An
Atmospheric Diving Suit or
ADS is a small
one-man man-shaped articulated
submersible that provides the "diver" with a environment
at one atmosphere of pressure at any depth. It can be used
for very deep dives, 600 metres / 2000 feet, for many hours
without the normal hazards of depth, such as the
decompression sickness and
nitrogen narcosis. It solves most of the problems
encountered by "ambient pressure" divers using
breathing apparatus. They are only used in
professional diving.
They look like suits of armour,
with elaborate pressure joints to allow articulation while
resisting the large difference between the inside and
outside pressure. They are often made from aluminium, weigh
around 250 kg/500 pounds, and have propellers so they can
move in water. They are often lowered from a support vessel,
which supplies
breathing gas, electric power and communications to the
suit through an umbilical cable. The suit may have its own
rebreather-type breathing system in case the umbilical
supply fails.