An
Atmospheric Diving Suit or
ADS is a small one-man man-shaped
articulated
submersible that
provides the
"diver" with a
environment at
one atmosphere
of pressure at
any depth. It
can be used for
very deep dives,
600 metres /
2000 feet, for
many hours
without the
normal hazards
of depth, such
as the
decompression
sickness and
nitrogen
narcosis. It
solves most of
the problems
encountered by
"ambient
pressure" divers
using breathing
apparatus. They
are only used in
professional
diving.
They
look like suits
of armour, with
elaborate
pressure joints
to allow
articulation
while resisting
the large
difference
between the
inside and
outside
pressure. They
are often made
from aluminium,
weigh around 250
kg/500 pounds,
and have
propellers so
they can move in
water. They are
often lowered
from a support
vessel, which
supplies
breathing gas,
electric power
and
communications
to the suit
through an
umbilical cable.
The suit may
have its own
rebreather-type
breathing system
in case the
umbilical supply
fails.
