Offshore in the Cold

Some of the cosmonauts, heh heh, would like to remain anonymous, Zaki, Me, Amin and Azlan lah, heh heh heh.... You can see all three legs of the jack-up rig and the derrick in the background.

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One fine weekend recently saw me taking a flight to our supply base and the local airport for the trip offshore during this time of the year. This time of the year is not good to go offshore - because of the cold weather, we have to put on immersion suits. I hate immersion suits. You know, immersion suits, suits that prevent you from dying in the freezing water, because in water below or near the freezing point, humans have this bad habit of staying alive for only three or four minutes. I guess the suits adds another hour or so. Or maybe two.

Putting on the suit is a saga by itself. First the left leg goes in. Check for the head cover in the compartment on the suit's left leg. Then the right leg. Check for the gloves in the compartment on the suit's right leg. The suit's legs end in socks like thingys at the end of each leg. Then the hands go in and each suit's arms end in thick elastic bands which grips the wrists. Then the head goes in through the elastic band and this band was meant to grip the neck. Then you zip it up, and the zip goes from the left of your waist up to your right shoulder. Heavy, water proof, industrial zip that leaves you grunting and puffing. Then you squat down while holding the elastic at the neck open to expel air from within the suit. Then you put on the life vest, taking care not to put it inside out or upside down. Only then you put on your shoes, hoping that there is enough space to accomodate the additional socks like thingys that comes with the suit.

Then, when you have reached your destination, you have to take the darned thing off.

I need a new drug....

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