Quest Volume 23, No. 3 August 2022

Quest The Journal of Global Underwater Explorers

Vol. 23, No. 3 – August 2022

PHOTO GRAPH ER PORTF OLIO: STELLA DEL CURTO

FUNDAMENTALS ON TURBO 20 BEST WRECK DIVES The GUE DPV Cave course teaches you to cave dive in the fast lane

Subjective nominations for the wreck diver’s ultimate bucket list

HOW DO YOU PREPARE?

PROJECT DIVER

The best strategies to get you ready for your Tech 1 class

Report from the inaugural GUE Project Diver Conference in Dubai

EDUCATION · CONSERVATION · EXPLORATION · COMMUNITY

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EDITOR’S LETTER

The men who taught the world to dive

IN

the GUE equipment essentials series, we have reached the subject of regulators. See page 52 in this issue of Quest. While editing the text, I found myself reminiscing on the historical evolution of modern scuba. Not many activities can trace their origin as accurately as diving. We can precisely determine the time and place of the first scuba dive in open water. It took place June 6, 1943, in Bandol, a small Mediterranean village between Toulon and Marseille.

Most people probably consider Jacques-Yves Cousteau to be the inventor of the scuba regulator. It is not really true. Cousteau only invented the need for one or the idea of one, if you will.

During WWII, Cousteau’s father-in-law was a board member of Air Liquide, one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of industrial gases. At their laboratory in Paris, they developed cars that could run on anything other than petrol, which was rationed during the war. The head of this project was the engineer Emile Gagnan.

Cousteau told him that he was looking for a piece of technology that could deliver air at ambient pressure to a diver on demand.

Gagnan listened patiently to Cousteau’s ideas, made a few notes, then pulled something out of a drawer and said the famous words: “Quelque chose comme ça, monsieur?” (Something like this, sir?). The valve Gagnan already developed for cars to run on stove gas was close to what Cousteau was asking for. With some tweaks and modifications, they had the prototype ready three weeks later. Le Scaphandre Autonome, or the Aqualung, was born.

One early morning on June 6, 1943, Cousteau was standing at the railway station in Bandol, where he lived. He picked up a wooden box containing the prototype, and, a few hours later, he made the first successful test dive at the beach Plage de Barry in front of his villa. The rest is history.

Emile Gagnan lived a more unnoticed life but significantly influenced the development of new diving technology. The Aqualung was marketed in France in 1946, but Emile Gagnan emigrated with his family to Montreal, where he worked for Air Liquide’s Canadian division. Here he continued to develop a long line of technological advances that were put into production by La Spirotechnique and later by the American subsidiary U.S. Divers.

Gagnan was the originator of pretty much all of the regulator designs we use today. He died in relative obscurity in 1979.

No doubt it was Cousteau who inspired us to dive. But it is Emile Gagnan we must thank for his invaluable contribution to the technology we use every time we dive.

Today there is a memorial plaque in the small bay next to the beach where Cousteau made the world’s first dive on his and Gagnan’s Aqualung.

Dive safe and have fun!

Jesper Kjøller Editor-in-Chief jk@gue.com

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Quest IN THIS ISSUE The Journal of Global Underwater Explorers

Vol. 23, No. 3 · August 2022

Editor-in-chief // Jesper Kjøller

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Editorial panel

// Michael Menduno // Amanda White

Design and layout // Jesper Kjøller

Writers

// Jesper Kjøller // Daniel Riordan // Fred Devos // Todd Kincaid // Dan Mackay // Chris le Maillot // Brad Beskin // Lauren Fanning // Guy Shockey // Kirill Egorov // Jarrod Jablonski

Photographers

// Kirill Egorov // Jesper Kjøller // Julian Műhlenhaus // Andreas Hagberg // Stella Del Curto // Bori Bennett // Kees Beemster Leverenz // Andreas Hagberg // Imad Farhat // Alexandra Graziano Quest is published quarterly by Global Underwater Explorers 18487 High Springs Main Street, High Springs, Florida 32643 www.GUE.com Follow Quest on Facebook www.facebook.com/QuestJournal

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Brad and Lauren completed a DPV Cave course with Kirill Egorov in Florida. They were challenged with a week of intense instruction but they agreed that it was by far the most fun they ever had taking a GUE course.

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20 BEST WRECKS

36

PORTFOLIO // STELLA DEL CURTO

42

GUE PROJECT DIVER CONFERENCE

Copy editing

// Pat Jablonski // Kady Smith // Nic Haylett

DPV CAVE // FUNDAMENTALS ON TURBO

A subjective hitlist based on factors such as historic importance, an interesting narrative surrounding the loss at sea, and maybe a certain X-factor that is hard to quantify. It also matters that the wreck is photogenic, has a certain size, and is in good shape for its age.

She has a particular interest in taking pictures in demanding environments and she loves to share her passion and tell stories through her images, allowing everyone to see the amazing creations that Mother Nature has hidden underwater.

To contribute in a meaningful way, a project diver must be able to step into many different roles, depending on the nature of the project. All these roles were on the agenda when Deep Dive Dubai hosted the inaugural GUE Project Diver Conference and Workshop in May 2022.

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REGULATORS

62

TECH 1 // HOW TO PREPARE

70

CAVE DIVING METHODS

Different placements, routings, and hose lengths necessitate some sort of standardization to limit confusion. Streamlining, familiarity, and logic are the governing factors in the GUE regulator configuration.

You completed your GUE Fundamentals class and achieved a Tech pass. You’re starting to ask yourself the question that every Tech 1 instructor is asked many times each year: “How do I prepare for GUE Tech 1?”

GUE Instructor Evaluator Guy Shockey explains how.

The GUE system is derived largely from the DIR system while enhancing these concepts with a range of new techniques and procedures. Greatly simplifying operational procedures reduces confusion within complex expeditions, enhancing safety and team efficiency.

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28 18 52 42 62 44

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COVER PHOTO STELLA DEL CURTO August 2022 · Quest

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GUE CAVE TEXT BRAD BESKIN & LAUREN FANNING PHOTOS KIRILL EGOROV (UNDERWATER) & BORI BENNETT (TOPSIDE)

GUE’s DPV Cave course offers seasoned divers the opportunity to refine skills while building foundational skill sets for more novice DPV cave divers. Brad Beskin and Lauren Fanning had the opportunity to team up to complete a DPV Cave course with Kirill Egorov in High Springs, Florida.

The program challenged them with a week of intense instruction, detailed dive planning, and managing the ramifications of using multiple DPVs and stages while performing complex dives. After the course, they agreed that it was an incredibly valuable and formative experience—and by far the most fun they ever had taking a GUE course.

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E DPV

PHOTO KIRILL EGOROV

—Fundamentals on turbo

GUE Instructor Lauren Fanning geared up and ready to hit the trigger on a DPV dive in one of Florida’s caves.

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T

here is nothing more fun in the diving universe than riding a scooter. DPVs are fast, agile, and really darn cool. Driving a DPV feels like you’re flying; you can twist and turn easily and move effortlessly through the water. Modern DPVs appear practically turnkey, require minimal maintenance, and provide an impressive amount of runtime and thrust. Each generation seemingly becomes more manageable on the surface and more practical in the water.

The allure of adding a DPV to the cave diving kit is seductive, especially for Florida’s cave diving contingent. After years of getting blasted in the face by relentless flow, the idea of engaging turbo and cutting through it sounds delightful.

Pass the Keyhole in Ginnie Springs in minutes with plenty of gas? Sign us up!

Even where flow is less of a concern, a DPV opens new portions of the cave that are unreachable on fins alone. Swimming three (or more) stages in Mexico seems hardly worth the effort, but towing them looks almost effortless.

Team dynamics and experience

DPV Cave students are often a diving duo with a long history of diving together. Most have some trigger time logged—whether in open water or overhead—and while not required, some have taken an overhead DPV course from another agency and accrued some experience therein. Commonly, students are looking for further skill development and/or refinement, as well as controlled exposure to advanced overhead skill sets—namely dive planning and equipment management—necessary to support extended range diving.

Interestingly, while we met at the 2017 GUE Conference and became fast friends, our dynamic duo had never been on a dive together before we took our DPV Cave. But, this is one of the key benefits of GUE’s systematic approach, and we had little trouble syncing up as a unified team on our first day of diving together in class.

Brad approached the course as a novice overhead DPV diver.

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“I set my sights on completing DPV Cave some time ago. Like many, I took the NSS-CDS DPV Pilot course (which was great) as an intermediary step between Cave 2 and the more robust GUE DPV Cave curriculum. Even after the CDS program, unsurprisingly, my need for continued instruction was obvious. ‘Perfect practice’ is what’s expected, right? So, it made sense for me to seek out additional instruction (as opposed to simply building experience) so that the experience I accrued reflected perfection, and not my novice attempts to emulate it. So, for me, the course predominantly involved skills of first impression. I could manage a DPV, and I could manage stage bottles. But I had no idea how to manage them together. So, Kirill worked with me on building these foundational skill sets for dive planning and equipment management in the same way that I learned basic kicks in Fundamentals or basic line work in Cave 1. We started in the classroom, worked up to the field, and ended up in the cave. In many ways, this gave the course the familiar feel of the other GUE weeklong, intensive courses like Cave 1. Plus, admittedly, I’ve always had the hankering to train with Kirill, and this seemed like a good starting point.”

Disparate skillbase

Lauren came to the course with a fair amount of experience with a DPV in the overhead.

“I have been working on cave diving projects in North Florida for the past few years, most of which require the use of and ability to support divers utilizing up to four DPVs each on a single dive. Getting comfortable managing large amounts of equipment has been an ever-evolving process, and I’ve been grateful for this experience. I always had the question in the back of my head, ‘How is the practical application at this level—what I am doing in real life—different from what is taught in a GUE DPV Cave class?’ I recognize drift can occur from a diver’s original training, so I pursued this class to refine areas needing improvement to make project diving more efficient and enjoyable. I opted to do this training with Kirill because he’s always had an unwavering approach in mentoring me and providing non-stop but usable and actionable feedback to improve my diving.”

PHOTO KIRILL EGOROV

“

The allure of adding a DPV to the cave diving kit is seductive, especially for Florida’s cave diving contingent.

