6-34 Change A
U.S. Navy Diving Manual—Volume 2
6-9.7
Diving Personnel.
6-9.7.1
Diving Personnel Responsibilities. While working, the diver shall keep topside
personnel informed of conditions on the bottom, progress of the task, and of any
developing problems that may indicate the need for changes to the plan or a call
for assistance from other divers. To ensure safe conduct of the dive, the diver shall
always obey a signal from the surface and repeat all commands when using voice
communications. The diver is responsible for the diving gear worn and shall
ensure that it is complete and in good repair.
6-9.7.2
Diving Personnel Qualifications. Military divers shall be qualified and desig-
nated in accordance with instructions issued by the Naval Personnel Command
(NPC) or as appropriate by USMC, U.S. Army, or U.S. Air Force orders. Civilian
divers diving under military cognizance must be qualified in accordance with
SECNAVINST 12000.20. The diver selected for an operation shall be qualified
for the diving technique used, the equipment involved, and for diving to the depth
required. Diving personnel assigned to the Navy Experimental Diving Unit
(NEDU) and Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory (NSMRL) are
exempt from such requirements as they are assigned as experimental diving test
subjects and may be employed in experimental dive profiles as required within
approved test protocols.
6-9.8
Standby Diver. A standby diver
with a tender is required for all div-
ing operations. The standby diver
need not be equipped with the same
equipment as the primary diver (ex-
cept as otherwise specified), but
shall have equivalent depth and op-
erational capabilities. Scuba shall
not be used for the standby diver for
surface-supplied diving operations.
6-9.8.1
Standby Diver Qualifications. The
standby diver is a fully qualified
diver, assigned for back-up or to
provide emergency assistance, and
is ready to enter the water immedi-
ately. For surface-supplied opera-
tions, the standby diver shall be
dressed to the following points, MK
20 or MK 21 MOD 1, with strain relief connected to the harness. Under certain
conditions, the Diving Supervisor may require that the helmet be worn. A standby
scuba diver shall don all equipment and be checked by the Diving Supervisor. The
standby diver may then remove the mask and fins and have them ready to don im-
mediately for quick deployment. For safety reasons at the discretion of the Diving
Supervisor, the standby diver may remove the tank. The standby diver receives the
same briefings and instructions as the working diver, monitors the progress of the
Figure 6-18. Standby Diver.
