Interviewing Wreckers — Four Pioneering Wreck Divers Author’s note: Though for the most part, the cave diving community was the first to pioneer mixed gas sport diving, beginning with Dale Sweet’s successful 1980 Heliox dive to 110m (360ft) at Diepolder II in Hernando County, Florida, USA, leading shipwreck divers were not far behind. By 1995, numerous groups of wreck divers in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe were using Trimix to improve the safety and performance of their dives. That year I interviewed some of the vanguard to get their perspectives on mix and how it was impact- ing exploration. Here are the original interviews as they appeared in aquaCORPS Journal #9: Wreckers, August 1995. — Michael Menduno Text by Michael Menduno And to further stir the SAFETY COMES FIRST. Though the Photos courtesy of aquaCORPS, soup, grand daddy wrecker, rewards of shipwreck diving are Leigh Bishop, John Chatterton, Oceaneering International, the great, a diver can easily end up Joe Pass and Joel Silverstein global commercial diving con- paying the ultimate price if all the tractor whose crews dived the parameters of the dive (and diver) Lusitania over a decade ago, are not taken fully into account. August 1995—Today, ship- recently completed salvaging And when this happens, the entire wrecks are at the heart of treasure—five tons of silver and community suffers. Training and gold coins from the Spanish Brig experience are critical. Particularly a technological revolution of War, El Cazador, sunk in 1784 today, when competition for that is redefining the limits in the Gulf of Mexico—using their new wrecks has driven the cut- of what is possible. Within WASP Atmospheric Diving Systems ting edge ever deeper and more the last year, a leading (ADS) fleet to limit their ambient remote, increasing the operation- exposure. This after the techni- al and safety requirements for the team of tekkies mounted cal diving team led by Captain dives, as well as the costs. the first mix expedition on Billy Deans were found in viola- What is it about shipwrecks that the Lusitania to 90m (300ft), tion of the Occupational Safety inspire us to invest time and inge- long thought out of the and Heath Administration (OSHA) nuity and put our human frailties standards prohibiting deep self- on the line? Is it simply the knowl- practical reach of scuba contained diving the prior year edge that these failed human aficionados, and racked and was thrown off the job. “It’s a outposts may yield up potent trea- up over 120 dives. Other mental barrier, not a technologi- sures, or is it some complex piece cal one,” explained commercial of genetic code that compels us tech divers opted for the diving supervisor and wrecker to seek out our remaining rem- safety of a hose and com- John Chatterton. nants in the vastness of the sea? mercial cutting tools to lib- Although underwater limits Better go and ask a wrecker, if erate the artifacts of their are being redefined, the pain- she’ll tell you. Or better yet, go ask fully learned maxim of diving still two of three. dreams. applies, maybe more than ever: 41 X-RAY MAG : 61 : 2014 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO THIS PAGE: Captain Billy Deans in action profile Wreckers eters of the dive you could MM: What are the limits of open circuit ment coming on stream, I believe there get killed. It’s a constant gas diving? are going to be a lot of opportunities vigilance that wears on a opening up. human being. To do it well BD: Sport diving has become much more you have to live, eat and reliable and safer. The technology and MM: For self-contained diving in a com- breathe technical diving. equipment that we have today has mercial setting? That’s the negative side— essentially doubled our working depth it’s so demanding. It has put from 40m (130ft) to about 80m (250ft) . BD: That’s correct. bags under my eyes, gray That’s our playground and I consider it to hair on my head and led to be a reliable working range. Outside of MM: Commercial diving today is based fights with my girlfriend. But I those limits, it’s a little more dangerous. It around surface supplied technology. won’t compromise on safety can be done, but it’s not for the people What kind of tasks can better be accom- because once you do, you that are just getting into technical diving. plished with self-contained equipment? become complacent and you get killed. That’s the MM: I understand that your focus has BD: Reconnaissance. You can put a thing that bothers me; it’s like shifted over the last two years from tech- team of self-contained divers on site with a black cloud on the horizon. nical training to the commercial aspects a minimal amount of equipment. They The technical diving market of diving. can survey an area, a wreck site, you expanding and I have an name it, come back and look at the uneasy feeling that we’re BD: It’s an aspect of the diving that has data. And it’s actually very, very cost going to have an increase in been a natural evolution for us. Karl effective to do that. We’re talking a 1 fatalities. That’s what we’re Shreeves (PADI’s Technical Diving Liaison) to 5 ratio. Then if there’s work to do, you trying to avoid. once said that he was so excited to be in can bring in a surface-supplied gear. PHOTO COURTESY OF AQUACORPS on the next evolution in sport diving. And MM: The Cazador was such an interest- MM: Because of the new I guess that I’m excited to be involved in MM: How about just sending down a ing project. Your team found the booty people coming in? one offshoot of technical diving and that ROV? and then Oceaneering came in with is, work for pay. There are definite, viable their fleet of WASPs and… BD: New people coming in opportunities there. The commercial mar- BD: Our experience is that the two go who do not have the proper ket sees it. And with closed circuit equip- hand in hand. On the Cazador project BD: ...and picked up five tons of silver. JOEL SILVERSTEIN training. That’s one of the we called it “hunter- Yeah, it was great @#?#!! reasons we’re so adamant gatherer” mode. An ROV Captain Billy Deans about having tiered levels of training and was sent down to sniff MM: It would take a team of open-circuit Owner of Key West Diver Technical broad base of experience. Experience is out a possible target site, divers a long time to pick up five tons of Training Center and Deep Sea critical. in this case, to find coins. silver. Technologies, 38-year-old Captain Billy In the early days, there was a small Then the diver would Deans is recognized as one of the pio- cadre of technical divers. These people navigate out the ROV BD: I agree with you, particularly at the neers of technical diving. were highly trained, and committed to cable and survey and 90m (295ft) depths we were working. diver safety. I work the area. My only regret was that I wish we could MM: Billy you’ve been involved in tech- remember when Parker [Turner] Of course, putting a have had another five manned dives. It nical diving since the beginning. What got killed. It sent a shiver up my back, diver in the water is very, would have been nice to see what our would you say are the differences with because they were doing everything very inefficient; I don’t capability was, but if you look at it, put- recreational diving? right, right down to the last minute, and care if it’s on a hose, ting a guy down for four to six hours in a he still died. closed circuit, or open- WASP is really the way to go. But you also BD: We still do a lot of recreational diving. People need to understand this. They circuit. The advantage have to look at the cost. We fulfilled our It’s fun and it’s easy. You put your equip- can still have fun but they need to is that diver on site can contractual obligation. We went down. ment in a bag, sniff your air, throw your approach technical diving with the idea make rational decisions. We found the coins and we were able equipment on, jump in, and swim around that it is very dangerous. You learn to be It’s easier to mobilize an to bring a few up. That is the limitation of in 25m (80ft)of water. Technical diving is very, very cautious in this type of diving. open-circuit team then it open-circuit diving. totally different. It’s a philosophy, a mind- The positive rewards are great but on the is to bring in an ROV. But set. Everything you do is based on mak- negative side you can end up paying I think that the best com- MM: Do you think that commercial regu- ing that dive absolutely perfect because the ultimate price. And when divers die, bination is to use them lations are going to evolve to the point if you don’t account for all of the param- we all pay. both. of allowing self-contained equipment for PHOTO COURTESY OF AQUACORPS 42 X-RAY MAG : 61 : 2014 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO Captain Billy Deans in Polly Tapson action (left and below) all kitted up profile Wreckers BD: Fifteen minutes used to be a long German U-boat.