Receiving award.

Contaminated water from paper mills decantation pools may sometimes be problematic for divers that have to perform underwater tasks into them.  One of the major problems of these installations is the water temperature, sometimes as hot as 42°C.  Being called to work in this type of environment, SPS marine, a diving contractor from Matane, Quebec, decided to assess the problem by finding a solution that would improve the diver’s safety as long as allowing him to stay in these conditions for longer periods of time.

CADC Member company Maritime Innovation and SPS Marine came out with the design of an overgarment that fits over regular contaminated water diving equipment and that temperates the diver’s body temperature by using cold water.  Acting exactly like a hot water suit, the diver can increase or reduce the water flowing through the tubing system and therefore, he controls the suit’s temperature.  The particularity if the invention, over the regular hot water suit, is that being designed for contaminated water situations, it can easily be clean and it offers an additional protection to the dry suit underneath its thick nylon layers.  Obviously, the versatility of this overgarment allows it to be used like a hot water system too!!  

For this interesting innovation, SPS marine received an award from the CSST, Quebec’s health and safety at work organization.  This is the proof that the Canadian diving industry is innovative, and capable of inventing solutions to real diving field problems.  Maritime Innovation will define, in the next months, the market possibilities for this product.  We will also have this equipment test and will improve the design if needed.  Any comment or suggestion can be sent to Luc Garand at lgarand@imar.ca.  For more information about Maritime Innovation, please follow this link:  www.maritimeinnovation.ca