Before Jacques Cousteau developed the aqualung that led to modern scuba-diving equipment, divers in heavy equipment explored the underwater world in iconic heavy helmets, with an airpipe leading to the surface. One Cornish firm is recreating the experience, as Neil Hope reports

THE classic hard-hat diving look of brass helmet, canvas suit and lead boots has long been a staple of Hollywood films, from 1942's Reap the Wild Wind starring John Wayne to the most recent in the genre, Men of Honour.

The popular film, released in 2000, starred Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jnr in a dramatisation of the true story of Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Brashear, who overcame racial prejudice to become the US Navy's first African-American Master Diver.

This type of diving equipment, known as Standard Dress, was used by commercial divers the world over from its inception in the early 1800s until the latter part of the 20th century.

The iconic name of London manufacturer Siebe Gorman continued to adorn the helmets of divers from Plymouth's Royal Navy Dockyard as recently as 1990, before their eventual replacement by more lightweight modern units.

Although still used in Russia to the present day, working examples of Standard Dress in the United Kingdom are few and far between, with many having being sold off for scrap metal or ultimately finding their way into the hands of collectors.

However, for those interested in reliving those pioneering days of commercial, pearl and salvage diving, the opportunity to dip a toe into the underwater world of 100 years ago is available right here in the South West, at the picturesque coastal village of Mevagissey.

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Return of classic diving

Warren Salliss, known as Sal, a former Royal Marine with Plymouth-based 42 Commando, caught the diving bug during his time in the services and decided to pursue it as a career when returning to civilian life.

"During my time in the Marines I had completed both my commercial course and recreational instructor qualifications," said Sal, aged 40.

"And I wanted to do something a little different when I left."

After working as a diver in Kenya, Panama and Corsica, Sal returned to the Westcountry and alongside wife Tamsin set up the Sal Diving Company, based in Pentewan, near St Austell, five years ago.

The business caters for the popular recreational diving market with training, boat trips and equipment sales as well as offering the unique opportunity to try out the Siebe Gorman equipment.

"Our helmet is a 1940s six-bolt Siebe Gorman, worth in the region of £3,000 which I picked up from a dealer. I came across the pump by a stroke of luck sitting on a garage forecourt when I picked my car from its MoT," explained Sal. "And the chest and sternum weights I found as doorstops in a junk shop."

The total weight of the equipment is a hefty 196lb, but anyone who is reasonably fit and healthy can give it a try, with Sal's oldest student a ripe old 78 and the youngest 15, the minimum age allowed.

Once dressed in the canvas drysuit, lead boots and heavy-duty gloves, the diver is topped off with the red woollen hat made famous by the exploits of scuba-diving pioneer Jacques Cousteau.

"Cousteau actually 'borrowed' the red hat idea from the old-time commercial divers," explained Sal, who continues to uphold the tradition.

"Red was the high-visibility colour of the day and used to identify the diver on a crowded vessel or dive site."

It takes two men to carefully place the helmet in position, followed by a final check before the circular glass faceplate is screwed down and the dive ready to commence.

Air is supplied via an umbilical from the magnificent 1905 "Pearler" – a pearl and salvage diving pump – connected to the diver below, and a communication system keeps the underwater explorer in touch with Sal at the surface.

Although the equipment is quite cumbersome out of the water, once under the surface a slow steady walk along the seabed gives an insight into the challenging conditions that commercial divers must have faced – and at depths far exceeding the three or so metres found off the steps of Mevagissey harbour.

The sessions are something of a tourist attraction and crowds approaching the hundreds during the peak summer season are drawn to the striking-looking antique diving equipment.

"We run a one-day taster experience for divers and non-divers alike, or a speciality course for qualified divers where they get to do the sort of tasks seen in 'Men of Honour' – such as fixing a series of bolts to a metal valve," sail Sal.

"And we don't let them up until they've completed the task to our satisfaction – no matter how long it takes."

For more details of the Standard Dress diving, contact Warren Salliss by calling 01726 844640 or by visiting www.saldivingcompany.com.