96 TUIAWAK SYSTEM 



The method of operation was to run both pumps connected together via a 1-in. I. D. mani- 

 fold. No one performed work with a single vacuum and pressure pump running; therefore, all 

 comments refer to the system with both pumps running. 



Condition of the equipment at the start of the Team 3's dive: pressure pump gauges read 

 20 psi vs 24 psi; vacuum-pump gauges read 14.5 psi; one vest was completely beyond use, i.e., 

 no zipper, and regulator would not exhaust. 



General Comments by Team Members 

 Advantages 



1. Liked the weight arrangements in the vest. 



2. Three team members liked the positively buoyant hoses. 



3. Some heating was obtained from the warm gas pumped from the habitat, i.e., when 

 using the Arawak, divers felt warm. 



4. Could not overwork the rigs with both pumps running. 



5. No pump maintenance was required by Team 3. 



Disadvantages 



1. Did not like the position of the regulators. The position could not be adjusted for the 

 varying heights of the users. 



2. Hard to exhaust. 



3. The pumps were too noisy. Voice communication was impossible when the pumps 

 were running. 



4. Seven members thought the hoses would have been less easily tangled if they had been 

 slightly negatively buoyant. 



5. All felt that they could not get out of the rig quickly in an emergency. 



Summary 



All members realized the importance of the Arawak for future deeper dives in Sealab-type 

 operations and therefore were very interested in it, even though all preferred free diving. If 

 safe diving techniques were employed, all members felt the Arawak was a safe rig as designed. 



