SUIT UP

KM SuperLite17K Helmet

This fully encapsulating Kirby Morgan hat has a fiberglass shell, making it light and highly impact resistant. It has a defogging steady flow valve, a modular communications system, and a neck dam / neck ring assembly for a secure fit. The brass SuperFlow regulator makes breathing easier during peak work output.

Flashlight and Video Camera

A flashlight is taped to the helmet’s grip for greater visibility in murky waters or at greater depths. The camera sends images to a topside monitor, giving the rest of the dive team a close up view of the work being done.

Weight Belt

Used for buoyancy control, the weight belt holds 8lb lead blocks, and has a brass quick-release buckle. Many divers prefer soft weights in the suit’s leg pockets instead of the weight belt, since this allows warm water to flow more freely inside the suit. The weight belt is then used only if necessary to keep the diver submerged.

5-Point Safety Harness

The diver’s safety harness supports the auxiliary air tank, or bailout bottle, like a backpack. A submersible pressure gauge lets him know how much air is left in the tank.

Foldout Dive Knife

Unlike other dive knives that strap to the ankle, this fold out model clips the diver’s harness so it can be easily accessed without bending at the waist. This model is used specifically for training.

Equipped with a set of tubes in the lining, this suit allows for hot water to be pumped from the surface through the suit. The hot water suit can keep a diver warm for a short time in near freezing conditions, or a longer time at significant depths. It is commonly used in the Gulf of Mexico during the winter months.

Umbilical

The diver is supported from the surface through four lines, bound together to form the umbilical: the communication wire, air hose, pneumofathometer hose, and strength member. The pneumo hose measures depth, and the strength member, or “lifeline,” is a safety rope that attaches to the harness. The umbilical for the hot water suit would also contain a large hot water hose (not pictured).

REX Regulator Body

The diver’s air supply comes through the sideblock assembly and bent tube, and into the REX Regulator Body, which covers the nose and mouth. Air comes through the bent tube at high pressure – about 140 psi (pounds per square inch). The downstream, adjustable regulator breaks down the air to a breathable pressure.

Sideblock Assembly

The diver’s main air supply attaches to the brass check valve on the sideblock assembly. The top line, or “pigtail,” attaches to an auxiliary tank for emergency air, called the bailout bottle. The communication port is shown below the sideblock.

Neoprene Suit

Made of crushed neoprene, this suit does not compress at depth. Thin tubing is stitched in to flood the suit with warm water, seen here where it would run inside the diver’s gloves. The water is about 145° F at the surface, and cools as it runs down the line to the diver, to about 90° F inside the suit. The quick disconnect and bypass valve above the thigh pocket allows the diver to control the flow of warm water. Pockets are used for weights or utility.