my already loose screws were getting even looser. NOTE: While the events portrayed in this article are true, the names have been withheld to protect the semi-guilty!

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