I first became aware of Hyperbarics International when I discovered their site on the World Wide Web. They were advertising a unique dive experience in Key Largo, Florida. At the time my son Timothy was working as a divemaster for the Boy Scouts at Sea Base just a few miles down Highway 1.We were planning a trip to visit Tim so a side trip to Hyperbarics was included.

     We arrived on a very hot day in August. Temperature was 95 and the humidity must have been somewhere in

Display inside Hyperbarics

the same range. Inside we introduced ourselves to Larry Heiskell and Dick Rutkowski, the owner/operators of Hyperbarics Int. Larry would be handling the diving operations for us. Larry showed us around the shop, pointing out the old and new diving equipment on display and answered our questions about the equipment we would be using. Our first dive would be with a 1943 Morse Mark V. We would then get a chance to dive a Mark 21 and a Swedish Poseidon oxygen rebreather. Timothy and I had brought our cameras along so that when one was diving the other could get underwater pictures. We listened as Larry briefed us on the equipment we would soon be using. Explaining to us the do’s and do not’s and the line signals we would use in case the voice communications failed. Soon we were ready for the water experience.

Another display area inside

Me sweating it out

     As I made my way down the ladder I cleared my ears by swallowing and nearer the bottom when that didn’t work,  I pushed my nose against the bottom of the face plate and blew. When I reached the bottom I said to Larry  “On the Bottom” and he said something I couldn’t understand. I remember reading somewhere that hard hat divers sometimes turn their air off so they can hear what’s being said. So I turned my air off and could hear Larry easily as he asked me why I had turned my air off. Nice to know we’re both on the same page.

     On the bottom I walked (for a scuba diver walking is very strange) or actually skated down a slight incline to a walkway of expanded metal. The walkway extended out into the canal and formed a ‘T’. Carefully manuvering my hose and communication line, I walked to the end of each metal path. Visibility was about 10 to 15 feet but was deteriorating the more I walked around. Timothy was hovering near me and taking pictures as I would do of him later.

Tim on the ladder

The rest of the afternoon Timothy and I had a chance to dive a Mark 21 helmet and the Posiedon oxygen rebreather. The whole experience is one we will never forget. Larry and Dick are extremely helpful and very knowlegeable and friendly. If you drop by to see them be sure to schedule extra time with them and their stories in the nearby bar.

Me on the bottom