News
Transfer Under Pressure (TUP) System from Submarine Manufacturing & Products now available
UK based Submarine Manufacturing & Products’ well established manufacturing and design teams have recognised the requirement of the next step to extended bottom times with air, nitrox and mixed gas diving with the ever increasing demands in the renewable, oil and gas sectors in the offshore industry.
SMP have developed a solution for a closed Bell TUP System which will be a unique one-off design available to interested parties. This system is configurable to client requirements on a short lead time.
The system provides a cost effective diving solution through increased bottom times for the diving teams. This provides the capability for the diving team to be working from a Schedule 6 type Bell whilst the second team will be in decompression after completing their bell diving operations.
This will mean continual productivity from the diving bell teams with less down time and smaller diving crews that would be utilised with normal air and nitrox diving.
The system utilises a minimum 4.5 m3 saturation diving bell which has the capability of bounce diving operations. This is critical to the utilisation of this system. The diving bell can be lowered to the seabed under atmospheric conditions. When the divers arrive at the work site the supervisors will have the capability to pressurise the diving bell equivalent to the work site depth which will allow the divers to exit the bell to proceed with their tasks. This can be a single diver or two diver lock out with a standby diver remaining in the bell.
On completion of the dive the divers will return to the diving bell where the doors will be sealed. At this stage the divers in the bell will start their decompression procedure. The bell will then be recovered to the surface with the divers continuing their decompression within this controlled atmosphere. The bell will be recovered by the handling system into the bell capture arrangement thereafter manipulated onto the bell handling trolley for mating to the divers transfer lock.
The above process allows for much greater productivity with diver’s bottom times, a more controlled and safer working environment and quicker and safer decompression procedures as opposed to the regularly used oxygen surface decompression procedure.
TUP System – Features and Specifications
Container:
- L : 40’ (12 mtr) x W: 11.8’ (3.5 mtr) x D: 11.8’ (3.5 mtr)
- Weight: 38,000 kgs
- 2 x Personnel Doors
- 2 x Heating and Air Conditioning Units
- 4 x Gas and Air Penetrator Plates
- 1 x Electrical Penetrator Plates
DDC and TUP:
- Side Mating Manway and End Mating to SDC (Bell)
- Divers Transfer Lock with toilet and shower facility
- 1.8 mtr Twin Lock Chamber for Diver’s Decompression Treatment
- Built in Master Control Panels
- Capacity for 8 persons in the Twin Lock Chamber and 3 persons in the DTL
- System currently rated to 50 mtr SWD but can be re-rated to 18 Bar 180 mtr (590 fsw)
- Medical Locks and Chamber and DTL
- Chamber and DTL outfitted with Comms, Lighting, Gas Analysis, CCTV Systems, Cooling/Heating, Scrubbers
Other Equipment:
- LP Air Storage System
- Fire Suppression System
- Electrical Breaker System
- Distribution Panel
- Transformers and Battery Back Up Supply
For more information on the TUP system please use the links below:
| General Technical Specification | |
| 6 Diver TUP System Concept Proposal Document | |
| View Product on the SMP Website |
Submarine Manufacturing & Products’ Sales Team and Technical Advisors from their UK office are available to offer help on any questions relating to this system. Call +44 (0)1772 687775 Mon – Fri (9am – 5pm GMT) or email sales@smp-ltd.co.uk.
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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