Diving support equipment

IHC Hytech is IHC Merwede’s in-house centre of competence for offshore diving technologies and integration of diving equipment. By combining experience in vessel integration and advanced equipment with knowledge of diving, IHC Merwede is able to offer integrated diving system solutions including DSV Class notation.

This leads to short delivery times and a cost-effective diving solution. The vessel itself will also become more efficient and safer, due to this integration.

Cutting-edge technology is readily available for condensing into IHC Merwede vessels. The automation of the modular design is integrated in the vessel’s system architecture by IHC Drives & Automation.

Air and mixed gas diving systems

A variety of innovative and modular air and mixed gas diving systems are available from IHC Hytech. These range from basic transportable decompression chambers via air basket dive units to fully integrated wet bell diving systems with all the necessary life support equipment. All of these systems are built around deck decompression chambers, which provide safe and controlled diver decompression.

Launch and recovery systems

Launch and recovery systems allow the divers to be transported to and from the subsea work site. Deliveries include the complete diving gear, such as helmets-lights-video-communication and the surface umbilical connections.

When in operation, the dive is supervised and controlled from the dive control room. Depending on the system set-up, this can be either containerised or integrated in the vessel’s super structure.

Hyperbaric self-propelled lifeboats

The preferred method for the safe evacuation of saturation divers is by means of a hyperbaric self-propelled lifeboat. IHC Hytech is the market-leading supplier of hyperbaric evacuation pressure chambers complete with the chamber outfitting, and the internal/external life support and environmental control equipment. Evacuation chamber systems are available for 12, 18 or 24 divers and for depth ranges up to 400msw.