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For further information contact:
Greg Rosenstein                               Cathy Green 
Manager of Investor Relations                 Chief Financial Officer
(318) 234-4590                                (318) 234-4590

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1996

                   AMERICAN OILFIELD DIVERS SWEETENS
             FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OFFER TO HARD SUITS INC.


  Lafayette,  LA  -- AOD Acquisition Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of
American Oilfield Divers,  Inc. (NASDAQ: DIVE), announced today that, in
response to Hard Suits' determination that AOD's previously reported CDN
$500,000 line of credit offer  to  Hard  Suits  was unacceptable, it has
offered to increase its line of credit to Hard Suits  from  CDN $500,000
to  CDN  $1,000,000.   The  CDN  $1,000,000  line of credit would be  on
customary  and  reasonable  commercial terms (including,  among  others,
interest at 8.5% per annum and  secured  by Hard Suits' assets) in order
that Hard Suits may immediately address its  working  capital deficiency
during the offer period.

  This CDN $1,000,000 line of credit is conditional upon  a  Hard Suits'
due  diligence  review  by  AOD,  Rene  Theophil Nuytten resigning as  a
director and officer of Hard Suits and one  AOD  nominee being appointed
to the Hard Suits Board of Directors.  AOD is in a  position to fund the
line  of  credit  within  three days of Hard Suits' agreement  to  AOD's
terms.

  George Yax, AOD's Chairman,  President  and  CEO  stated that "The CDN
$1,000,000 line of credit represents a significant financial  commitment
which  evidences  our  intent  to act in Hard Suits' shareholders'  best
interests."

  As previously announced, AOD's  offer  to  purchase  all of the common
shares of Hard Suits for CDN $1.65 per share has been extended  to 12:01
a.m. on October 30, 1996.

  American  Oilfield  Divers,  Inc.,  is  a  leading  provider of diving
services,   subsea   products,  marine  construction  and  environmental
services to the offshore  oil  and  gas  industry, primarily in the U.S.
Gulf of Mexico, U.S. West Coast, internationally  and  to  certain  U.S.
inland customers.

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