When diving in caves with flow, or when towing multiple stages, DPVs open up new exploration possibilities but also increase the complexities of the dive.

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PHOTO BORI BENNETT

Kirill and the authors getting ready for yet another long DPV training dive in Ginnie Springs.

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PHOTO MICHAEL LEWINGTON

Our team’s disparate skill base and experito realize I had the solution in my hand—and ence were, at first, somewhat concerning. We I let go of the trigger. We stopped, I signaled had no idea whether the course would accommy team, and we held. I spent a minute or two modate these differences while adding value walking through some fundamental checks for both team members. Would one feel overwhile asking a few logical questions: Is everywhelmed? Would the thing as it should be? other feel under-enFlow check, depth/time, gaged?

SPG check, situational All of this proceeded under Looking back, we awareness scan? (yes). the watchful and demanding find our lack of faith Am I having fun? (yes) eye of a prototypical GUE disturbing, as Kirill Do I want to be here? handled this disparity (yes). After a few mininstructor. The course was deftly. On one hand, utes, we proceeded, and well-tuned to both macro and Kirill worked with Lauthat dread never crept micro skill adjustment, both ren to modify her exback on any subsequent of which lead to excellence. isting skill sets subtly. dive. This course is, literThese micro-refineally and metaphorically, ments—e.g., clipping on turbo. Don’t be afraid the tow leash to a different D-ring—adjusted and to stop, take a beat, and remember the fundabuilt upon skills she had been using regularly. mentals of overhead diving.”

On the other hand, and at the same time, Kirill While the DPV removes the effort of swimworked with Brad as he practiced these skills (at ming, it adds significant complexity and novel least practically) for the first time. challenges to the dive. Dive planning must acAll of this proceeded under the watchful and count for an exigent exit—towing a diver, sharing demanding eye of a prototypical GUE instructor. gas, or other less-than-ideal scenarios, includThe course was well-tuned to both macro and ing swimming out the way you scootered in. micro skill adjustment, both of which lead to Gas switches become more challenging when excellence. there’s a scooter in your hand (and, perhaps one on your tail, as well), and knowing what to In-depth training do with each item makes the procedures more The addition of a DPV to overhead diving adds streamlined and efficient. Light discipline isn’t an array of new risks. Comparatively, at a swim- so easy when you have to switch driving hands ming pace, the Cave 2 diver has ample time to and stay on the trigger. Minor differences in take in their surroundings, build a mental map of pace can lead to large gaps in team formation. the cave, check gas, manage the light, and keep And try—just try—to check your SPG while on track of the team—all while maintaining buoyan- the trigger without smacking the ceiling, crashcy, trim, stability, and control. ing to the floor, or ramming a teammate.

However, once you hit the trigger, everything Therefore, proper instruction—land drills, starts happening a lot faster. Brad had a bit of open water drills, a high level of situational a reckoning with this reality on our team’s first awareness, and only then experiential overhead dive. “As we passed a very familiar part of the dives—is necessary to prevent significant damGinnie mainline, I felt an old, discomforting sen- age to the cave, as well as a tragic incident to sation creep upon me. I immediately recognized the divers. it as ‘the Eeks,‘ or that feeling of careening dread While they seem like underwater dirt bikes, a that usually ends in one conclusion: ‘I don’t want DPV dive requires a lot more than “point, trigger, to be in this cave right now.’ It took a second zoom.”

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PHOTO KIRILL EGOROV

GUE’s DPV Cave Course

To that end, GUE’s DPV Cave course focuses on three key skill sets: advanced dive planning, DPV management, and stage bottle management.

Advanced Dive Planning

We’ve all heard the familiar refrain: Nothing can kill you faster than a scooter in a cave. Well, nothing makes this more evident than doing the math on paper. Proper dive planning is an essential part of introducing DPVs into your diving. The team must account for gas time, trigger time, and all the likely failures that may try to ruin the dive. The course focuses nearly an entire academic day on the many factors the DPV Cave diver must consider when planning an extended-range dive. Of course, we applied these planning skills in-depth before each experience dive in the course.

DPV Management

Experienced DPV pilots make the task look simple. But, managing a DPV is a complex task, requiring practice and patience. Complicate this with a fragile overhead environment, and the task 12

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Lauren demonstrating the correct way to tow a backup scooter.

becomes one of precision and finesse—or the entire team will be exiting in zero visibility. DPVs sing a siren song of thrust and power, and succumbing to it is a quick way to find yourself out of sorts.

Lauren was reminded of this while entering the eye at Ginnie Springs with multiple stages and two DPVs. “I’ve been through this section of the cave entrance countless times. But, with a large amount of equipment, maneuvering through a small area in a head-down/feet-up position, I felt an odd sense of pressure to ‘get out of the way,’ and I didn’t feel as smooth as I usually would. I made the mistake of picking power over technique—I hit the turbo and used the scooter to pull me through a small area quickly. I ultimately resembled a bull in a china shop—not the elegant ballerina I was shooting for. When we surfaced three and a half hours later, Kirill had not forgotten my not-so-graceful entrance and provided some feedback on how to improve, including ways to avoid blasting my teammate with prop-wash and sand. Yikes!”

Ultimately, slow down, be smooth, and don’t feel rushed to get in the entrance faster with people behind you.

DPV management skills include not only the detailed mechanics of piloting a DPV with finesse through a fragile environment, but also management of the DPV while off the trigger, managing a reel or spool, switching gas, surveying, or addressing a problem—in and out of the flow. Just as the Fundamentals student builds muscle memory with repeated S-drills and valve manipulation, so too does the DPV Cave diver with switching off the scooter, stowing it, and retrieving it.

Stage Bottle Management:

GUE Cave 2 instills a familiarity with the use of stage bottles to extend range. The broad consensus in Florida is that the extra juice from swimming more than two stage bottles—and sometimes even one—in flow simply isn’t worth the squeeze. This changes with a DPV, and DPV Cave divers have the ability to bring as much extra gas as they can comfortably carry or fit on a leash. This introduces challenging new skills like switching between stages (using back gas as

a transition) while managing the light, scooter, team, and more. The course focuses heavily on bottle placement, rotation, drops, and pickups in coordination with the DPVs.

Messy exit

This skill set also involves the use of a backup or tow scooter. The task of keeping a tow scooter restrained and controlled through the cave is, at best, difficult. This was a particularly novel challenge for Brad. “As we made it back to the Ginnie Gallery, I recognized the tow scooter, which was clipped nose-to-leash to my front crotch D-ring, was towing somewhere behind me but not where it needed to be (which is resting on top of my fin blades). My exit through the lips had been particularly messy. The tow needs to be perfectly positioned, and it wasn’t. As promised, the tow promptly floated past me in the flow toward the exit, having ‘mysteriously’ become untethered on account of my mismanagement. We caught it just before we reached our oxygen bottle drop.

More fodder for Kirill’s debrief.”

PHOTO BORI BENNETT

Cave diving is very much a mental game, and being able to visualize the plan and the procedures is an essential part of the preparation.

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PHOTO KIRILL EGOROV

“

Multiple individual skills appear simple on their own, become overwhelming when first combined, and finally collide into an intricate, smooth progression in the final course dives.

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Fundamentals on turbo

The course rests on top of GUE’s robust Cave 1 and 2 courses and continues with the week-long, intensive format and late-week crescendo that make those prerequisites so successful and rewarding. Typically, the course requires early mornings and long, exhaustive days with total in-water exposures at the minimum of six hours and maximum around nine hours. Multiple individual skills appear simple on their own, become overwhelming when first combined, and finally collide into an intricate but smooth progression in the final course dives. To say we were tired at the end of class would be an understatement, but we were left with just enough energy to complete the course-required swim test and breath-hold swim.

The course progression is familiar to GUE divers. Fundamentals students begin their journey awkwardly practicing fin kicks on land; similarly, DPV Cave students begin in open water practicing the most basic skills— switching drive and light hands, adjusting DPV position and ride position, maintaining light discipline, and fine-tuning line-laying and retrieval techniques while on the trigger.

Sounds easy? Well, it’s not, and Kirill rightfully spent many hours with us running up and down “the Run” at Ginnie to get it right and dial in all of the details.

To that end, the course resembles Fundamentals, but on turbo. Students quickly find themselves advancing from simple steering drills to laying line while scootering, managing multiple scooters, and managing multiple stages. The course escalates quickly but intuitively with continuous refinement in the details.

Oh no!

The GUE DPV cave course develops the skill set necessary to handle multiple stages and scooters with finesse and attention to detail.

Lauren recalls one of the things that made this continuous stream of feedback manageable, and even enjoyable at times. “Going into this course with the pure intent of becoming a better diver for specific applications on projects and looking for actionable items to improve, without having the added pressure of performing to a specific level or receiving

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Left to right: Lauren Fanning, Kirill Egorov, and Brad Beskin.

a pass in the end, ultimately made this course the most fun training experience I’ve ever had in diving. I one hundred percent recognize that this is easier to say than to feel, but I would highly encourage participants in a class to look at constructive critiques as little boosts to help you meet your goals.”

And, not surprisingly, there are failures. Just as a Cave 1 diver becomes intimately comfortable in zero visibility, so too does the DPV Cave diver become intimately comfortable tucked under the tail of their teammate for a seemingly endless tow out of the cave. Any time we heard 16

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blasts fire from the wretched air gun, the song “Oh No” by Capone would play in our minds as we managed the endless amount of simulated failure scenarios. The song may as well have been played on repeat for the majority of the exits during our class.

Of course, the instruction is somewhat forgiving on newer advanced procedures but relentless vis-a-vis safety and basic skills. Forget to turn on a backup light before you deploy it and it will (as always) promptly go missing. Forget to position the tow scooter properly and it will inevitably detach—ironically, just before you need it.

PHOTOS BORI BENNETT

Success means practice

Proudly, after a long week, our final dive was smooth. We returned to the Gallery after a nearly four-hour runtime with no simulated failures, indicating that—at least in Kirill’s eyes—the dive was executed according to plan. Our final debrief was as expected: “This was good…, that was not so good…, and don’t forget to…” Like any GUE student, neither of us emerged with a flawless record. Kirill identified many aspects of our diving—both specific to DPV piloting and to cave diving generally—that could use improvement.

