Last week our southern archaeological dive team joined up with Stew from our Bristol office for a day of diving at an inland dive site in Somerset. Training days like these are crucial to trial new equipment, test existing gear and make sure that our divers are practiced at working together before they take to the water for forthcoming commercial contracts.
New for this year was the use of a wireless buoy to track divers underwater using GPS, which proved to be cost-effective and efficient, compared to traditional methods. They also tested new SCUBA gear to extend their safety in deeper waters, and welcomed Stew into the team.
This summer Coastal & Marine’s Salisbury base will be quiet as the divers deploy on behalf of Historic England (formerly English Heritage) to fulfil the Archaeological Services in Relation to Marine Protection contract. They will be monitoring the wrecks of ships that they have visited before, and exploring some new sites including submarines and earlier marine sites.
Our northern dive team, based in Edinburgh, will also be out on the water this summer as part of the SAMPHIRE project, which engages with local communities to investigate the marine heritage of Scottish waters.
Further diving projects are also planned and with these and our other commercial services, including a new venture with Marine Ecological Services Ltd, 2015 looks like being a busy year.