SCUBA/UAT

Mercergl · Post by **Mercergl** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 11:00 pm

OK, just to clear things up: this is not my first ime, but this is the appropriate section for this question, and I know there have been a million posts about the uat but i wanted to know if anybody had any current information:
I am going to ASA in june of this year, and I am signed up for mission specialist. as such, I will most likely be using the UAT at some point. So what do you do?
I know its for scuba and such, but do you practice eva's? do actual eva's for a mission? what's the basic situation with training sessions: how many people dive? how many instructors?
Just curious, thanks in advance for any help!

monkeynautt · Post by **monkeynautt** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 2:07 pm

The first thing you do in the tank is learning basic skills like clearing your mask and such. Once the instructor is satisfied that everyone knows the skills you will go down the ladder with the instructor either by yourself or with another person, depending on how much time there is. Once on the bottom there are a bunch of different activities. You won't get to do all of them as there won't be enough time. There are things like launching a satelitte, deploying a solar array, building a tetrahedron and throwing around a toypedo and 100lbs ball. These are the ones that I remember from the last time I dove at camp in 2004. Not sure if anything has changed since then. As for sctual missions in the UAT, I'm not sure if they are contining to do that this summer, and not everyone gets the chance at that - and the dive instructors are the ones that choose who can do those dives.

Mercergl · Post by **Mercergl** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:25 pm

cool thanks. i had heard somewhere that the uat was used for missions, but i'm not sure when that was from. Sounds like fun though!

gt0163c · Post by **gt0163c** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:29 am

Last fall, at Adult ASA, I got to do an EVA in the UAT during EDM (wow that's a lot of TLAs). The coolest part about it was that it was a "helmet dive". Instead of using the normal mask and regulator to see and breathe, I wore a metal collar with an acrylic bubble helmet. The regulator was hooked up to that somehow, I didn't actually see how, so that I got air and could breath normally. I also had a headset so that I could talk to my EVA officer on deck who walked me through the EVA. I was only on the bottom about 15 minutes, but it was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. It really was like being in a whole other world. I could talk and breath normally, but I was moving around underwater. It was very, very cool and I wish that everyone had a chance to experience that.

The dive that everyone had a chance to do (provided they didn't have medical issues and didn't freak out during the practice stuff on the platform at the top of the tank) was a little over 20 minutes on the bottom. We got to play around with the big neutrally bouyant ball and play with the water toys, build and disassemble the tetrahedron, launch a water rocket and I think something else. I had never dove before, so that was also a very cool experience for me.

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:11 am

Yes, the helmet dive is exciting - being underwater and able to breathe and talk inside a bubble is amazing. I don't know if they still do this for EDMs but if you get the chance, consider yourself one of the lucky few.

http://spacecamp.ibnerd.net/main.php?g2_itemId=3985
(A photo of my camp mate doing the bubble helmet dive.)

Otherwise, like everyone said, the dive is pretty simple. They teach you everything you know. If you are comfortable in the water, not claustrophobic, and do as they say, you should have no problems. SCUBA is fun so relax and enjoy it.

They usually train 3 or 4 people on the 4-foot-deep platform at a time. There are usually two or three instructors. You will dive one-on-one with an instructor and they will be next to you the entire time you are in the tank. If anything happens they will be right there to help you out or bring you to the surface.

And, if for some reason you are disqualified (medically) or uncomfortable (mentally) you can always sit out and be the designated photographer. I know it was always appreciated when one of our team mates would grab our cameras and take photos of us diving.

PS - The bubble helmet outfit is EXTREMELY uncomfortable on land but not so bad when you are in the water. I kid you not. Think ultimate wedgie and a hundred pounds on your shoulders. It is worth it though.

gt0163c · Post by **gt0163c** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:47 am

I agree with everything that SpaceCanada said. Even though I had never dove before and was a bit nervous, I never felt unsafe at any time. I even got a leg cramp when we were on the bottom. Fortunately, I've had them before and knew what was going on. I got the attention of my safety diver and she helped massage my leg and get me back functioning without having to come up to the top.

And the helmet dive gear really is terribly uncomfortable, especially before you get underwater. They have to strap everything on to you very tightly and I ended up with sore spots on my shoulders, from where the collar dug in, for a couple of days. But it was a very, very small price to pay. The rig that we used did have the hood portion that went over the helmet, it was just the bubble. So I could see 360 degrees and over my head.

Mercergl · Post by **Mercergl** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 3:26 pm

This all sounds really fun, thanks for the info! The helment dive sounds cool, kinda looks like the scene in the end of The Abyss... This looks really cool

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 10:09 am

Haha, my husband said it reminded him of Abyss too. Only the bubble is filled with air, not oxygenated liquid.

