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060801-N-4995K-002 Pacific Ocean (Aug. 1, 2006) - Chief Navy Diver Daniel Jackson completes a successful certification dive of the Atmospheric Diving System (ADS) aboard the special mission charter ship M/V Kellie Chouest off the coast of La Jolla, Calif. Kellie Chouest is one of four Submarine Support Vessels belonging to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) Special Mission Ships Program. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Chelsea Kennedy (RELEASED)


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Navy Chief Submerges 2,000 Feet, Sets Record
Story Number: NNS060804-10
Release Date: 8/4/2006 2:34:00 PM
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By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Mark G. Logico

Fleet Public Affairs Center, Pacific
MV KELLIE CHOUEST, At Sea (NNS) -- A Navy diver submerged 2,000 feet, setting a record using the new Atmospheric Diving System (ADS) suit, off the coast of La Jolla, Calif., Aug. 1.

Chief Navy Diver (DSW/SS) Daniel P. Jackson of Navy Reserve Deep Submergence Unit (DSU) was randomly selected to certify the ADS suit for use by the Navy.

“I feel like the luckiest guy in the world,” said Jackson. “I am honored and privileged to be the first diver to go down to that depth.”

The certification was the culmination of 11 years of planning, designing and testing by multiple agencies to develop the ADS suit, also known as the Hardsuit 2000.

“This is the biggest piece of teamwork that I have ever seen in the Navy,” said Cmdr. Keith W. Lehnhardt, the officer in charge of the project.

Lehnhardt said the project was a collaboration of so many different organizations, such as DSU, Submarine Squadron 5 and Diving Systems Support Detachment.

Jackson said, “I was just a guy tied to a rope. It was the ADS team that made it all possible. They were incredible.”

Developed by OceanWorks International from Vancouver, British Columbia, the Hardsuit 2000 was designed to withstand underwater pressure at 2,000 feet. Current models have only been able to go down as far as 1,200 feet.

“The suit worked incredibly,” said Jackson. “It did everything it was intended to do. I always heard that around 1,300 feet, the joints of the Hardsuit 2000 would work even better, and it worked exactly the way they said it would.”

Meeting the Navy’s high safety requirements, the ADS suit was designed and acquired by the Navy to support submarine rescue.

“Its specific purpose is to be part of the advance assessment system during a submarine rescue operation,” said Lehnhardt. “The diver in the suit will see what the damage to the sub is and find out where the survivors might be.”

“At 2,000 feet, I had topside turn off all the lights, and it was like a star show. The phosphorescence that was naturally in the water and in most of the sea life down there started to glow," Jackson said. "When I started to travel back up, all the lights looked like a shower of stars going down as I was coming up. It was the best ride in the world.”

For more news from around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil.


A major accomplishment !! CUDOS !!
A couple of months ago, I attended the very good advanced undersea technology symposium at Florida State University, Panama City, FL.. USA They have the largest and most diversified diving curriculum of any university in the US. I was privileged to lunch with some of the key FSU staffers, and symposium presenters. These included the owner of the company that designs and builds these one-atmosphere, armored diving dresses. He did an interesting presentation and showed a video of the history and operations of his company. Any who have an opportunity to attend the next symposium will find it well worth while.

Dan

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