Lauren Fanning is a GUE instructor residing in High Springs, Florida. She spends most of her free time diving in the North Florida caves and particularly enjoys working on exploration projects.

She has a wide range of experience working in the dive industry, from training development to equipment

Brad Beskin

We passed, notwithstanding some areas for improvement and continued refinement. Of course, the outcomes are slightly different: Brad is looking forward to building more experience, practicing the skills he learned, and venturing farther from the door in a controlled and sensible progression. Lauren is excited to use her new skills and experience as she continues to grow as a diver and WKPP team member.

manufacturing and marketing.

Today she assists GUE with training administration, teaches approximately once a month, and enjoys country living with her husband, Blake Wilson, and their two rescue dogs, Parker and Pepper.

Brad Beskin has been diving actively for approximately twenty-eight years. He first became involved with GUE by taking Fundamentals in 2002, and then Cave 1 with Tamara Kendal in 2003. He is now a proud GUE DPV Cave diver and is looking forward to undertaking the GUE Technical curriculum in 2023. He assists

Lauren Fanning

GUE with risk management and quality control. Brad lives in Austin, Texas, with his husband, Garrett, and two crazy German Shorthaired Pointers, Duke and Daisy.

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BEST 20 WRECKS What creates a great wreck? Obviously, personal preferences will cause some divers to choose differently, but my subjective hitlist is based on factors such as historic importance, an interesting narrative surrounding the loss at sea, and maybe a certain X-factor that is hard to quantify. Some of the most exciting wrecks have more than one story to tell. If the wreck has both an interesting history surrounding the initial loss and an equally compelling tale concerning the later discovery, it scores higher on my list. It also matters that the wreck is photogenic, has a certain size, and is in good shape for its age. Interesting artifacts still on board, level of intactness, and the presence of marine life are also factors. I have dived more than a dozen of the wrecks on this top twenty already, and the rest are on my bucket list.

TEXT JESPER KJØLLER PHOTOS JESPER KJØLLER, KEES BEEMSTER LEVERENZ, AND ARCHIVE 18

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SS Andrea Doria

A luxurious ocean liner and an icon of national pride as the largest, fastest, and allegedly safest of all Italian ships of the time. While heading for New York, she collided with MS Stockholm in one of history's most infamous maritime disasters. The top-heavy Andrea Doria started to list severely, which left half of the lifeboats unusable. But she stayed afloat for 11 hours and “only” 46 people lost their lives.

The Doria’s depth was a huge challenge for the first generations of advanced divers. The coveted logoed porcelain lured many divers deep into the wreck and the “china fever” claimed numerous lives.

Today, she is decaying rapidly and is believed to be empty of artifacts. However, since she played an important role in the development of deep wreck diving techniques, such as the use of helium, accelerated decompression, and advanced penetration procedures, she still belongs on a top 20 list.

TYPE AREA DEPTH LOST

Ocean Liner Nantucket Island, North Atlantic 82 m/269 ft 25 July 1956

USS Atlanta

In her short life, the Atlanta played a pivotal role in the Pacific War theatre, escorting famous aircraft carriers like the USS Enterprise and USS Hornet back and forth between Pearl Harbor and Midway before moving on to the Solomon Islands. She was hit by friendly fire during the Battle of Guadalcanal and ended up sinking three miles west of Lunga Point.

In 1992, the wreck was located by a team led by Robert Ballard (who also found the Titanic and Bismarck). But, because of strong surface currents and the remote location in the Solomons with very poor infrastructure, the wreck has been dived only a few times and very sporadically. The last successful expedition was carried out by a team of GUE divers.

TYPE AREA DEPTH LOST

Light Cruiser Solomon Islands 130 m/427 ft 13 November 1942

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Bianca C

Not many ships can brag about being wrecked twice, but the Bianca C can. Construction began in France during WWII, but the unfinished hull was scuttled by German troops. After the war, the 180 m/590 ft long structure was salvaged and completed. In 1961, while at anchor in Grenada, an explosion shook the engine room. The burning ship could have potentially blocked the harbor, so an attempt to tow the Bianca C was made. Thousands of Grenadians watched from the mountains as the tow progressed for six hours, but the Bianca C had only moved 5 km/3 mi when the towline broke, and she sank—again. Today she is the largest wreck in the Caribbean, and several dives are needed to explore the site.

TYPE DEPTH

Passenger Ship 50 m/164 ft

AREA LOST

Granada 22 October 1961

HMHS Britannic

If the Titanic did not rest at 3,800 m/12,467 ft, she would probably be the star of any wreck diver’s wish list. Fortunately, the Titanic’s sister ship is within diveable depths, but only for the most experienced tech divers, as 120 m/394 ft in the busy Kea Channel outside Athens is a challenging dive by any measure.

As is true of her ill-fated sister, the Britannic was supposed to enter service as a transatlantic passenger liner and was improved in a number of ways due to lessons learned from the Titanic’s sinking. She never went into service but was operating as a hospital ship during WWI when she hit a mine and foundered in less than an hour.

The Britannic has it all: A marvelous pedigree, a mystery concerning the sinking, an exciting narrative surrounding Cousteau’s discovery, early trimix dives on the wreck in 1975, and a number of high-profile expeditions from 1999 onwards.

TYPE DEPTH 20

Ocean Liner 120 m/394 ft

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AREA LOST

Kea Channel, Greece 21 November 1916

Hilma Hooker

The only wreck on the list that can be reached from shore is the Hilma Hooker. Built in 1951 in the Netherlands, she changed hands multiple times, and in the summer of 1984, while having engine trouble at sea, she was towed to the port of Kralendijk, Bonaire. She was already under surveillance by drug enforcement agencies when local authorities boarded the ship for an inspection, discovering a false bulkhead that contained 11,000 kg/25,000 lb of marijuana. While languishing as evidence, she began to take in water, and it was feared that she would sink at the pier and disrupt maritime traffic. On September 7, 1984, the Hilma Hooker was towed to a sandy area between two coral reefs where, five days later, she rolled over on her starboard side and sank in just two minutes. Whether or not the local dive center community arranged her placement is not known, but the location is perfect for divers, and she is among the best shore diving wrecks in the world.

TYPE AREA DEPTH LOST

PHOTO JESPER KJØLLER

Freighter Bonaire 30 m/100 ft 12 September 1984

HMHS Britannic

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PHOTO JESPER KJØLLER

S/S Hindenburg

Not to be confused with the SMS Hindenburg in Scapa Flow or the ill-fated blimp of the same name, the S/S Hindenburg was a German icebreaker. During WWI she was part of Transport Flotte I of the Sonderverband Ostsee when she hit a mine frozen in the ice. Three men were killed in the explosion. What makes this dive special is the fact that all wrecks wrecks in Åland, an autonomous region of Finland, are protected by law, and artifacts that would be long gone almost anywhere else can be enjoyed here.The Hindenburg is extremely well preserved in the cold and fresh water in the Bothnian Sea, and many details like telegraphs, compass housings, and a complete galley can be appreciated on a dive of the Hindenburg.

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TYPE AREA DEPTH LOST

Icebreaker Åland, Bothnian Sea 50 m/164 ft 9 March 1918

SMS Kronprinz (Wilhelm)

The König class battleship SMS Kronprinz was laid down in Kiel in 1911. She participated in the Battle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of World War I, but she remained unharmed and suffered no loss of life. In 1918, she was renamed Kronprinz Wilhelm, and the following year she was part of the interned fleet in Scapa Flow. She was eventually scuttled by Admiral Ludwig von Reuter. The immense size of the wreck can be intimidating, and several dives are required to come away with a greater appreciation for her many details. Many of the 12-inch guns are accessible and visible.

TYPE DEPTH

Battleship 43 m/141 ft

AREA LOST

Scapa Flow 21 June 1919

PHOTO JESPER KJØLLER

HIJMS Nagato

Admiral Yamamoto directed the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, from the bridge of the Nagato. The battleship with the pagoda-style superstructure was later impounded by the Americans and included in Operation Crossroads in Bikini Atoll to gather information on enemy shipbuilding techniques after an atomic explosion.

The Nagato’s best highlights are the four enormous propellers and the twin 16.1-inch guns—the largest in the world at the time. Even if the superstructure is partly squashed under the weight of the overturned hull, it is possible to squeeze into the bridge and pretend to be Admiral Yamamoto listening to the famous radio codeword “Tora! Tora! Tora!”, the signal to commence the attack on Pearl Harbor.

TYPE DEPTH

Battleship 54 m/177 ft

AREA LOST

Bikini Atoll July 1946

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Mars the Magnificent

The oldest ship on the list, and possibly the most significant wreck discovery of the century, is Mars, which was located by Richard Lundgren and his team in 2011 after more than a 20-year search. This Swedish battleship was the largest of its time, but Mars was defeated by a fleet of Danish soldiers and German mercenaries, and when the powder stores on board caught fire, she exploded, causing 800 soldiers to perish.

Ongoing scientific research projects on Mars are breaking new ground in digital excavation. The photogrammetry models based on data collected by divers are setting new standards in non-destructive archaeology.

TYPE DEPTH

Battleship 72 m/236 ft

AREA LOST

Swedish East Coast, Baltic Sea May 1564 PHOTO MICHAEL LEWINGTON

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PHOTO KEES BEEMSTER LEVERENZ

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PHOTO ANDY WHEELER

USS Oriskany

The only wreck on the list scuttled on purpose, which among some purists disqualifies the Oriskany as a “real” wreck, but the sheer size of the “Mighty O”, for me, is enough to warrant a nomination.

Plus, she is one of the very few aircraft carrier wrecks in the world. The USS Oriskany was completed right after WWII and operated in the Pacific into the 1970s. She served during the Korean War and later the Vietnam War. After being decommissioned in 1976, she lay idle for almost 30 years until a decision was made to scuttle her outside Pensacola, Florida. It took a great deal of work to clean the enormous vessel and make her environmentally ready for disposal on the seabed, where she remains the largest artificial reef in the world.

