Post by heliumben on Oct 20, 2009 23:04:40 GMT -5
The “350” reef!
On October 24, 2009 a 350 minutes dive (05 hours 50 minutes!) will be conducted by the team of the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa dive centre to raise awareness about our changing climate. The dive will start around 10:00 and will end at 16:00. During that time, the dive team will build an artificial reef shaped like the three numbers: 3, 5 and 0 and transplant living coral on it.
We will use a range of SCUBA equipment to complete the dive. The open circuit divers will use around 11500 liters of breathing gas called Nitrox 32 and 36, that's 6 dive tanks each! Other divers will use a closed circuit rebreather unit (the IS Megalodon) which allows divers to stay down for more than 6 hours. Other divers will assist us by bringing down diving equipment, full tanks as well as food, drinks and entertainment! This will probably be the longest dive ever conducted in the Maldives! The main dangers are cold and fatigue as well as oxygen toxicity for the rebreather diver.
More info, pictures and videos will follow to show you the preparation and the actual event.
Wish us luck!
Ben Capitaine & Four Seasons Kuda Huraa Dive Team!
UPDATE! Friday 16/10
8 Divers spent 3 hours and 30 minutes underwater to build the "350" reef with 24 coral trays (rebars covered with resin and sand) and rubbles. Everything went well; the divers were in good shape after such a long time spent underwater. Each number is over 3m long and 1.5m wide, the location is a sandy slope 8-9m deep protected from sedimentation.
We used 3 tanks each for this preparation dive, and during the last hour our support divers brought us some water and bananas to restore some energy. We are now preparing Saturday's dive where we will spend most of the 5h50 attaching living coral to the trays and with some luck we will have a lasting symbol of this Action Day.
On October 24, 2009 a 350 minutes dive (05 hours 50 minutes!) will be conducted by the team of the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa dive centre to raise awareness about our changing climate. The dive will start around 10:00 and will end at 16:00. During that time, the dive team will build an artificial reef shaped like the three numbers: 3, 5 and 0 and transplant living coral on it.
We will use a range of SCUBA equipment to complete the dive. The open circuit divers will use around 11500 liters of breathing gas called Nitrox 32 and 36, that's 6 dive tanks each! Other divers will use a closed circuit rebreather unit (the IS Megalodon) which allows divers to stay down for more than 6 hours. Other divers will assist us by bringing down diving equipment, full tanks as well as food, drinks and entertainment! This will probably be the longest dive ever conducted in the Maldives! The main dangers are cold and fatigue as well as oxygen toxicity for the rebreather diver.
More info, pictures and videos will follow to show you the preparation and the actual event.
Wish us luck!
Ben Capitaine & Four Seasons Kuda Huraa Dive Team!
UPDATE! Friday 16/10
8 Divers spent 3 hours and 30 minutes underwater to build the "350" reef with 24 coral trays (rebars covered with resin and sand) and rubbles. Everything went well; the divers were in good shape after such a long time spent underwater. Each number is over 3m long and 1.5m wide, the location is a sandy slope 8-9m deep protected from sedimentation.
We used 3 tanks each for this preparation dive, and during the last hour our support divers brought us some water and bananas to restore some energy. We are now preparing Saturday's dive where we will spend most of the 5h50 attaching living coral to the trays and with some luck we will have a lasting symbol of this Action Day.
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