Naval Service Diving Section
| Naval Service Diving Section | |
|---|---|
| Irish: Rannóg Tumadóireachta na Seirbháse Cabhlaigh | |
| Active | 1964 – present |
| Country |
 Ireland
|
| Branch |
 Naval Service
|
| Type | Military diving |
| Role |
Underwater search and recovery Maritime EOD Underwater engineering |
| Part of |
 Defence Forces
|
| Garrison/HQ | Haulbowline Naval Base, County Cork, Ireland |
| Insignia | |
| Abbreviation | NSDS |
The Naval Service Diving Section (NSDS) (Irish: Rannóg Tumadóireachta na Seirbháse Cabhlaigh) is a specialist unit of the Irish Naval Service, a branch of the Defence Forces, the military of Ireland. The Naval Service Diving Section specialises in underwater diving tasks for the Naval Service, and since its formation in the early 1960s has become Ireland's most advanced diving team, aiding other state agencies in various specialist roles.
The main roles of the NSDS are:-
The NSDS will reportedly be developing a Mine Counter Measures capability to protect sea lanes.
The Diving Section was officially established in 1964 when Commodore Joe Deasy (then a Lieutenant) brought back skills he learned from the British Royal Navy to the Irish Naval Service. During the mid-1980s, the diver training course was set up at Haulbowline Naval Base, Cork Harbour, and since then over 1,400 Naval Service men and women have applied to join the elite unit, with just 150 succeeding (a pass rate of just 9.3%), all men. Each year around 50 Naval Service personnel apply to join the unit, roughly 15 of these are selected for the 11-week Naval Diving Course and on average just 5 complete it. The course is conducted during the winter months to prepare divers for the harshest conditions. Each diver needs to undertake 17 separate training courses to stay current on the section's equipment.
The NSDS operates a 24-hour on-call capability, ready to respond rapidly to any tasking around the state.
The NSDS is the only International Diving Schools Association (IDSA) accredited diving school in Ireland.
The Naval Service Diving Section provides specialised training and certification for the special operations unit of the Irish Defence Forces, responsible for the provision of air and combat diving technique training for the Army Ranger Wing (ARW) Combat Diving Section.
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