Oxygen and communications are fed to the diver from the surface when he uses the Kirby Morgan 18 dive helmet

A team of candidate divers prepare to enter the water to raise a sunken Lark using floatation devices. They are attached to each other by a yellow and black 'buddy arm span' rope

Depth of charachter

Cpl Sean Burton goes underwater to experience what it takes to join one of the Army’s most physically demanding courses

I lose sight of the grinning faces on the pier as I sink deeper into the freezing water and the surface becomes a dark glass roof.

I suck air like a greedy oxygen thief and sink further into the dark until finally my feet feel the seabed.

My buddy gestures in front of my mask to look at the divers working next to me.

What divers? I can’t see a foot in front of me into this cold dirty brown soup.

The current begins to throw me around like an odd sock in a washing machine.

Then I catch glimpses of a diver two feet in front of me tying a huge yellow floatation bag onto a sunken landing craft.

Another emerges to swim past me dragging a heavy air hose towards the rusting hull and then he too is consumed in the gloom.

All I can think about is getting out of this cold dirty washing machine as soon as possible, and one word. Respect.

Out of sight, out of mind? Not so as Army joined the staff and candidates at the Army Dive Wing to find out what they had achieved on one of the Army’s most physically demanding courses.

The Army Dive Wing, tucked away in HMAS Penguin, Sydney, was host to 15 all-ranks dive candidates from RAE, RAAC, RAAOC and RAEME.

Past courses have included soldiers from RAINF, RAMC and RACT.

Asked what candidates could expect to learn on the AWD course, senior dive instructor WO2 Andrew Dixon explained the various skills taught were specifically designed for the tasks expected of a Army Work Diver.

An Army Diver’s tasks can range from the recovery of submerged equipment, including armoured vehicles, to inland water surveys and underwater construction and demolitions.

The five-week course is split into two phases – Shallow Water and Work Diver.

The shallow water phase involves navigation swims, underwater search schemes, rescues and unconscious diver drills.

A candidate work diver works for his ticket as he fixes floatation bags to a sunken Lark which his team raises

A candidate speaks to a diver working 30 metres below him via the Direct Communications System

One of the three masks Army work divers use is the Arga, which gives the diver surface supplied communications

The use of hydraulic and pneumatic tools was taught in the work diver phase along with concreting, welding and thermal arc-cutting gear.

WO2 Dixon says an underwater work site is littered with danger and divers needed to be fitter than the average soldier to combat working in such trying conditions.

“Divers work hard in the water with heavy tools and when he’s got air blowing in his face it becomes very physical and, because of that, a certain level of fitness is expected so he can do his job,” he says.

This is reflected in the courses’ minimum physical fitness prerequisites.

Potential candidates should be able to run 2.4km in less than 10 minutes. They must also push out a minium seven heaves, 60 push-ups and 100 sit-ups.

A swim test consists of a 300m swim of which 100m has to be freestyle.

Candidates must also swim 25m underwater along with recovering four out of six objects, at a depth of 5m.

Dive instructor Cpl Daniel Wilshaw says the early morning course PT was challenging for a reason.

“The PT is hard, because the fitter the diver, the less susceptible they are to decompression illness,” he says.

“There are lots of hill and stair runs and, of course, ‘finning’ – long swims wearing dive fins, coupled with long-hours dive training, make this a physically demanding course.”

Dive instructor Sgt Gareth ‘Chum’ Molnar, now posted to 3CER, says that this year the ADW would run three courses, including an underwater demolitions course at the to-be-constructed underwater demolitions range at Singleton.

Sgt Molnar says the 70m range, which will have a depth of 10m, would be a modified dam.

It was being built because the only other suitable range, at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, was economically and logistically unsuitable for the dive wing to use.

Dive candidate and 35 Water Tpt Sqn 2IC Capt Chris Hacker says the course was an outstanding challenge because it was rewarding.

“You have a good time training and at the end of the day you look back and think about all you achieved during the day,” he says.

On returning to his unit he said he would be building on the skills taught, but planned to return to the dive wing.

“I’ll consolidate on my training and then return to qualify as a DSO so I can run dives back at 10FSB.

“Our unit dive training has slipped and now we have to get our divers requalified so we can get a strong team back in the water.

click here to see what an Army diver wears

“I intend to get more of our soldiers down here to become dive qualified so the unit becomes self-sufficient.

“We need divers at 10FSB and particularly with the water transport squadron because we have the LCM8 and Larks, so there is a need to perform beach reconnaissance among other things.

“I think it is important that people know that there is an Army work divers course but it’s not easy and it’s not a jolly, so make no mistake – you’re not going to have an easy six weeks.

“You have to want to be an Army diver and you can’t come on this course and get through it because you want to step up from weekend scuba diving.

“I enjoy scuba diving and it is a bad dive if you can’t see beyond 20m but down there, working, that’s different, you can’t see your hand in front of your face.

“If you’re laying concrete you do everything by touch and feel.

“You have seeping bags of cement coming down making it even harder so you get used to it and you do become more comfortable and efficient and able to work in zero viz.”

Capt Brian Oswin, SME, enthusiastically agreed that the course was something special, which was reflected in the ‘no rank’ course for the candidates.

“It’s the only way to do it as it’s a very physical course and you all have to pull together because you’re all in the same boat,” he says.

“You get a good exposure to how the AWD of different ranks and trades will be utilised on the job after we have returned to our units.

“I loved the course, it’s the best I’ve done and if you want to challenge yourself – this is the course for you.”

Diving is a dangerous profession, so candidates not only have to be accountable for their own actions but also keep an eye on their mates below the surface.

“I feel it’s not an academically difficult course but some of the dives were challenging, as you have to think laterally, you have to have trust in your dive buddy and the people on the surface, in that they are looking after you.

“There is a poor understanding of what divers can achieve, as it’s a skill that’s probably not recognised enough in the Army and it needs to be promoted, especially in cavalry and engineers.”

Pte Mick Matthews, 35 Water Tp, says there was always the chance a boat hull would be damaged by running over rocks or reefs so now as a trained diver he would be tasked to go down and fix it up.

Sgt Gareth Molnar carries out safety checks on a diver’s Kirby Morgan 18 helmet before a 30m dive

The north Queensland soldier was proud to have successfully finished the course and was looking forward to getting back to the tropics.

“The toughest part was the PT, but the worst part was standing on the shore during a freezing gale at 1am, waiting to dive, and the best part was knocking off and going to sleep,” he says.

Tpr Ben Grumley, B Sqn 3/4 Cav Regt, had never dived before attending the course.

“I had always wanted to learn and I heard the course was a challenge so I thought, why not?” he says.

“The PT was hard and the DS were freaks, but the boys were a good bunch and the laughter made the pain go away.”

On returning to Townsville Tpr Grumley hopes to be employed as part of the unit dive team.

“We do all the reconnaissance of river systems for amphibious crossings and operations, as well as AFV recovery.

“This course has taught me not only about diving, but responsibility, discipline and a lot about myself.

“After having completed this course I have a lot of respect for anyone who is an Army Work Diver.”

Having spent 10 pathetic, cold and dark minutes underwater trying to watch him work in zero visibility with heavy machinery, I have to agree.

• For further information on courses, call (02) 9960 0211

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