When I did the helmet dive I had just a regular BCD (floating vest) and SCUBA tank but my backup diver (in the photo) got the really cool NASA looking backpack for his air tank. (I was too small for the cool backpack.) I wonder if they got a new helmet or if they just took off the lights.

And, if makes you feel better, in case of emergency, they can get you topside pretty quick. The UAT isn't all that deep and you aren't down there long enough to develop the bends if you come up fast.

FYI - I had an emergency (freak accident, nothing anyone else should ever worry about happening to them) at the bottom of the UAT and, while I was scared, I still felt really safe. I wouldn't be boatsing about the UAT if I didn't think it was the best SCUBA experience ever... which it is...

Most of all, have fun!! (And give us a full report when you return, with photos!)

Mercergl · Post by **Mercergl** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:57 pm

ok will do! Of course, oxygenated liquid is a little hard to come by...

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:10 am

They use it for premature babies, so some hospitals actually have it. The scene in Abyss where they put the rat into the liquid is completely real. Pretty interesting stuff. I am more than happy to breathe air though... liquid would freak me out.

Mercergl · Post by **Mercergl** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:17 am

I read about that, though i think the animal rights people in britan got that scene cut from the movie for one reason or another. anyway, I would love to take pictures, but what is the situation with cameras around the UAT? Is it one of those situations where everybody brings one and takes pictures freely?

gt0163c · Post by **gt0163c** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:35 am

Mercergl wrote: I would love to take pictures, but what is the situation with cameras around the UAT? Is it one of those situations where everybody brings one and takes pictures freely?

Yeah, just like all the other parts of Space Camp, you're free to take as many pictures as you want. However, the logistics are a bit more complicated. You can get some pictures from the windows of the UAT, but you'll need to either shoot off-axis or not use a flash. Sometimes the pictures come out, sometimes they don't. Underwater cameras, as long as they're rated for at least 24 feet, work okay. They're better if you have a flash. I have an inexpensive underwater camera that takes 35mm film (as opposed to a disposable) and has a flash. It's really just an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera with a waterproof housing. I put ISO 800 film in that and my pictures came out really well. I got mine at a Wolf Camera (Ritz Camera) for about $25 a couple of years ago.

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:28 am

Underwater cameras WILL NOT WORK in the UAT without a flash. Fine, they will, but the pictures won't be worth it, so be sure to get one with a flash. Bring a waterproof digital or 35mm camera with a flash. Disposable ones with flashes are fine too. And definitely use fast film (400 or 800).

Ask the people not diving (fellow team mates or even counsellors) to go down and take photos of you through the portholes if they can.

Or, ask someone topside to use the fishtank and take photos of you from the top of the UAT. (They put a fishtank in the water so you can get clear photos without the ripples of the water surface.)

It looks like this:
http://spacecamp.ibnerd.net/main.php?g2_itemId=3982
(That's me down there - yay! I was only down there for a minute, maybe less, but I'm glad someone took a photo.)

Again, no flash whilst taking photos through glass, so make sure you have fast film or high ISO setting on your digital or they will turn out dark like mine.

Mercergl · Post by **Mercergl** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:56 pm

Thats a really cool picture, and the fish tank is a good idea. I dont have an underwater camera but i will look into one. THanks for the tips! if anybody else has uat pics id love to see them!

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:18 pm

More of my UAT photos...
http://spacecamp.ibnerd.net/main.php?g2_itemId=3902
http://spacecamp.ibnerd.net/main.php?g2_itemId=3905
http://spacecamp.ibnerd.net/main.php?g2_itemId=3908

Less than two months to go... have fun!

Mercergl · Post by **Mercergl** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 7:27 pm

All very cool thanks for sharing! I'm counting down!

Mercergl · Post by **Mercergl** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:59 pm

ok, so i have another question: What should you try/try not to do when diving? Is there a choice in what dive activities you do?

gt0163c · Post by **gt0163c** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:18 am

Mercergl wrote:ok, so i have another question: What should you try/try not to do when diving? Is there a choice in what dive activities you do?

Two things you definitely should do are keep breathing (holding your breath is a bad idea) and have fun. Other than that, it probably depends on your safety diver that's down there with you. I enjoyed building the tetrahedron a lot and thought that launching the water rocket wasn't that exciting (turn a couple of valves in the correct order and watch a plastic pipe with fins head towards the surface). But the water rocket didn't take too long and, if it meant I got more time underwater, I was all good for that. Oh, and if there are people around and about while you're diving, looking out the windows at them, especially if you can sneak up on them from either below or the side, is kinda fun.

But, mostly, don't hold your breath and have fun.

Mercergl · Post by **Mercergl** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 3:37 pm

Two things you definitely should do are keep breathing...

lol ok ill try to do that! And i'll try to sneak up on somebody lookiing in. I know i always look in the portholes when i walk by...