TYPE Aircraft Carrier AREA Gulf of Mexico DEPTH 64 m/210 ft, flight deck 41 m/135 ft SCUTTLED 17 May 2006

President Coolidge

Built as an American luxury ocean liner in 1931, the President Coolidge served as a troopship during the beginning of WWII. In October 1942, she was sunk by mines in the New Hebrides (part of current-day Vanuatu). Captain Henry Nelson realized the ship was lost, so he ran her aground and ordered the 5,340 troops to disembark without their belongings, as he thought they would be able to retrieve them later. But, shortly after, the enormous ship slid down the sloping coral reef into the channel.

President Coolidge is probably the most accessible large ocean liner wreck, and several dives are necessary to explore the almost 200-meter long ship. It is, however, very easy to exceed dive limits because of the gradual downward slope, so extreme awareness is cautioned.

TYPE Ocean Liner AREA DEPTH Bow 21 m/69 ft, stern 73 m/240 ft LOST 26

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Vanuatu, Pacific Ocean 26 October 1942

PHOTO JESPER KJØLLER

PHOTO SEACOLOGY NZ

Prinz Eugen

The German heavy cruiser was launched in 1938. She saw extensive action in famous battles during WWII, primarily in the North Sea war theater. After the collapse of the Axis Powers in 1945, the Prinz Eugen was transferred to the US Navy as a war prize. The Navy assigned her to Operation Crossroads to evaluate the effect of a nuclear bomb on a German-built battleship. The Prinz Eugen survived both President Coolidge atomic blasts and was later towed to Kwajalein Atoll, 400 miles away. She began to take in water, but the leak could not be fixed because of damage from radiation. In December 1946, she capsized and sank in shallow water.

Today the enormous wreck can easily be dived, as the propeller is visible out of the water.

TYPE AREA DEPTH LOST

Heavy Cruiser Kwajalein Atoll 34 m/112 ft 22 December 1946

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SS Numidia

The Numidia was built in Scotland and embarked on her maiden voyage in February 1901. However, the ship's second journey would be her last. After a smooth passage of the Suez Canal, the ship hit the Big Brother Lighthouse, and the bow was seriously damaged. The captain ordered the crew into the lifeboats. He stayed for seven weeks on the island to supervise the salvage of the Numidia's cargo before the hull finally slid into the depths of the reef's northern tip. The marine life and especially the soft corals on the Numidia are splendid, and the setting, with the impressive stern at 80 m/262 ft, and the reef in the background is a spectacular sight.

TYPE AREA DEPTH LOST

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Steam Cargo Ship Brothers Islands, Northern Red Sea Stern 80 m/262 ft, bow 10 m/33 ft 6 July 1901

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PHOTO JESPER KJØLLER

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San Francisco Maru

PHOTO JESPER KJØLLER

In 1944, Operation Hailstone wiped out most of the Japanese Pacific fleet and 275 aircraft in Truk Lagoon in just two days.

With 60 wrecks to choose from, it is hard to single out just one, and at least five other Truk wrecks could easily have been on the list. But, there is a reason why the San Francisco Maru is one of the most famous wrecks in the lagoon. She is loaded to the brim with war materials, such as the small Japanese HA-GO tanks, trucks, various types of ammunition, mines and aircraft parts. And she is in good shape, as she is one of the deeper wrecks.

TYPE DEPTH

Passenger Cargo ship 62 m/203 ft

AREA LOST

Truk Lagoon, Micronesia 17 February 1944

PHOTO JESPER KJØLLER

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PHOTO JESPER KJØLLER

USS Saratoga

In 1946, the United States conducted Operation Crossroads in Bikini Atoll to test the impact of atomic explosions on military vessels. The 270 m/886 ft-long aircraft carrier USS Saratoga had an impressive track record and was involved in many major conflicts and campaigns during WWII, but after the war she became a sitting duck in Bikini Atoll. She survived the first blast but succumbed to the second three weeks later.

“Sara” is most likely the largest diveable wreck in the world and, with so many penetration possibilities and an abundance of details inside and outside, one could easily go to Bikini and only dive The USS Saratoga for a week. In fact, if the aircraft carrier was the only wreck there, it would still be worth the long travel.

TYPE DEPTH

Aircraft carrier 52 m/170 ft

AREA LOST

Bikini Atoll 25 July 1946

Thistlegorm

One thing is certain: no diving career is complete without this wreck in the logbook. In September 1941, she was part of a convoy up through the Red Sea. While at anchor waiting for the Suez Canal to open, her ammunition stores in Hold 4 were struck by a 2.5 ton bomb from a German Heinkel He 111, and she sank immediately. The Thistlegorm owes her stardom to the amazing cargo of military vehicles, motorbikes, airplane spare parts, weapons, and ammunition. But her legacy is even more impressive, as she was found and explored (looted) by Cousteau in the early 1950s. And then she was lost again until an Israeli liveaboard rediscovered her in the early 1990s. Since then, the huge number of divers everyday has taken its toll, and parts have collapsed, but she is still an epic dive.

TYPE Cargo ship AREA DEPTH 32 m/105 ft LOST

Straight of Gubal, Egyptian Red Sea 6 October 1941 August 2022 · Quest

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PHOTO JESPER KJØLLER

Umbria

Italy had not officially joined WWII on the German side when the Umbria, fully loaded with ammunition and war supplies, was anchored outside Port Sudan. The British had a suspicion and detained the Italian ship and its crew. The Umbria’s captain heard Italy’s declaration of war on the radio and realized the Brits would impound the cargo, so he managed to scuttle the 155 m/509 ft long ship under the pretense of doing a muster drill. The Umbria lies on the port side with the davits still visible above the water. She has enough explosives in her hulls to blow Port Sudan to kingdom come.

TYPE DEPTH 32

Cargo and passenger ship AREA 35 m/115 ft LOST

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Wingate Reef, Port Sudan 9 June 1941

PHOTO JESPER KJØLLER

SS Maidan

The SS Maidan hit Rocky Island on her way back to Europe after visiting India. She disappeared in deep water with her cargo of colonial imports, including elephant tusks, but not until the crew and the passengers managed to get to the island where they were rescued the same day.

Because of the depth and the inaccessible position, not many dives have been conducted there since her discovery in 2003, so the 152 m/500 ft long wreck is still in very good condition with nice penetration options, including the engine room and cargo holds. During decompression stops along the spectacular walls of Rocky Island, it is not uncommon to be accompanied by tiger sharks or curious C. longimanus.

TYPE DEPTH

Steam cargo ship 120 m/394 ft

AREA LOST

Rocky Island, Southern Egyptian Red Sea 9 June 1923

SS Yongala

The SS Yongala steamed into a tropical cyclone, and 122 crew and passengers died in the disaster.

The wreck was not located until 1958 and has since become a major tourist attraction. Due to the many fatalities, divers are not allowed to penetrate the wreck, but the marine life surrounding the Yongala is amazing, as the structure provides an oasis in the barren underwater landscape. Majestic fan corals, as well as soft and hard corals, decorate the reef. Giant groupers, eagle rays, mantas, and various sharks are spotted frequently, and the site is also visited by minke or humpback whales between June and November.

TYPE DEPTH

Passenger ship AREA 33 m/108 ft LOST

Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia 23 March 1903 August 2022 · Quest

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PHOTO PHOTO JESPER ANNIKAKJØLLER ANDRESEN

Zenobia

The Swedish RO-RO ferry was on her maiden voyage from Malmö, Sweden, bound for Syria. During a stop on Cyprus, the ship began listing to port and it was discovered that excess water was being pumped into the ballast tanks due to a computer malfunction. She was towed out of the harbor in Larnaca to prevent her from becoming an obstruction, and a few days later, on June 7, 1980, the captain gave up and ordered everybody to leave the sinking ship with its cargo of trucks estimated to be worth £200 million.

The enormous wreck has been hugely important for the diving industry in Cyprus, and the Zenobia is a giant playground for divers on all levels.

TYPE DEPTH 34

Roll-on/roll-off ferry 42 m/138 ft

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AREA LOST

Larnaca, Cyprus 7 June 1980

GUE TECH 1 A GIANT LEAP FORWARD Read m the GUE ore about Tec and see h 1 course schedul ed classes o n www.gu e.com

THE GUE TECHNICAL DIVER LEVEL 1 COURSE

• Cultivates, integrates, and expands essential skills required for safe technical diving • Teaches you how to prevent, identify, and resolve problems • Addresses the potential failures associated with twinsets • Introduces accelerated decompression strategies, single stage diving, and the use of helium to minimize narcosis

Stella Del Curto PASSIONATE PHOTOGRAPHER S

tella was born in Locarno, Switzerland, in 1983.

As a child, she always loved being near the ocean during the long, hot summers spent in Abruzzo, Italy, with her grandparents. She learned to swim and snorkel on her own, and even if the underwater environment of the Adriatic was composed only of sand and a few tiny fish and crabs, in her imagination she was able to turn them into interesting fantasies, dreaming that one day they would come true.

Photography became a big part of her life in 2005 when she bought her first DSLR camera.

Two years later, she began her diving experience in the cold waters of Lake Maggiore. Merging these two great passions has been a natural evolution, and she has always worked hard to become both a better diver and as well as a more skilled photographer, refining her abilities, and then also becoming a diving instructor.

Through the years, Stella developed a particular interest in taking pictures in demanding environments such as underwater caves, deep wrecks, deep reefs, or steep walls. She loves to share her passion and tell stories through her images, allowing everyone to see the amazing creations that Mother Nature has hidden underwater and sometimes even underground. With this goal in mind, she loves to explore under the surface, no matter where. If there is water, Stella is there.

www.stellastyles.com

TITLE Wonderland LOCATION Tux Ku Paxa cave system, Mexico CAMERA Nikon D7500 LENS Nikkor Fisheye 10.5 mm EXPOSURE 1/50, f/3.2 FLASH 2 x Inon Z330, 2 x Inon Z240 COMMENTS Tux Ku Paxa is a well-known cave system in Mexico with superb speleothems and decorations all over the place. The farther you go in, the better it gets.

