This moment took 9 months from hard aggressive training and preparations to explore at 220m depth and surface with the Lebanese flag safely.
The dream team as Mohammad named for the discipline and well organization for such huge number of divers, photographers, assistants and technicians exceeded 80 person involved in this event, some of them started the preparation at 2a.m!
The rig Mohammad used consisted of twin 13 litre tanks with another 5 litre tank of air needed to inflate his OTTER dry suit and the OMS double wings.
The story narrated by Mohammad himself:
I have reduced the equipment to the minimum in order to reduce the risk of an error or confusion at the bottom. For That I only used two 80cft side mounted tanks and one 40cft as a travel mix.
At 10:46AM, I started my descend with equipment made up of the 6 tanks, I stop at 6 meters for a final verification. Everything is fine. I turned on my VR3 and purged my wing and slinked into depth.
At -81 meter, I suspended my tank filled with travel mix, and switched to the bottom mix.
As I got deeper I felt that the visibility would get worse and for me it is a good sign because I am very sensitive against good visibility:-)
I continued fastening my descent speed until I passed the 180m and this is the second time I pass this depth - so far no sign for HPNS.
@ 200m I started to inflate my BCD and parked the VR3 computer @220m then located the flag I checked the depth on the line, it was deep enough for today and started my ascent.
The deeper stops came and went without drama as in the 188m record last year.
At 165m I have abandoned my 11-litre travel-mix and started to breathe and locate another 80cft mix. I tied the tank to the cord, but I did too many things at the same time, this was the most difficult moment.
I met the deep support divers @90m and they sent a sign to surface ay I did it and I am fine!
The ascent continued, but more slowly and I still had to pass the edical slate and later the neurological exam. During the stops, I ate mars bars and banana pieces, and lot of medicines, floods and foods contain Vitamins E, A, C as well 650mg Aspirin 120min before the Decompression Run Time end. Tables were ‘cut’ for this special dive using Deco Check Optimizer / Deco Check Analyzer software and the assistant of Mark Ellyat despite a bottom time of few minutes to total dive time would be 4:20. The dive incorporated ten different trimix blends and although a use of large amounts of helium at all stages of the dive is somewhat experimental in dives to date and made the decompression ‘cleaner’, cut back on CO2 problems and increased the ease of breathing. No switches back to trimix . All the dive i used no “p02 breaks”
Experience or stupidity may get you there...only inspired training will get you back!
Thank You Mark Ellyat! For All the assistance.
Mohammad Khattam
TDI ADVANCED TRIMIX DIVER
I used seven Dive rite RG2500 regulators and they are the favorite for me since they came to the market were i always use them in all my misions and last journy was @ -220m but i usually lower the intermediate pressure between 7bar to 8.5bar according to the depth.
I used the dive rite regulators @ the following depthes in the 220m dive and
at all stages the performance was great:
-220m 2xRG2500 2x100cft -220m 2xRG2500 2x80cft -220m 1xDry suit Inflation 1x30cft -165m 1xRG2500 1x80cft -115m 1xRG2500 1x80cft
The Dream Team:
1. Support Divers Directors: MSDT youssef salah Hichi Chief Samir Yazbik (civil defense leader)
2. Gas Blender: Marwan Hareb
3. Skipper: Mohammad Jamal Seal Navy Civil Defense
4. Support Divers: Civil Defense Seal Navy Marine Navy Beirut Aqua Sport Octopus Team
5. Doctors: Civil defense Hospital Al saidi Seal Navy
6. Public Relations: Tony Adam
7. Photographer Divers: Octopus Team Civil defense
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