Training Facilities

The National Hyperbaric Centre is a renowned training centre for the subsea industries partly because of the facilities available to the trainees.

Saturation Diving System

The NHC Saturation Chambers

The National Hyperbaric Centre's 16 man chamber comprises of two 8 man twin lock living chambers fitted with bunks, showers, toilets, video and entertainment systems for the divers to inhabit for up to 28 days whilst conducting hyperbaric operations.

The transfer under pressure (TUP) chamber permits the divers to descend from the system whilst at pressure into the work chamber. The TUP also acts as a large volume diving bell and is ideal for training purposes for saturation divers. It is fitted out with a diver control panel, umbilical's and racks, diver recovery hoist and video cameras just like a diving bell.

During the Assistant Life Support Technician, Bell Diving Supervisor and Mechanical Dive Technician courses, trainees will get hand on experience of working with the chambers.

Outdoor Dive Tank

The NHC Dive Tank

Outdoors on hardstanding in the yard is the Centre's shallow water test tank. This steel tank is 12 metres in diameter and has a depth of 8 metres and can be used for a variety of in-water testing including diving, ROV trials and subsea equipment testing.

Commercially available cranes can lift equipment from trucks or ground level and deposit them into the tank. The tank has a small 500Kg hoist for the transfer of small equipment to the tank level and also deployment into the tank. A variety of equipment an be made available to simulate components of structures and subsea production/exploration systems.

Other Facilities

The National Hyperbaric Centre provides a number of facilities to make your training experience as pleasant as possible.

  • Purpose Built Classrooms
  • Changing Rooms & Showers
  • Parking
  • Small Gym
  • Lounge Room
  • Canteen
  • Wireless Internet Access