Day 3: Immersion into science

By Simone Burzacott-Gorman

Boarding RV Investigator, means undertaking safety training. Should it ever be necessary to abandon ship, everyone must ‘gear-up’ in an immersion suit. The ship contains a suit for each participant, as well as hard hat and additional life vest.  Safety equipment is clearly labelled with luminescent stickers for access during blackouts within cabins.

Immersion suits are similar to wetsuits, only super thick and totally insulated. Participants must suit up in under 2 minutes! Starting by placing feet into the boot bottoms and securing the ankle straps, the non-dominant arm is then pushed into the three-digit enclosed glove and the hood is secured around the head. Finally, the dominant arm pulls the suit over the shoulder and zips up. It’s very warm inside, and a finishing face strap prevents water flowing up the nose or into the mouth during poor weather. What an experience! I look and feel like a teletubbie, but I know that I will be safe should the need arise.