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TITLE Mirrors of light LOCATION Maggia River, Tegna, Switzerland CAMERA Nikon D7100 LENS Nikkor Fisheye 10.5 mm EXPOSURE 1/100, f/9

FLASH 2 x Inon Z240 COMMENTS Carved rocks, smoothed by time and water, make for a really inspiring environment. On a sunny day, the marvelous reflections and different shades of color make for very inspiring photography.

TITLE Flabellina affinis LOCATION Portofino, Italy CAMERA Nikon D7100 LENS Nikkor Fisheye 10.5 mm EXPOSURE 1/250, f11 FLASH 2 x Inon Z240 COMMENTS This marvelous species of nudibranch with beautiful violet shades lives at around 50 m/165 ft and is widespread in the Mediterranean.

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TITLE Dancing in the darkness LOCATION Cala dei Santi, Italy CAMERA Nikon D7500 LENS Nikkor Fisheye 10.5 mm EXPOSURE f7.1, 1/100 FLASH 2 x Inon Z330 COMMENTS At night, you can always see different sea life than you can during the day—like octopus.

Their swimming movements always remind me of a dancer, and they are mysterious and fascinating animals.

TITLE KT12 Gun LOCATION Orosei Gulf, Sardinia, Italy CAMERA Nikon D7100 LENS Nikkor Fisheye 10.5 mm EXPOSURE 1/160, f7.1 FLASH 2 x Inon Z240 COMMENTS The KT12 was built in Livorno and sank June 10, 1943, after being torpedoed by a British U-boat.

Today, it lies at about 34 m/110 ft.

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TITLE La Cattedrale LOCATION Punta Granelli, Lake Maggiore, Lombardia, Italy CAMERA Nikon D7500 LENS Nikkor Fisheye 10.5 mm EXPOSURE 1/160, f/3.5 FLASH 2 x Inon Z330, 1x Inon Z240 COMMENTS Picture taken on a deep wall (around 80 m/265 ft) twenty minutes on DPV from Castelveccana, one of the most famous dive spots in Lake Maggiore. The white rocks are just stunning and really beautiful to photograph.

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TITLE La Grande Signora LOCATION Haven Wreck, Arenzano, Liguria, Italy CAMERA Nikon D7100 LENS Nikkor Fisheye 10.5 mm EXPOSURE 1/50, f7.1 FLASH 2 x Inon Z240 COMMENTS The Amoco Milford Haven wreck, an oil tanker, is the biggest diveable wreck in the Mediterranean, and it is very well known by almost all European divers. It sank in 1991 after a fire and explosion. It begins at 30 m/100 ft and ends at 80 m/265 ft.

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TITLE Dracula’s castle LOCATION Jailhouse Cave, Mexico CAMERA Nikon D7100 LENS Nikkor Fisheye 10.5 mm EXPOSURE 1/13, f/3.2 FLASH: 2 x Inon Z240, 1 x Inon Z330, 6 x Bigblue 30000 lumen, 2 x BigBlue 15000 lumen COMMENTS The first section of Jailhouse cave is really big and dark, and one day with a couple of friends we decided to try to light it as bright as we could. This is the result: a really beautiful environment that often can’t be enjoyed as it deserves.

TITLE Enchanted Garden LOCATION Secca di Punta Pennello, Tuscany, Italy CAMERA Nikon D7500 LENS Nikkor Fisheye 10.5 mm EXPOSURE 1/50, f5 FLASH 2 x Inon Z330 COMMENTS At Giannutri Island, this deep reef begins at around 70 m/230 ft. Stunning enchanted gardens of red and yellow gorgonians make it an overall perfect photography set.

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GUE PROJECT DI

CONFERE TEXT & PHOTOS JESPER KJØLLER

The project diver candidates are getting ready for a full-face mask test session dive in Deep Dive Dubai.

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IVER

ENCE

Project-based technical diving is an advanced and demanding multidisciplinary activity requiring participants to master many aspects of diving. To contribute in a meaningful way, a project diver must be able to step into many different roles, depending on the nature of the project.

Skilled project divers can assume the responsibility for logistics, gas blending, field repair, fundraising, planning, decompression management, photo and video documentation, scientific data collection, incident management, and many more functions. And, of course, they must also be skilled divers. All these subjects were on the agenda when Deep Dive Dubai hosted the inaugural GUE Project Diver Conference and Workshop in May 2022.  August 2022 · Quest

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I

If only a place existed that contained a modern conference space, an indoor diving facility with excellent technical support from a full-service dive center with the ability to deliver gases, equipment, and safety supervision. And, if we wanted to dream really big, maybe we could add a decompression chamber and a gourmet restaurant to the mix? How about if we asked for everything to be under the same roof, so that very little time was wasted on logistics and transportation? Nah, all this had to be too much to hope for. But wait a minute! Such a place exist! Deep Dive Dubai was the ideal venue for the first GUE Project Diver Conference held in May 2022.

Essentially, GUE was founded to support diving projects, and the goal was always to develop well-rounded and capable divers to support various projects and missions. In a way, every single GUE course is a building block designed to shape competent project divers. Still, an actual project diver certification did not exist— until now.

DAN Europe’s Dr. Marroni revealed that he was wearing the measuring vest during his presentation.

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The program is still in the pilot phase and is a work in progress. The Project Diver Conference had a two-part structure. The first two days were filled with informative lectures— something for everyone—on specific topics of interest. The next three days saw more of a hands-on approach with dynamic workshops specifically intended for Project Diver certification candidates. The final link in the chain, still under development, will be practical apprentice projects.

Weekend talks

An impressive line-up of dive industry experts, seasoned GUE instructors, and other notables from all over the world arrived in Dubai to kick off the conference during the weekend. First on the agenda was Dr. Alessandro Marroni from DAN Europe with a presentation on individual DCS susceptibility. Wearables have been a mega trend in the fitness and health space for quite some time. Modern smart watches, wrist bands, or even fingerings can track and measure biological data such as heart rate, sleep, steps, blood oxygen levels, and other bio parameters on land. Dr. Marroni made the point that the next big step in understanding individual variances of DCS occurrence will be the ability to measure and record biological data both during as well as after the dive. Dr. Marroni is an entertaining presenter, and he surprised the audience by unbuttoning his shirt to reveal that he was wearing a prototype of the measuring vest during his presentation. At the same time, a team member monitored his vital stats in real time on a wireless connection. By lying flat on the floor in a prone position, he even demonstrated that the system could detect the physical orientation of the diver.

The next step is developing a vest that can be worn under a wetsuit and then rolling out the technology to get as many data points as possible.

GUE Instructor and Ph.D. Sergio Schirato’s presentation was a fascinating insight into the ongoing research in the usefulness of heart rate variability (HRV) as a reliable proxy for decompression stress. HRV is easy to measure and can be monitored during dives with a wearable

PHOTO TOMASZ PHOTO STACHURA ANDY WHEELER

“

This means that if a medevac is required, Thethe areaaircraft has evolved a unique subtropical and would have to stop for fuel temperate biodiversity dumps on isolated rocks in isolation, above along theitsway.

Thisboth is serious and territory! below the waterline. expedition

“

Dr. Marroni made the point that the next big step in understanding individual variances of DCS occurrence will be the ability to measure and record biological data both during as well as after the dive.

Sergio Schirato tested DAN’s diver data recording system by sending realtime physiological data to the surface transmitter.

With its helipad and decompression chamber, The Dapple is the perfect expedition vessel for the exploration of remote areas.

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Candidates are getting ready to dive while enjoying Deep Dive Dubai’s optimal logistics and support. device. More research and data are needed to establish a clear correlation between inflammatory and immune system activation markers indicated by HRV changes and markers of physiological stress associated with diving. But the research seems promising and can potentially be a game changer if HRV data can replace or supplement the traditional Doppler flow meter measurements.

Advanced imagery

While underwater photography is certainly a challenging discipline, cutting-edge visualization techniques such as 3D models of wrecks and caves or even 360-degree imagery will take it to the next level when presenting underwater scenery such as caves, shipwrecks, and archaeological sites. John Kendall’s presentation on photogrammetry proposed that since the novelty of creating 3D models has worn off some, it will be necessary to approach photogrammetry proj46

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ects with more extensive planning and strategy, depending on the desired outcome and purpose the model serves.

Peter Brandt’s presentation on 3D cave representations, and Luca Palezza’s 360-degree talk were impressive demonstrations of the applications of real-time 360-models that allow the end user to explore an underwater space on their own, either on screen or with a virtual reality headset.

CCR is here to stay

With a morning consisting of trailblazing dive medicine and cutting-edge media technology, the afternoon was dedicated to more practical aspects of project diving. Kirill Egorov gave an exciting presentation about habitats that allow cave divers to endure longer decompressions in greater comfort. Sergio Schirato returned with an interesting discussion on cave exploration logistics, and Erik Wurz bookended the day

PHOTO MICHAEL LEWINGTON Richard Lundgren briefed

the candidates on the pros and cons of full-face masks before the test session.

with a presentation on how to build a scientific report. This is an extremely relevant subject, as extensive crucial information is easily lost if the data is not gathered in a way that makes it suitable for the scientific community.

The second day of the conference weekend was again filled with a series of talks in the morning on various subjects such as DPVs (Suex), wreck exploration logistics (Mario Arena), Underwater Cave Archaeology (Beto Nava), and Liability in Extreme Expeditions (DAN Europe). The always entertaining Faisal Khalaf from Red Sea Explorers presented on wreck exploration in the Suez Gulf, where a fruitful collaboration with local fishermen and deep CCR divers has led to the discovery of half a dozen wrecks over the last few years. The rest of the day was dedicated to CCR technology. More and more projects and expeditions are executed on CCR, so that topic is greatly relevant at a project diver conference.

Kirill Egorov shared his experience with different rebreather configurations, and Richard Lundgren discussed the challenges of managing mixed rebreather teams. A discussion on the subject of bailout rebreathers featured the Kiss Sidewinder (Kirill Egorov), Halcyon RBK (Mark Messersmith), and Liberty eCCR Sidemount (Jakub Šimánek). The day ended with a review and panel discussion on these systems, including the JJ-CCR.

