if a diver were to stay at the same
depth as the habitat, then he could
dive indefinitely because the dive
would not — at least in theory —
involve any decompression.
Saturation diving requires
special training and preparation,
so each member of our team had
to pass a battery of medical exams,
challenging swim tests, checkout
dives and hardhat training
to qualify as an aquanaut for
Mission 31. We also participated
in classroom instruction that
covered everything from how to
use the gazebo — a small external
structure containing survival
necessities to be used in case of
emergency — to how to use the
restroom.
MISSION 31
Cousteau created Mission 31 as a
tribute to his late grandfather, Jacques-
Yves Cousteau, who spent 30 days
underwater in the Continental Shelf
Station Two underwater habitat in the
Red Sea in 1963. Mission 31 derives
its name from Fabien Cousteau’s goal
of having a team of aquanauts live
underwater for 31 days — one day
longer than his grandfather’s team did
51 years ago.
Our time underwater was busy: We
had 4:30 a.m. wake-up calls for early-
morning science experiments; we
hosted VIP visitors from the surface;
and we received daily deliveries from
U.S. Navy divers, who used water-
tight pressure pots to transfer food
and other supplies to the habitat.
An entire topside team was
dedicated to our personal welfare and
safety. Led by Roger Garcia and Tom
Potts, FIU employees monitored the
mission 24 hours a day, keeping track
of our oxygen and carbon-dioxide
levels, power usage, food reserves and
medical needs.
MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES
During my time as an aquanaut,
I became very fond of late-
afternoon diving. With unlimited
air and up to nine hours of bottom
time, I often planned my dives
to coincide with twilight, taking
advantage of better water clarity
to view the transitioning animals
coming up from the deep. I must
admit, however, that I also relished
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