What To Expect On Your Dive

The following are some of the most frequently asked questions about deep submersible diving. We have also included specific questions relating to the upcoming dives at the North Pole.
If you have further questions feel free to contact our office by emailing info@deepoceanexpeditions.com

1. How do I get in and out of the MIR?
Before your dive, you will receive an individual tour of the interior of the submersible to familiarize you with its facilities and orient you for the upcoming experience.

On your dive day, you will enter and leave the submersible while it is still aboard the support vessel. There is a ladder system from the deck to the entrance hatch of the submersible. The hatch is approximately two feet (60 centimeters) in diameter, and is only opened and closed while the submersible is on deck. When the submersibles are in the water, the hatch will remain closed at all times. Climbing up and down the ladder to/from the MIRs requires care particularly when exiting after the dive since your muscles may be a little stiff. There will, however, be trained personnel on hand to assist you.

The interior of the submersible is relatively compact. There are no official limitations with respect to a participant's size but if your height exceeds 6 feet 8 inches (2 meters) and/or your weight exceeds 280 pounds (126 kilos), please advise us so we can determine if there are any serious impediments to your participation.

Once inside the submersible, you will assume a comfortable position, in which you can easily avoid accidentally disturbing or manipulating any of the submersible's control systems or instruments.

2. What is it like inside the MIR?
The cabin of the MIRs is 7 feet (2.1 meters) in diameter and is designed to accommodate three people - in our case a pilot and two observers. Inside the sphere the air pressure remains at a constant one atmosphere for the duration of a dive.

Packed around the cabin interior are many controls, instruments and electrical circuits. At the forward end of the sphere, three viewports provide a forward and partial-peripheral viewing arc. Two couches/mattresses enable observers to recline with their faces close to the viewing ports. You may also sit or stand up to stretch and relax. The pilot sits or kneels at a central control console and 'flies' the submersible, using the main central porthole for vision. There is no vision directly to the sides or the aft end of the submersible.

3. What do I bring?
As the submersible dives, the temperature inside the cabin will gradually decrease and stabilize at about 50° Fahrenheit (20°C). While this may not seem especially cool, the interior surface of the sphere will become damp with condensation, reinforcing the effects of lower temperature.

For this reason, we suggest you dress warmly in light, loose layers to compensate for the interior climate. Consider bringing two pairs of warm socks, warm, water-resistant booties, light thermal full-length underwear, a warm comfortable pair of sweat or fleece pants, a thick warm sweater, pullover or fleece jacket, a woolen cap and a light pair of gloves. In addition, we will loan everyone a pair of special NOMEX coveralls (a fire resistant suit). Your clothing will be inspected before the dive to make sure that you are adequately prepared.

As for food and drink, we will provide you with a packed lunch and drink (but not too much of either to avoid adding to bathroom necessities!). There will be a hearty welcome-back meal waiting for you at the end of the dive.

We also recommend you bring: a camera and/or compact video camera, tissue, a notebook and pen or small tape recorder to chronicle your observations and impressions. Your pilot can advise you on camera settings for shooting through the submersible's windows.

Please note that the following items are NOT allowed in the submersible: anything made from a petroleum base (lip sticks, chap sticks, Vaseline, etc.), matches, lighters or other combustible materials. There is absolutely no smoking in the submersibles.

4. Exactly how does the "bathroom" procedure work in the MIR?
Because of the very limited space in deep-diving submersibles, there are no bathroom facilities. Our North Pole dives are scheduled to last between 8 and 9 hours (maximum) and we will provide temporary portable 'man/woman hour-extender bottles' that allow you to deal with 'non serious' matters should they arise. These urine bottles are designed for convenient use in relatively confined spaces such as a light aircraft, helicopters, tents in inclement conditions, etc, and there is no reason not to use them. There will be an ample supply aboard. We will also provide some sort of "privacy curtain" although it has to be recognized that privacy has it limitations in a submersible. The submersible crew adopts a pragmatic attitude to body functions.

As for 'serious' matters, it is largely a case of 'mind over matter' but rest assured that a suitable device will be carried should the need arise. In order to better control the need for bathroom facilities, we will recommend an eating plan that minimizes the amount of food and drink consumed for 12 to 18 hours prior to your dive. You should also know your general needs and plan accordingly.

5. How does the dive operation begin?
You will be advised of your planned dive time well in advance so you can prepare and begin your pre-dive eating and drinking regimen. You must understand that the actual start time depends on weather, sea and ice conditions and the mechanical readiness of the submersibles.

Occasional maintenance needs may mean postponement of dives and must be accepted as necessary. You should adopt a flexible approach to the dive schedule and be prepared to accept postponements. The decision of when to dive is solely in the hands of the head of the submersible team, Dr. Anatoly Sagalevitch and the Expedition Leader, Mike McDowell. Their decision is final and absolute. Any such decisions are based on many years of experience and will be in the interest of the general safety of the operation.

