Page 244 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

© MMARP. A local dive operator, Scubaquest, Montenegro, was
hired to provide dive support during the Montenegrin Maritime Archaeology Research Project (MMARP) survey of the bays of Maljevik and Bigovica, Montenegro, in August-September 2010.The vessel Downunder served as the dive platform for the project,
and its crew participated in survey dives and offered valuable information on submerged archaeological sites in southern Montenegro. Here, archaeologists and the Downunder crew work together in Maljevik Bay.
rule on archaeological projects using SCUBA, decompression diving should be avoided, but it is possible to make allowances for the use of enriched air or NITROX to extend no decompression limits.
In addition to their presentation in the dive plan, specific underwater tasks should be discussed on a regular basis as part of the daily briefings of the project. No diver should undertake a task that is beyond their capability or level of competency, and no diver should be pressured to do a task if uncomfortable. If there are tasks which require a particular skill set, it is recommended that the project provide additional training for this, if possible.
Logistical aspects
This section of the dive plan should provide a description of the location or locations of diving, the facilities from which diving will take place (boats, platforms, shore) and the type of transportation to and from these. The means of getting in and out of the water, such as solid and safe ladders clearly need specific attention. Detailed instructions regarding the operation of equipment and tools should also be described. Dredges and airlifts, for instance, are frequently used on underwater excavations. Their deployment creates specific hazards that should be addressed, in rapport with the diving equipment used. When the lower end of an airlift becomes blocked, it rapidly becomes buoyant and will suddenly rush to the surface if not tethered. No extraneous pieces
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Safety