46 | DIVE LOG Australasia | JUNE 2011 | ISSUE 275 | www.divetheblue.net PROFESSIONAL DIVERS TRAINING ACADEMY Professional Divers Group acquires Descend Underwater Training Centre he Professional Divers Group Pty who has had 15 years experience at Professional Diving Services large team Ltd has recently acquired ‘Descend Descend and training under the ADAS of divers attend daily, to the majority of the TUnderwater Training Centre’ in system. The diving school was the first major and minor port facility diving Albury, NSW. Professional Diving Services, ADAS approved occupational diver training requirements, including works for the Ports which is the commercial diving arm of the facility in Australia and has trained in of Melbourne, Geelong and Portland. PDS Professional Divers Group, brings in excess excess of 500 students, whom have gone on divers also work extensively throughout of 30 years of diving industry experience to commence an exciting diving career. The inland Victoria, in the State’s rivers and and expertise to a brand new purpose-built new facility will also offer separate water supply reservoirs. These include the occupational diver training facility in programs for the needs of scientific and installation of underwater pipelines, major Albury. The new diver training facility will commercial/construction divers. wharf and marine infrastructure operate as ‘Professional Divers Training Professional Divers Group also brings to construction, demolition projects and the Academy’. This is a significant investment salvage of vessels of all sizes. From small by the Professional Divers Group, in what diving services work to multi-million dollar will be a first-class occupational diver contracts, PDS has obtained a wealth of training centre operating under the experience from such projects. Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme Professional Diving Services also supply (ADAS). diving services for the maintenance and Professional Diving Services began in 1980 survey of underwater structures, including when Frank Zeigler opened the first PDS wharves, piers and reservoir inlet towers. facility in Portland Victoria, servicing both The recent Channel Deepening Project the commercial diving needs of the busy Port within Port Phillip Bay also required a great of Portland and the recreational diving deal of underwater construction, survey community in the area. In the mid 1990’s work and environmental monitoring, which Frank was joined by Mal Venturoni in was undertaken by the divers at PDS. Melbourne, when PDS opened a brand new the training facility an extensive range of One of the more unusual contaminated premises to service their diving contract equipment to expose student divers to the environmental diving jobs undertaken by work, which has continued to grow rapidly tools they will encounter during their PDS, is the routine inspection and ever since. Both Frank and Mal are energetic, career. maintenance of a 90 million litre methane hard working Directors, with a combined The new combination of the three PDS reactor. According to the divers “this is like “can do” vision and attitude always focusing facilities located in Melbourne, Portland on client satisfaction and commercial diving and Albury, will further increase their fast excellence and above all safety. response to all commercial diving The new ‘Professional Divers Training infrastructure work across Victoria and Academy’ will retain the ADAS interstate. Professional Divers Group also Occupational Diving Program under the operate ‘Hyperbaric Technologies Australia’ leadership of senior instructor, Rick Austin, and the OH&S registered training organization ‘Smarter Safer Solutions’ and develop products to increase safety in the workplace. The Professional Diving Services facilities will continue to offer the recreational diving industry service and NAUI diver training through its dive shops located at each of its offices in Melbourne, Portland and Albury. A world-first addition to NAUI specialty crawling through a tub of rotting cottage diving courses was introduced by PDS two cheese, at 40 degrees”. Major works have years ago, when a Standard Dress Diver also been conducted at the same plant to training program was developed to relocate piping inside the reactor and to specifically service the training dredge and remove approximately 1000 requirements of members of the Historical cubic metres of dead bacteria, from the Diving Society. More recently, PDS also ran floor of the reactor. its first NAUI Vintage Scuba diving With an excellent record for friendly and specialty course, again for HDS members. reliable professional service in the Professional Diving Services strongly commercial diving industry, PDS also offers support the activities of the Historical the following services: Diving Society. • Underwater construction, demolition and maintenance • Ship surveys, repairs and salvage • Underwater structural surveys of marine infrastructure and reporting • Contaminated diving in all fluids including sewerage, chemicals and oil • Underwater cutting and welding • Sediment sampling, environmental monitoring & heritage surveys • Underwater digital still and video photography • Ultrasonic thickness testing and magnetic particle inspection • Potable water tank inspection and cleaning • Vessel hire - PDS have a fleet of work vessels and barges

Occupational Diving programs will commence at the Professional Divers Training Academy in July 2011. Visit www.professionaldiverstrainingacademy.co m.au for further details.