Construction began in September 1994. It would train around 2000 divers a year.[1]
It opened in September 1995, being previously atHMS Vernon as the Naval Diving School which joined with theRoyal Engineers Diving Establishment.[2][3][4]
It was officially opened in early 1996, with the Sir Charles Pasley pool, by the Second Sea Lord.[5]
At first, training for the Royal Engineers and the Royal Navy was separate. Three years in the RN was required to apply to be a diver, but this policy was dropped in the late 1990s.[6]
The school graduated its first female mine clearance diver on 19 November 2010, 28 year old Lieutenant Catherine Ker. The Royal Navy had changed its admissions policy for women, after theINM had found that women were at no more risk fromdecompression sickness (the bends) than men.[7]
All candidates must attend the Potential Divers Assessment (PDA). It is a two-and-a-half-day course that is a pass or fail. First, potential divers must pass theDivers Physical Training Test - a 1.5 mile (2.4km) run in 10.30 min, 8 chin-ups, 16 dips, and 40 sit-ups.[15] Candidates will also be physically assessed on:[16]
The facilities include a 1,000m (1km) salt water lake, a 5m diving tank, recompression chambers, and surface and underwater engineering facilities.[16] The school also possesses two Vahana diving boats based atWhale Island for use in the Harbour andthe Solent.[17]
Advanced diver training is conducted at Weymouth, Falmouth, Plymouth and the west coast of Scotland.[16]
Royal Navy