Second part

After the weekend, the second part of the event began. It was then time for the more practical hands-on sessions and workshops. Richard Lundgren led a session on full-face mask use and surface communication, and the participants all got a chance to dive and test the full-face masks. Meanwhile, DAN Europe ran a series of tests on the data recording system presented on the first day of the conference. The August 2022 · Quest

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The rescue scenario involved recovering an unconscious diver (a doll) from Deep Dive Dubai’s 30 m/100 ft deep underwater apartment.

afternoon was dedicated to rescue training sion chamber operation, including a chance to and incident management. During a full-scale experience a real chamber ride. rescue exercise, the candidates recovered a The afternoon was an exciting assortment victim from 30 meof presentations and lectures, ters. After bringing including Advanced Underwathe victim (a doll) ter Navigation (Andrea CapPerhaps the most practical to the surface, the pa), Videography (Dimitrios rescue team adminFifis), and Field Repairs (Dimand directly applicable istered CPR, and the itrios Fifis, Graham Blackpresentation of the scenarios were monimore, and Richard Lundgren). conference was delivered tored by professional Perhaps the most practical by Graham Blackmore.

The paramedics and adand directly applicable presentitle—Running a Successful tation of the conference was vanced life support instructors from the delivered by Graham BlackDive Project—says it all.

Dubai-based orgamore. The title—Running a nization Blue Guard Successful Dive Project—says Training. The life it all. The presentation was support trainers provided valuable feedback a veritable and not-to-be missed checklist of a to the candidates after the extremely realistic dive project’s practical components. scenario practice.

Superstar The next day featured more lectures and The superstar of decompression knowledge, workshops. In the morning, Deep Dive Dubai’s hyperbaric facility hosted talks on decompres- New Zealand’s Dr. Simon Mitchell, who spe-

“

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Professional life support trainers provided valuable feedback to the candidates after the realistic rescue scenario practice.

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Simon Mitchell entertained the audience for the entire day. Not easy to do at the end of a long conference.

cializes in occupational medicine and anesthesiology, and who topped off the last day of the conference. Dr. Mitchell is one of the most published hyperbaric medicine scientists, an avid technical diver, and a wreck explorer. He is an engaging and humorous presenter and one of the few persons who could entertain an audience for an entire day at the end of a long conference. His contribution was divided into subjects such as Deco Troubles, What it Means to be Conservative in Decompression, Extreme Rebreather Diving Parameters, and Diving Injuries and Emergency Management. Simon flew

in for the day and began his series of presentations by saying: “I am one of you. I am not an ivory tower academic who does not understand technical diving. I do what you do, and I’m as passionate about it as you.”

The conference ended with a group discussion, including important feedback to the organizers on elements that worked, as well as those that could be improved upon for the next installment of the Project Diver Conference to be conducted in conjunction with the GUE Conference in October 2022 in High Springs, Florida, USA.

FACT FILE – SPEAKER LINE-UP • • • • • 50

Dr. Alessandro Marroni Sergio Schirato John Kendall Peter Brandt Luca Palezza

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• • • • •

Mario Arena Erik Wurst Kirill Egorov Richard Lundgren Mark Messersmith

• • • • •

Faisal Khalaf Jakub Šimánek Dimitrios Fifis Graham Blackmore Simon Mitchell

The candidates are now ready for the Apprentice Projects, which forms the second part of the Project Diver certification.

Graham Blackmore’s presentation Running a Successful Project was one of the most directly applicable of the conference.

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– Essentials of the GUE equipment configuration

REGULATORS THIS ARTICLE SERIES IS BASED ON THE GUE PUBLICATION DRESS FOR SUCCESS BY DAN MACKAY. ADDITIONAL TEXT BY JESPER KJØLLER PHOTOS ANDREAS HAGBERG & JESPER KJØLLER

Without regulators there would be no scuba diving. The TEXT ANNIKA ANDRESEN demand and double-hose scubaLEWINGTON regulator were PHOTOS ANNIKAvalve ANDRESEN, ANDYthe WHEELER, SEACOLOGY NZ & MICHAEL introduced in 1943, and all regulators were more or less configured the same way until the 1960s, when singlehose systems hit the market and more variants became the norm. Different placements, routings, and lengths of hoses as well as additions of alternate air sources, inflation hoses, and SPGs necessitated some sort of standardization to limit confusion. Streamlining, familiarity, and logic are the governing factors in the GUE regulator configuration.

H

istorically, the long hose was criticized by many divers that did not fully understand the benefits. Interestingly, back in the day, many technical divers were using long hoses in their own personal diving, but it was typically attached to the alternate air source and the excess was commonly stuffed under rubber retainers attached to the tanks. In another variation, the long hose was stowed behind the head, wrapped around the tank valves.

These locations made it very difficult to deploy the long hose and nearly impossible to put it away once the situation had been managed and the divers arrived at a gas switch and the long hose was no longer needed.

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Other objections to the GUE system ranged from “I don’t like having that hose in front of me—it may get caught on something,” to the inevitable “If it does get caught, I could get strangled.” Many divers who raised this objection employed such convoluted configurations that having another hose in front of them really wouldn’t have been noticeable anyway. This detail, apparently, was of no importance to them.

The obvious simplicity and benefits of this system have proven to far outweigh any possible detraction. The tests of time and use have shown this simple and elegant solution to be the best configuration for any diving environment.

Roll-on/roll-off

When traveling through an overhead environment, any contact between divers and the top of the

PHOTO ANDREAS HAGBERG

cave can cause a roll-off, which is where a cylinder valve is turned off by contact with the ceiling.

If divers are traveling forward, then the left post is liable to be rolled off. The amount of contact needed to cause this is only about 30 cm/12 in.

For this reason, the shareable regulator—the primary—goes on the right post (which cannot roll off), and the backup regulator is attached to the left post. If sharing gas and exiting under the overhead, the donating diver will notice a roll-off occurring and can reach back and re-open the valve. If the regulators were the other way around, out-of-gas divers could roll-off without the means to rectify this themselves.

Breathing gas failure is one of the most serious and immediately life-threatening situations divers can encounter. When a diver donates a breathable source to an out-of-gas diver, it should

Donating the primary regulator on a long hose is a fundamental principle in the GUE configuration.

be the regulator they are currently breathing from (the primary, long hose regulator). This guarantees that the person most in need of a fully functioning regulator is going to get it. Any other regulator passed to an out-of-gas diver may contain sand or other debris and may not function properly. In many out-of-gas situations, air-starved divers will simply pull the regulator from the donor’s mouth; this means that divers who are practiced and prepared for this eventuality will likely respond more comfortably. The GUE system focuses on helping the diver in trouble by assuming that any competent diver will want to facilitate a safe rescue. Even if the out-of-gas diver remains calm and requests air with the proper signal, under the GUE system, the first breath is guaranteed to be an effective one, as it comes from the regulator a diver was just breathing.

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“

Considering that divers rely on regulators to perform flawlessly under somewhat severe conditions, it behooves them to make the best choice possible for their life support equipment.

The next part of our regulator configuration is the direct feed to the wing inflator. This hose should be an appropriate length to match the corrugated hose on the wing itself. In a double-cylinder configuration, the hose is fed from the right-post first stage. In the event of a leaking or free-flowing inflator, divers can shut down that valve with their right hand, and since both the corrugated hose and the rear wing dump are on the left, divers can use their left hand to dump gas.

The drysuit will also need a direct feed. This comes from the left-post regulator and runs under the left arm and across to the drysuit inflation valve. When conducting dives with helium in the back gas or dives in cold water, divers use a dedicated drysuit inflation bottle with its own separate first stage to feed the drysuit inflator.

Given the lack of a second stage on this drysuit bottle, the first stage requires an over-pressure valve. If the pressure builds in the first stage, this allows the pressure to be vented safely.

Nothing else is required on that regulator.

Regulator choice

The choice of regulators is fairly simple; there are many excellent selections of high performance first and second stage combinations available. Considering that divers rely on regulators to perform flawlessly under somewhat severe conditions, it behooves them to make the best choice possible for their life support equipment. It was once argued that for a double-tank configuration, the first-stage regulators should be of different design. The primary first stage should have been a high-performance piston design and the alternate a detuned, or a lesser 54

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performing, diaphragm design. The notion was that if the conditions existed that would cause one to fail, it was unlikely they would cause the other (of a totally different design) to fail. The thought process was valid at the time, given the lack of regulator reliability.

Since that time, regulator design and performance have vastly improved. Thus, the need for two different regulator types is no longer a valid concern. You should base your decision strictly on performance and reliability. When selecting a regulator, the main concerns are to ensure that it not be an unbalanced first stage and that it can be easily configured. An unbalanced first stage means that as the intermediate pressure drops, so does the performance of the second stage, as less gas is delivered downstream. Regulators such as the Scubapro MK25/G260 or Halcyon H-75P are excellent high-performance choices with proven track records. You should select second stages that are designed to allow easy access to the diaphragm so that they can be disassembled without tools to clear debris, if necessary.

As for the method of attachment to the tank, you have the choice of Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) or Yoke fittings. The DIN fitting is preferred for technical applications, as it is a more secure method of attachment that circumvents O-ring extrusion by utilizing a captured O-ring design. The other benefits of a DIN fitting include being low profile and, in general, easier to configure. When striving for consistency, you should ensure that all of your regulators have DIN fittings as well as your tank valves. Having a mix of DIN and Yoke regulators and valves reduces interchangeability and severely compromises team integrity.

THE GUE REGULATOR CONFIGURATION – DOUBLES Right post first stage

Backup reguator with bungee necklace

Left post first stage

Wing inflation

Suit inflation

SPG with clip

Primary reguator on long hose with clip

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PHOTOS JESPER KJØLLER

“

In open water, a long primary hose should allow for some separation of divers in a gassharing situation.

In front, the hose routing and configuration are the same regardless if the diver is using single or double cylinders.

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A careful selection of hose lengths is critical in a streamlined configuration.

Hose Selection

After selecting your regulator, you must configure it properly with five hoses: • • • • •

One 150-210 cm/5-7 ft LP regulator hose for the primary regulator One 55-60 cm/22-24 in LP regulator hose for the backup regulator One 55 cm/22 in LP accessory hose for wing inflation One 60 cm/24 in HP hose for the SPG If required, one drysuit inflation hose

Length will vary according to the height of the diver and what source of inflation is being used—either suit inflation bottle or back gas.

