Job Hunting

Well folks this is what it all comes down too... finding a job and bringing home the bacon. I have been searching, calling, emailing and visiting companies frantically with my father trying to get a job offshore as soon as possible so I can head back and see my beautiful wife and kids. God willing I should have one soon.

Looking at my daughter growing up so fast, walking and getting more teeth day by day is getting to me. At the same time I know my son misses being with me, jumping all over me, telling me about his day at school and telling my wife that I gave him a piece of chocolate :). What can I say about my wife? Although I tell her I miss her, words cannot express the hole that I have in my heart or the butterflies I have in my stomach waiting for her to get online to say hello. I miss them all and cant wait to have them in my arms.

RGIT Training - Day 3

Today we completed our offshore survival training. Short after arriving, we got dressed into our survival suits and put on out life jacket and re-breathers. Re-breathers are a way of putting air into your life jacket and breathing the air underwater for up to 1 minute or more. It is a pretty simple mechanism but in case of ditching into the sea, it can save your life. I found it very easy to use although some people could not get use to breathing under water and two people left the course not being able to complete the training and hence not being able to work offshore. Our hardest task was the inverted helicopter escape where you tighten your harness, put on a hood, and check your suit zip. After this you put one hand on the window and the other on the harness release mechanism. Just before hitting the water you deploy your re-breather (putting the nose peg on and the mouth piece in). Pulling a knob, you fill the life jacket with one big breath just before you are submersed underwater. As the helicopter flips over you count to seven and push out the window nearest to you before releasing yourself from your harness. After swimming out you pull the cord on the life jacket to fill it up. After this we headed back to the classroom and learned about HSE legislation (which I learned during my diver training). Needless to say it was BORING and after lunch we had a multiple choice exam which I passed. So know I can work offshore… yep but I need to sort out more paperwork tomorrow!

RGIT Training - Day 2

Today our day started off in the classroom learning about the different types of fire extinguishers and how they work. They are all colour coded and offshore you need to know which one to use correctly. After the theory we went outside and began using them. It was quite an experience as I had never used one before and to be honest, I was surprised by the amount coming out of each extinguisher. Following lunch, we looked at escaping fires using gas masks and zero visibility. Using the back of your hands you need to pan the room and use the walls to guide you to the exit. The practical side was a lot of fun as we all looked like a bunch of wallies dancing techno moving our hands up and down and our one of our legs side to side. Our final session involved helicopter evacuation. This involved a long power point on the correct procedures to follow with a short practical in the pool. Tomorrow we have our assessment first thing in the morning!

One thing that is true… although we do not spend much time in the water, the short period we do is extremely tiring due to the water temperature.

RGIT Training - Day 1

Today I started my Basic Offshore Safety Induction & Emergency Training or BOSIET at Petrofac in Aberdeen. The course is a requirement for any person planning to work offshore as it deals with the basic safety and emergency procedures to follow in case an oil rig needs evacuating. During the day we ran through the different types of life boats and life rafts available and how they all work. At the same time we were told where petroleum comes from and the different methods used to detect it. After this we were given a crash course on first aid and how to put somebody into the recovery position and perform Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Following this we broke for lunch (which was a fantastic buffet) and straight afterwards we got kitted out in coveralls, boots, an Offshore Rescue Suit and life preserver and began our in water training. This included how to jump into the water, how to swim with all the gear on and the best position to adopt while waiting for a rescue craft or helicopter. Overall a very packed day! Looking online at immersion suits I found this one which has be a bit puzzled...

who would bring their child offshore???

Weekend Break

After 9 weeks of putting up with snoring, passing wind, vomiting and things only god should know about I can finally look forward to being paid while working. At the same time I can relax and not worry about sitting an exam anytime soon (My relaxing so far has been gardening and washing the patio this morning). One thing that I managed to find this afternoon was a picture of me at a young age trying to be a diver at home. I hope you all can marvel at the imagination this child had!

Week 9, Day 46

Having passed the final examination and completed all of our dives, today we had to fill in our paperwork which took the entire day, mainly due to the fact that all the guys had went out to drink the evening before and had a hangover. After writing in all the dates and getting my diver logbook stamped I can now show you what you get for your 10.000 pounds:

Diving Logbook

Diving Ticket

Week 9, Day 45

Today was our final day in the water. As we prepared all the equipment aboard 'Air Diver 2' I knew this was the final stages of my long journey, or should our journey as my family have had to cope with my absence. I really miss them and can't wait to be with them. My first Scuba dive was to 27 meters and involved cutting through a steel pipe. The second dive was the exact same but to 30 meters, the maximum depth legally allowed on Scuba equipment. In between both dives one of the other divers came to the surface unconscious. Seeing this we quickly pulled him out of the water, got his diving gear off and put him on oxygen to which the instructor yelled 'End of exercise'. This 'set-up' was to see how well we would cope in a panic / emergency situation. Following this episode we went ashore and did the final exam which was 50 multiple choice questions. Luckily I passed the exam (96%) and am now a newly qualified Commercial Diver.

Week 9, Day 44

Today I made up a Surface Supply assessment dive that I had missed earlier and completed a Scuba dive. On the Surface Supply dive I dove to 123 feet and had to drill several holes in a piece of steel using a hydraulic drill. After spending almost 30min in the water I had to spent the rest of the day on deck helping the Scuba team. The reason for this is to allow the Nitrogen to leave the body before diving again. On the Scuba dive I completed a dive to 27 meters and cut a piece of pipe using a hacksaw. Needless to say I am absolutely knackered.

Tomorrow I have my final two dives and the final examination which is the hardest one of all due to the fact that it contains all the info given in the course including physics, anatomy, all diving theory and diving legislation so wish me luck guys!!

Week 9, Day 43

Scuba Exam... Passed! That means only one more examination to go and several dives left. Today we did a short dive using a 250kg parachute lifting bag to rigg an anchor. It was straight forward and the only difference from the last time I used the equipment was that this time we had a separate diving bottle to inflate it rather than our pneumo. After the dive we began to fill out folders with all our assessment dates and dives. This is very easy to do but is a long and repetitive process and will probably take us until Friday to complete.

Week 9, Day 42

Today was very busy with dives in the morning and in the evening and an exam in the afternoon. The morning dive was our last surface standby rescue dive and was like other I have already mentioned in earlier blogs.
After our dives, we did our Scuba exam which was 30 multiple choice questions. Up until now the past papers that had been handed out were roughly of the same standard as the examination but in the case of Scuba, the exam was very hard and nothing like the mock. All of the divers are thinking about the exam result which we will find out tomorrow.

In the evening we all headed down to the pier at 8:00pm and began setting up the equipment however the tide was higher than normal (in fact it was waist high) so we all put on out wetsuits and began messing about like a bunch of kids (some even jumped from the containers above the pier). After the tide finally wend down, we finished setting up and began diving. We had to dive to 16 meters and survey a wreck. Given that it was pitch dark and we only had a ‘cheap’ torch (or flashlight as it is called in America), we slowly made our way down and had a look around. It was very peaceful and a nice dive.