BY The Herald Eastern Cape

THE South African Navy divers showed off their skills at a movie-style diving exercise programme at the Port Elizabeth naval station yesterday.

The 34 divers were part of the navy‘s annual diving exercise (divex) programme, which included deep diving, search procedures, high-speed jump and recovery, and air sea rescue operations.

During yesterday‘s display, divers were seen jumping off speeding boats and others in diving suits floating in a tank for up to one hour.

There was also an opportunity for divers to wear a Kirby Morgan dive helmet. This metal helmet is usually worn during deep-sea diving and during underwater construction. Divers can descend to 60m with it.

As part of the SA Navy‘s community outreach programme, the divers also cleaned Bayworld‘s dolphin pool.

Vice-Admiral Refiloe Mudimu said: “The annual divex gives us an opportunity to stay updated with current diving technology.”

He emphasised the importance of having divers to help stop criminal activities at sea. The navy divers also assist police apprehend poachers and stop drug trafficking at sea.

Mudimu said diving was dangerous and the exercise showed under what stringent conditions they dive.

“I‘m very proud of our divers and the quality of skills. They give me the confidence that the SA Navy has invested well in its human resources.”

He said it was sad, however, that some of the younger members were leaving for the public and private sectors.

Bayworld spokesman Ellouise Matthys said the divers had given them a “head start by cleaning the pool for the holiday season”.

“It sometimes takes up to two weeks to clean the whole pool and it‘s an ongoing task because algae grows quickly in the water.

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