The indicated lengths for these hoses are suggested starting points.

In open water, a long primary hose should allow for some separation of divers in a gas sharing situation. For most people, the 210 cm/7 ft hose is a good choice, being neither inconveniently long for correct stowage

nor uncomfortably short in use. However, a shorter person may require a shorter hose. When purchasing the hose, perform a “dry fit” at your local dive shop to check for the correct length and adjust accordingly.

The length of the alternate air source hose also depends on the height of the diver. It needs to be long enough to sit under the chin when not in use and allow the diver enough freedom to look fully to the left when it is in use. If it is too long, it will cover the right shoulder D-ring. This situation makes equipment more difficult to attach because the hose is in the way and may cause trapping of the hose by attaching equipment over it.

The last considerations are the high pressure and the suit inflation hoses. Once again, these will be somewhat dependent on the diver’s body size. You need an HP hose long enough to allow the SPG to sit over the left hip D-ring. The suit inflation hose should be long enough to comfortably and snugly fit to your drysuit inflator.

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Backup regulator bungee

Stage regulator nothing

Primary regulator bolt snap

What are you breathing from?

On a technical dive, where divers breathe different gases at different phases during the dive, it is of utmost importance that everyone in the team is aware of what everyone else is breathing. In an emergency, it is easy to lose track.

The beauty of a standardized regulator configuration is that it is very easy to look at another diver and immediately identify what gas source they are breathing. If the back gas is breathed through the long hose, the diver will have a small bolt snap dangling from the hose next to the second stage.

Regulator assembly

Now it is time to assemble the system. Due to the fact that a single-cylinder system’s regulator gets a little crowded, you may wish to decide prior to purchase how the hoses will be configured on your regulator. At a minimum, you will require one HP port and four LP ports.

Configuring the regulator needs to be done in such a manner that the primary and alternate second stage regulators attach to the right side of the first stage, and the HP hose, the LP BCD hose, and the LP suit inflation hose come off of the left side. Left and right 58

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If the back gas is breathed from the backup regulator, the necklace bungee will be visible on both sides of the diver’s cheek. And if a diver is breathing from a stage regulator, there will be neither a bolt snap nor a bungee. This illustrates one of the many benefits of standardization and also emphasizes why you should not try to outsmart the system by making individual regulator configurations that deviate from the standard, causing the system to break down and severely disrupting situational awareness within the team. are determined by attaching the regulator to the tank and standing behind the tank with the regulator facing away from you. The other way of thinking about this is that if you were wearing the system, the right side of the regulator—which is now behind your head—is to your right side and the left is on your left.

All fittings and attachments should be secure and not just finger tight. A half-inch stainless steel bolt snap should be attached to the primary hose. A 3/4 inch bolt snap is used to secure the SPG, allowing secure storage when not in use.

LONG HOSE CONFIGURATION The long hose goes behind the neck, from left to right.

The long hose is clipped off to the right-shoulder D-ring when not in use.

The backup regulator is on a bungee and is positioned comfortably under the chin.

The BCD inflator hose is captured by retainers on the corrugated hose and held in place by a small loop of bungee on the left-chest D-ring.

The long hose continues diagonally across the body, from right to left.

The long hose, starting at the regulator, is routed behind the wing (or alongside) and underneath the light canister or tucked in the belt.

The SPG routes naturally down the left side and clips to the lefthip D-ring.

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Checking the SPG while still gripping the bolt snap makes it easy to quickly reattach it to the D-ring after reading.

PHOTO JESPER KJØLLER

Submersible Pressure Gauge (SPG)

The SPG is the secondary gas management tool, the primary being the diver who turns on their brain underwater. The gauge provides an accurate confirmation of remaining gas volume.

The design should be rugged, easy to read, and have a luminous dial. It must be an oil-filled brass construction.

When preparing the SPG, remove the gauge from the hose it shipped with, as it will almost invariably be 1 m/3 ft—entirely too long for the GUE configuration. Remove any protective boot and attach the gauge to a 56-62 cm/22-24 in HP hose.

The SPG that is attached to the primary system should be large, sturdy, and easy to read. Plastic gauges are somewhat fragile and suitable for use only in an effort to keep weight down on stage/deco bottles, since large brass gauges are heavy. In recent years, smaller brass mini-gauges—such as those offered by 60

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Dive Rite, Halcyon, or Scubapro, as well as other manufacturers—have proven excellent, high performance alternatives to plastic gauges for use with stages.

The SPG comes from the left-post regulator and is clipped to the left-hip D-ring with a medium-sized bolt snap. The bolt snap is tied to the hose near to the SPG. The SPG is fed from the left post to enable divers to gain some information about the status of their valves. If divers check their SPG approximately every five minutes and they see that the pressure has not dropped, this indicates that either the left post or manifold valve is closed. This may be due to a left-post roll-off. Upon noticing this, divers should perform a flow check (making sure that each valve is open in turn), and remedy the issue.

Next time: ancillary equipment

2022 GUE Conference OCTOBER 29-30 GLOBAL

UNDERWATER

EXPLORERS

Gainesville & High Springs, Florida Get an insider’s view of GUE’s new Project Diver program, with a unique opportunity to join some of the Core Module presentations from leading educators, scientists, and explorers.

Lectures on Saturday will take place at our favorite conference center, the Gainesville Hilton, and we’ll wrap up the day with appetizers and cocktail hour.

Sunday provides you a chance to go diving with your teammates or GUE instructors, or join us for more presentations at a new venue in High Springs.

Afterwards, we’ll close out the conference with a Halloween party and bonfire.

More information and registration here 

TEXT GUY SHOCKEY PHOTOS ANDREAS HAGBERG, IMAD FARHAT, JULIAN MÜHLENHAUS & ALEXANDRA GRAZIANO

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If Fundamentals is like sipping from a water fountain, then Tech 1 is drinking from a fire hose.

Even if a Fundamentals Tech pass essentially means you are ready for Tech 1, you will benefit from focused training before the course.

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PHOTO IMAD FARHAT

PREPARING

FOR GUE

TECH 1

—Get ready for the next step

You completed your GUE Fundamentals class and achieved a Tech pass. You started your GUE journey with the dream of diving some amazing wrecks or reefs in the 50 m/165 ft range, and now you’re turning your attention to the next stage of your journey. And, you’re starting to ask yourself the question that every Tech 1 instructor is asked many times each year: “How do I prepare for GUE Tech 1?” GUE Instructor Evaluator Guy Shockey explains how.

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Decompression diving means spending a lot of time in the blue, so getting comfortable in the water column is essential.

Y

ou might assume you have a reasonable chance of success if you enroll in a GUE Tech 1 class the day after you receive your GUE Fundamentals Tech pass; however, most Tech 1 candidates take some time to consolidate their previous gains before moving forward. It’s important to note that this training hiatus is not a requirement. Moving from Fundamentals to Tech 1 isn’t like the transition between Tech 1 and CCR 1 (or Tech 2) where you are required to do a particular number of experience dives. At the same time, it’s not a bad idea to ensure that you can consistently meet the buoyancy and trim requirements before choosing to do the GUE Tech 1 course. As a friend of mine said, “If Fundamentals is like sipping from a water fountain, then Tech 1 is drinking from a fire hose.” Tech 1 is not the place to find out your

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Fundamentals Tech-pass skills are inconsistent. The course is very busy, and if you fall behind on the first or second day, you’re unlikely to catch up.

Buoyancy and trim

Tech 1 is all about midwater buoyancy and trim. You must be able to build a secure and non-moving platform at any depth. Tech divers are creatures of the blue water, and we must be at home wherever we are, regardless of where the bottom is. We seldom have anything but our teammates, our instruments, and a line to keep ourselves where we want to stay. Exemplary positioning—keeping in three dimensions—is a necessary part of “building our platform,” which is where we can communicate, manage issues, and make decisions. Think of this platform as

“

Even if you just finished your Fundamentals Tech pass the day before, there is likely still room for improvement, and this is your chance to make “very good” even better.

PHOTO JULIAN MÜHLENHAUS

the floor of an elevator where you and your teammates are lying and facing each other.

The elevator moves up and down, but the teammates do not move relative to each other. Your team moves up the line in formation and levels off at the new stop, but they don’t really change position relative to one another. We also build this platform to bring our team back up to the surface.

Propulsion

Part of your Tech 1 class is skill refinement, so you should expect to polish your existing kicks.

Even if you just finished your Fundamentals Tech pass the day before, there is likely still room for improvement, and this is your chance to make “very good” even better. Expect the same for your maneuvering kicks—back kicking and helicopter turns. You will find that your back kick is your most useful physical skill in

building your platform, and you will use it all the time. Having a weak or ineffectual back kick will make platform-building that much more difficult.

Valve drills and S-drills

Your first dive in your Tech 1 class will likely be very similar to your last dive in your Fundamentals class. In my classes, you will swim to 10 m/30 ft, deploy an SMB, then move up to 6 m/20 ft and do a round of valve drills and S-drills while maintaining your platform on the line. You won’t move around and travel in the S-drills: This is an exercise in buoyancy control and precision positioning while being task-loaded. This is basically a “show me” dive so that I know where the baseline is on your fundamental skills. Based on your performance in this series, we can adjust our immediate timeline for moving ahead.

