On a chilly February morning, dozens of army and naval reserve divers 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ alongside some NATO allies 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ mustered at a small base on Albert Head, west of Victoria.

Clad in black dry suits and condensation on their breath, the divers waited next to a clearing to be picked up by a CH-148 Cyclone helicopter 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ which they would soon jump from as they plunged into the frigid waters of the Pacific.

The divers were there for Exercise Roguish Buoy, an annual drill held for the past 40 years. As part of the two-week exercise, the divers would practice "helocasting," where teams of four to five divers leap from the helicopter 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ about 20 feet high 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ into the ocean.

"Helocasting is an insertion method for typically an austere situation in order to get members in the water," said Capt. Willis Ripley, the director of the exercise. "It's kind of an exhilarating experience. When you're in the helicopter, you feel the prop wash, the rumble of the machine as you exit the side of the helicopter, and then you free fall down into the water for that splash."

Ripley explained that the exercise is a good opportunity to connect and exchange knowledge with those stationed at different bases and with the four Latvian Naval Forces members who participated.

Cpl. Arturs Kronbergis, a Latvian navy diving team member, explained that once they are on the helicopter, they wait for a signal from an engineer with the Royal Canadian Air Force who lets the divers know when to unbuckle themselves and jump.

"If you're not afraid of heights, it's awesome," Kronbergis joked.

Over the weeks, he and the Latvian team have participated in the exercise, completed all their tasks so far, and exchanged information and experiences with their Canadian Colleagues.

"At the end of the day, everyone's learned something new," he said. "Exercises like these always gives us, all of the nations, an opportunity to exchange experiences to broaden our horizons on how we're doing things, how each nation is doing things."

After Master Cpl. Suffoletta jumped and got transported back to land by an inflatable boat, he said it was "pretty easy" and had a soft landing compared to other past jumps.

"The water is a little cold. It's your typical salt water, that's the first thing you taste when you hit the water," he said.

As a combat engineer, in a real-world situation,  Suffoletta would jump from the helicopter to clear the waters from debris or explosives that may impede allied watercraft.

Ripley added that divers are also deployed in remote environments where land-based vehicles or aircraft cannot operate.

"There's been some good dives in this water and the visibility is clear. Normally, I'm used to diving in water where I can't see anything," said Suffoletta, who came to B.C. from CFB Petawawa in Ontario.

To close off the day, the Cyclone dropped a Zodiac inflatable boat along with the final few divers.