Research on Saturation Diving in Poland and its Implementation. Part I A. General Characteristics of Saturation Diving Research in Our Poland. Pioneer Times; 1967-1985

The article is the first in a series of articles on the research and implementation of saturation diving technology in our country which presents the specific Polish conditions and achievements against the background of economic and historical circumstances. In view of the fact that research and implementation has a history of more than half a century, selected key figures of this period are recalled, some of whom have disappeared in the fogs of history. In the specialized literature of the world, the Polish underwater habitats of Meduza are among top 6 countries that researched and implemented, this high technology of saturation diving. Regarded as the inspirer, pioneer and creator of the first saturation diving, he designed and developed the technique and decompression with the cooperation of a team of enthusiasts from clubs and professional divers, as well as engineering staff from the Tri-City enterprises. In the first part of the article the author characterizes the saturation dives in comparison with short dives with particular emphasis on decompression, which is the key to safe diving. The article also takes into account the technical conditions for the implementation of the first saturation dives. The author discusses the general methodology of validation and verification of the assumed decompression, referring to the Polish conditions. He describes how the medical, technical, and organizational problems of implementation of saturation diving were solved in the pioneering period against the background of world achievements. Furthermore, the author describes Polish habitat constructions of Meduza and Geonur types and their application to underwater work on the Polish shelf and coastal areas. Despite the great progress in the field of medicine and technology, as well as organization, the problems of saturation diving, despite the passage of time, remain relevant, as these are the most difficult dives from the point of view of organization, underwater physiology and safety technology.