Diving stage

Diving stages and wet bells

A diving stage, sometimes known as a diving basket, is a platform on which one or two divers stand which is hoisted into the water, lowered to the workplace or the bottom, and then hoisted up again to return the diver to the surface and out of the water. This equipment is almost exclusively used by surface supplied professional divers, as it requires fairly complex man-rated lifting equipment. A diving stage allows the surface team to conveniently manage a diver's decompression as it can be hoisted at a controlled rate and stopped at the correct depth for decompression stops, and allows the divers to rest during the ascent. It also allows the divers to be relatively safely and conveniently lifted out of the water and returned to the deck or quayside.