The helmet/head area on most of the Fortune Hunters models carries a higher armor rating than the body, so I wanted to show that it was made of a different or reinforced material. Plus, I like the overall look of the silver rather than the bronze.
The model was primed in Citadel's Fortress Gray, then I used Vallejo's Oily Steel over that as a base, then a complete black ink wash, then drybrushed Oily Steel. The backpack--and it's hard to tell from the pics--was based in Vallejo's Old Bronze (I think that's what it was called), then completely washed in black ink, then drybrushed with Oily Steel.
Glad you like the green hoses--that was done on a whim. The model needed some color.
As for the base...sorry to disappoint, but yes, it did come with the model. I did not sculpt it. I did, however, paint it, and I'm mostly happy with how it turned out. Wish it was a little whiter--might drybrush white over the next one to see how that looks. The ocean floor, as you know, is incredibly varied in how it looks. White sand around places like Hawaii and the Caribbean, dark rocks in other places. But painting the coral and the starfish were fun, and I liked using them as an excuse to add more overall color to the figure.
Thanks for the feedback!