Shortly before diving you and your dive partner will receive a final briefing and equipment inspection. When the final order to prepare is given, you will be escorted to the ladder for entry into the submersible on the deck of the support vessel. Once you, your partner and the pilot are settled and comfortable, the hatch will be sealed and the submersible lowered by the ship's crane into the ocean. The surface test team will inspect the exterior of the MIR and then release it from the crane, after which a tender will tow the craft to its dive point.

Once the pilot has checked all systems, he will slowly pump ballast water into the tanks and the MIR will begin to descend. The descent rate will be approximately 100 feet per minute. The water color, initially blue will soon turn black as ambient light disappears at around 700 to 800 feet (200 to 230 meters). The total descent time to the seafloor at the North Pole is about three hours. During that time, you may relax, enjoy music, watch the pilot operating the MIR, and/or scan the ocean depths for bioluminescent creatures.

From time to time, the pilot will turn on the submersible's powerful external lighting system to look for other marine life. All work inside the MIR is done by faint red lights to preserve the pilot's night vision. The pilot is in constant voice communication with the support vessel to assist his navigation.

6. Will both MIR submersibles dive at the same time?
The dive plan for the MIRs will vary according to circumstances and prevailing conditions. The two submersibles usually dive together. Since we will use just one crane to place the two vessels into the water one after the other, their schedules may be slightly staggered by an hour or so. Diving in pairs is not required since each submersible is fully autonomous, and occasionally logistical considerations such as a battery re-charging, needed servicing, weather/sea conditions or other contributing factors may mean single submersible dive patterns. It is preferable to have both vessels down at the same general time as they are then able to photograph each other at the site. We cannot guarantee this will always be possible since so much will depend on local sea and ice conditions.

6. What is the size of the three MIR viewing ports?
The center view port is approximately eight inches (200 millimeters) in diameter and the two smaller view ports, one on each side of the center port, are approximately five inches (120 millimeters) in diameter. Since you will be near to the view ports, you will have good views both ahead and somewhat to the sides. The view through the side ports, however, is slightly obstructed with equipment on booms in front of the submersible.

7. What will I see on the seafloor at the North Pole?
As the Mir completes its 14,500-foot decent it will gently land at the Real North Pole. You are in the Amundsen Plain, a north-south valley and the deepest part of this least-known ocean. No person has ever been here and no scientific observations have ever been made in this place. This is a true "first", and we cannot predict the exact nature of the enviroment you will encounter.

Upon reaching the seafloor, we expect the submersibles' exterior lights to reveal a smooth sedimentary terrain made of clays and the microscopic remains of dead plankton. These fine muds may appear non-descript but they are highly valued by scientists because they provide detailed information about the history of our planet.

Biologically the seafloor may appear to be a desert, but you will probably see a few small bottom-dwelling animals going about their daily lives, unaware of the significance of their location. These may include starfish and brittlestars, crustaceans, and small fish.

Above the seafloor you may see a range of planktonic animals drifting or gently swimming through the water column. If you are lucky enough to see large animals during your dive, they will most likely be deep-sea jellies. In fact, as a general rule, the largest 'gelatinous organisms' tend to be found in deep and cold water.

Among the plankton known from the Central Arctic are 62 species of jellyfish, 130 species of crustaceans, six species of octopus and squid, and 10 species of arrow worm. Of these, the number that range as far north as the actual North Pole is unknown.

And there is another reason to look carefully for signs of life; in a region as poorly explored as the North Pole, it is entirely possible that you will be the first to see a species new to science!

In addition to the natural environment, there is a possibility you may encounter artifacts from earlier days of Arctic exploration on the seafloor. Within the general vicinity of the North Pole the following items may have made their way to the seafloor: weighted bags of refuse ejected from the 'garbage ejectors' of nuclear submarines visiting the area, sunken scientific instruments, and possibly the wreckage of aircraft that have been lost in the area.

During your dive you will also have an opportunity to finally prove - or more likely disprove - a centuries-old theory that there is a 'hole at the pole' that leads to the interior of a hollow Earth. Even today, this theory has its adherents, some of whom believe the hole at the pole leads to an idyllic utopia.

While you take pictures and make observations through the view ports, your pilot is busy taking scientific readings and capturing seafloor samples with the sub's external arm.

After one or two hours at the bottom you will begin your journey back to the surface carrying first-time knowledge of this place. You are now a true pioneer.

8. How will you decide the dive order?
The dive order will be decided in advance using the general principle of "first come, first served". However, some slots may be pre-reserved for major commercial sponsors and the documentary film production team. These reserved slots will be scheduled in the best interest of the overall expedition. The final dive order will be circulated several weeks before embarkation.

It is important for you to know and understand that if ice conditions interfere with our schedule, some dives may have to be cancelled in which case any cancelled participant would receive a full refund of their submersible dive supplement (US$60,000). We do not expect this to happen, but we need to be forthright regarding any possible and untoward eventualities.

Northpole.pdf (436Kb)
Gakkel_Ridge.pdf(780Kb)