Scientific Diving, Underwater Inspection,
Sample Collection, Photography


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PO-laboratories has highly experienced teem which includes a number of divers, technicians, marine biologists, oceanic scientists, engineers, underwater photography and filming experts, communication and safety personnel... which is highly mobile and capable to perform all types of scientific and inspection dives.

We perform all types of scientific diving, including:

- Sample collection of ground materials as silt, sand, rocks, marine construction materials;
- Collection of living marine and freshwater organisms and animals for environmental research projects;
- All types of inspections and measurements of marine constructions;
- Collection of samples of wood, concrete and metal construction materials;
- Underwater photography and motion picture filming using high quality underwater equipment;

We have extensive expertise and capabilities to develop and perform non standard underwater tests.
All divers are officially qualified and has PADI and FQAS certifications, most of them have diving instructor level with experience of hundreds dives in cold and muddy waters in Quebec.
We are the most cost-efficient commercial diving organization in Quebec;
We follow our strict internal regulations, Canadian commercial diving standards and internationally recognized diving safety precautions to make each and every dive extremely safe. We have an excellent safety record.

Capabilities:

We use a number of sophisticated instruments and set-ups for underwater measurement, counting, inspection, photography and sample collection. Those include laser instruments, deep water sonars, measurement instruments, underwater light and flash equipment, underwater digital cameras and digital camcorders.
We use also communication and video equipment that allows us to speak underwater to each other and communicate with surface support personnel, in addition we may transmit the life video directly to the laptop on the shore base, where marine construction engineer, marine biologist or other scientists may interactively participate in the underwater activities even not being underwater.

Material sampling is a quite common task we perform during scientific and inspection dives. We use different mechanical tools to collect samples with obligatory mapping and photographing of the sampling place and recording all other essential information. We keep samples in permanently labeled containers, designed for particular type of sample. Containers may be attached to a floating bag, which makes easier transportation of the samples to the surface.

The depth and the time of diving is limited by conditions at which so-called decompression sickness may occur. This is a serious life-threatening condition resulted from excess of nitrogen gas dissolved at the high pressure in a diver's blood and body tissues during the deep dive. Amount of nitrogen depends on the depth which creates air pressure, composition of the breathable gas mixture and the exposure (bottom) time. With the air as a breathable gas safe limit is 30 meters (95 ft) with bottom time close to 20 min; absolute depth with air is 40 m (130 ft) - for 3 minutes only.
In the shallower depth the time is limited by air supply and may be 2 hours or more. To increase safe bottom time at relatively deep conditions we use gas mixtures, such as nitrox.

We are well equipped, trained and experienced to perform dives in extremely cold and/or murky water which is common for province of Quebec. Most of our divers have been certified for under-ice diving.