Located at just over 2000 meters above sea level, the frozen lake of Tignes hosted beneath its surface a rather special team from January 29 to February 3. Ten test divers from CEPHISMER (human diving cell and underwater intervention, experts in the field of human diving) carried out a series of tests in icy waters (temperatures below 4°C). The objective of this three-part campaign (establishing a diving protocol, testing specific equipment, and providing additional training) was to address the risks associated with diving in very cold waters as part of technological monitoring and the arming of the French polar vessel « Astrolabe, » which travels through the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF).
70 dives, both day and night, were thus conducted in this lake in partnership with the ice diving club « Evolution 2 ». During the mission period, the water temperature fluctuated between 0 and 2°C and the outside temperature between -6 and +6°C, allowing the equipment to be tested to its limits and to highlight its strengths and weaknesses. The phenomenon of regulator freezing, the main concern for the diver in icy waters, was thus able to be studied in all its forms.
This rich experience, both humanly and professionally, will now be capitalized on to disseminate the knowledge acquired and thus improve the endurance of the sailors and the reliability of the equipment. The lessons learned from this week of testing will be valuable for arming the Astrolabe, supporting the divers of surveillance frigates patrolling the icy waters of the TAAF, but also in preventing immersion pulmonary edema.Save