Diving community hit as hyperbaric chamber shuts
GUERNSEY'S diving community is being financially crippled by the closure of the island's recompression chamber, industry experts have said.
Following an inspection just over a month ago, the hyperbaric chamber, which was over 40 years old, broke down and the St John Ambulance and Rescue Service said it did not have the money to either replace or repair it.
While the future of the unit remains uncertain, divers are having to use the next closest – 22 miles away in Jersey.
That, however, means they no longer comply with the code of practice for commercial diving, as they are not able to achieve the minimum standard of being able to access a suitable recompression chamber within two hours travelling time, as required for dives over 10 metres.
The commercial diving community has since met, along with States officials, to try and find a solution.