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Situational awareness

will be required to use your “helper muscles” to Throughout years of teaching technical diving, monitor depth, time, current, team position, and I’ve become more and more convinced that your equipment. You can’t simply put your head the single biggest strength a technical diver down and follow a scripted sequence of events can have is strong situational awareness. This to resolve a valve failure. There is much more capacity bolsters everything else and can make going on, and you will learn to increase your or break a dive. You began learning how to situational awareness capacity by stretching it develop this in your Fundamentals class when and using it. your instructor task loaded you with maintaining team positioning while also swimming around a Skill development circuit and performing various skills and drills. It We’ve identified which skills to hone and what likely seemed difficult to juggle everything at the we will focus on in Tech 1. So, the question becomes, “How do I practice them?” beginning, but the skill develops quickly, and in One of the best drills you can do is swim Tech 1 we make this a bigger priority. out to 10 m/30 ft, deploy an SMB, then move Consider doing a bench press in a universal up to 6 m/20 ft and gym. You can apply all do a round of valve your strength to pushing We’ve identified which skills drills and S-drills. This the bar upwards, and if sounds simple enough, you do so unevenly, it to hone and what we will but, as always, the devil doesn’t really matter: You focus on in Tech 1. So, the is in the details; it isn’t are able to transfer all your question becomes, “How do I so much “that” you do strength into upward mopractice them?” it, it’s “how” you do it. tion to make the bar move You should expect upward. Now do the same to be held to the same thing with dumbbells. You will find that you need to use many “helper” mus- standard as your Fundamentals Tech pass with cles to stabilize the dumbbell, and that you need respect to buoyancy and trim: a 1 m/3 ft buoyancy window and 20 degrees of trim. I have to focus and manage these muscles in addition to the actual primary work of pressing the dumb- watched students practice and practice with the “this is good enough” mentality, but if it isn’t bell up. This is what we do in Tech 1: We create inside the standards listed above, then it isn’t scenarios where you will do something like good enough. manage a valve failure but, while doing so, you

“

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Debrief the training dives.

Ask your teammates for honest feedback, and provide the same. Hold each other accountable for the performance and offer tips for improvement.

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FACT FILE – TECH 1 PREREQUISITES GUE’s Technical Diver Level 1 course is designed to prepare divers for the rigors of technical diving and to familiarize them with the use of different breathing and decompression mixtures.

Additional course outcomes include cultivating, integrating, and expanding the essential skills required for safe technical diving; problem identification and resolution; the use of a double tanks configuration and the potential failures associated with it; the use of nitrox for accelerated and general decompression strategies; the use of helium to minimize narcosis; and the applications of single decompression stage diving with respect to decompression procedures.

Applicants for a GUE Technical Diver Level 1 program must: • • • • • •

Be a minimum of 18 years of age.

Be physically and mentally fit.

Be a non-smoker.

Obtain a physician’s prior written authorization for use of prescription drugs, except for birth control, or for any medical condition that may pose a risk while diving.

Have earned a GUE Fundamentals - Technical certification.

Have a minimum of 100 logged dives beyond autonomous entry-level scuba diver.

The Technical Diver Level 1 course is normally conducted over six days. It requires a minimum of seven dives (including three trimix experience dives) and at least 48 hours of instruction, encompassing classroom lectures, land drills, and in-water work.

You need to be honest with yourself about your performance from these two perspectives because—rest assured—your instructor will be honest with you! This is probably the most common thing that I see: Students practice a lot, but they don’t practice well. “Practice perfectly to perform perfectly.” If you don’t hold yourself to a high standard, and “good enough” is okay, then you will spend the first day or so in Tech 1 class doing remedial trim and buoyancy work. This can mean that you run out of time and don’t complete your class. Deploy your SMB, move up, clip a double-ender at the 6 m/20 ft mark, and challenge yourself to keep that double-ender right in front of you. Then get to the point where you remove the double-ender.

Rewarding

Make a pact with your teammates to hold each other accountable for your performance. Agree to be totally honest with each other. Ask for— 68

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and expect—feedback from your teammates, and provide the same. If you do this, then you will breeze through your first dive on Tech 1, and you will have the foundation you need to move on to gas switches and valve failure resolution. You won’t be chasing the skills, and you will have to absorb only the new material. You won’t have to play catch-up, and your days will be challenging, but rewarding—and even fun!

Tech 1 is a very rewarding class to teach.

Here, the students’ lights start to go on, and they understand the “why” for many of the things we did in Fundamentals. It often isn’t enough to just have something explained to you; having a visceral experience that demonstrates the “why” and the “this is what can happen when you don’t do it” is much more persuasive, and this happens frequently in Tech 1. There is also a lot of new classroom material, so being squared away in your diving will free up some mental capacity to learn and understand the new theory.

Refining your communication skills with clear hand and light signals will prepare you for Tech 1.

PHOTO JULIAN MÜHLENHAUS

Tech 1 can be one of the most rewarding classes you will ever take. You will come away with confidence, increased capacity and skill, and a whole new world of diving experiences will be open to you. Have fun, and enjoy the journey!

Guy Shockey

Guy Shockey lives on Vancouver Island, Canada, about two minutes from the ocean. Guy is an ex-military officer, holds a graduate degree in political science, and played competitive rugby for several years. Guy travels and dives extensively and is involved with

several wreck exploration projects. He is also a GUE instructor, teaching the recreational and technical curricula.

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CAVE DIVIN EQUIPMEN METHODOL TEXT FROM THE GUE PUBLICATION DEEP INTO CAVE DIVING WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM KIRILL EGOROV, JARROD JABLONSKI, DANIEL RIORDAN, FRED DEVOS, TODD KINCAID & CHRIS LE MAILLOT PHOTOS KIRILL EGOROV & JESPER KJØLLER

GUE utilizes a system of diving that provides diver and experienced—with a clear alternative to ineffic complicated diving systems. This system is holist a procedural emphasis with a carefully developed configuration. The GUE system is derived largely f Right (DIR) system of diving while enhancing thes range of new techniques and procedures. GUE prin major architects of the DIR system, which is globa for its role in reducing complexity while enabling d most out of their diving activity. Greatly simplifyin procedures reduces confusion among new divers a complex expeditions, enhancing safety and team e 70

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NG & NT LOGY

rs—both beginner cient and overly tic, blending equipment from the Doing It se concepts with a ncipals were the ally recognized divers to get the ng operational and/or within efficiency.

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I

t is unwise to view the GUE equipment configuration without deferring to the broader context in which these details are outlined. This is because GUE’s methodology is a complete system that seeks to intensify diving enjoyment by enhancing efficiency and safety. This philosophy promotes rational choices with respect to dive teams, dive preparation, and equipment configuration as a means of ensuring safety, efficiency, and enjoyment. The following discussion highlights common GUE principles as they relate to cave diving activity.

Team unity

Underwater cave environments can be very unforgiving to those who are ill-prepared. Here, the time constraints linked to a finite gas supply require divers not only to be aware of the risks posed by silting, entrapment, entanglement, loss of direction, loss of ambient light, and equipment failure, but also to be able to manage them quickly and efficiently. Beyond training, managing risk takes many forms (e.g., good technique, self-awareness, good character, a sound equipment configuration, good buoyancy and trim, experience, and team diving).

Team diving is one of the cornerstones of GUE and is critical to sound cave diving practice. In a cave environment, team diving not only reduces risk by multiplying abilities and perspectives, but it also augments divers’ enjoyment by having others with whom to share the experience. Cave divers functioning together as a team are less likely to experience problems and are substantially better prepared to manage unforeseen difficulties. However, to truly optimize the team, cave diving should not be attempted with a haphazard collection of individuals; it must be a coherent group that acts with the interests of the entire team in mind. Such a group requires that all of its members are separately capable. If they are not, weaker members stand to undermine the overall productivity of the group and compromise its safety. Dive teams should choose their members carefully, particularly in demanding environments, and should adjust dive difficulty with the abilities of the weakest member in mind. As the old adage 72

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goes, “A chain is only as strong as the weakest link.” Adjusting dives for weaker but capable members does not prevent safe enjoyment; it merely facilitates the safe pursuit of dives within the constraints of the team’s collective abilities.

When weaker or less experienced divers find themselves on a team that is considering a dive that exceeds either their ability or their level of comfort, it behooves them to communicate this to the remaining team members. Diving-related problems often result from the accumulation of several poorly managed problems, often the result of poor dive buddy skills and/or irresponsible team members. In cases where there are weaker or less experienced team members, and the team is aware of them, dive plans should always be catered to them.

As in all other forms of team diving, exploring a cave requires that divers stay together, regularly reference each other, and are always prepared to assist each other with difficulties before they become problems. Members of a dive team can easily stay together by remaining attentive to each other’s position throughout the dive and frequently referencing each other’s location.

Team separation, a common component of diving emergencies and diver fatalities, is almost always the result of carelessness. Astute cave divers will rarely, if ever, become separated from other team members. This is an important skill to cultivate because, unlike in the open water where divers can go to the surface to look for a team member, in a cave they cannot do so, forcing them to shoulder all the associated risks and stresses of unwillingly diving solo. Good diver awareness and proper diving procedures should prevent this from occurring.

In cave environments, the use of powerful underwater lights promotes team unity and communication. These lights make it much easier for team members to stay together and to communicate with each other. Divers can move through the water referencing one another on a regular basis, and passing the light across another team member’s visual field (not directly in their face) can provide them with a constant source of reference. Divers who make it easy for others to stay with them will enjoy much greater team support and comfort. Alternatively, divers

PHOTO KIRILL EGOROV

Advanced cave diving techniques involve the use of scooters and stages.

“

As in all other forms of team diving, exploring a cave requires that divers stay together, regularly reference each other, and are always prepared to assist each other with difficulties before they become problems.

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A school of blue knifefish (Labracoglossa nitida).

This is a native spieces in theese waters.

PHOTO KIRILL EGOROV

who are not careful to encourage unity by promoting easy—and therefore regular—communication develop bad diving habits and endanger their entire team.

Of course, it is always possible to dive alone; however, team diving with competent companions is safer and far more rewarding. Dive teams can relay important information to each other regarding individual diving technique, point out features that others may miss, prevent trouble before it occurs, and assist in emergency situations. Individuals who view team diving in a negative light have likely never enjoyed the benefits of a good dive partner. Furthermore, these individuals artificially limit diving fun and safety.

Streamlining

Streamlining is a key component of GUE diving procedures and an integral part of safe and enjoyable cave diving. Streamlining helps minimize divers’ overall surface area and their associated in-water drag. In the case of a gear-intensive activity like cave diving—one that also requires 74

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in-water precision and efficiency—streamlining not only promotes ease of movement through the water but also reduces effort and stress, thereby contributing to safe, skillful, and comfortable cave diving. By reducing a diver’s profile in the water, streamlining techniques also reduce the risk of entrapment or entanglement.

Divers can rethink equipment options—not only from the vantage point of redundancy and safety but also from that of decreased drag—in a variety of ways, including the elimination of the following: waist and cylinder-mounted reels, bulky buoyancy compensators (BCs), consoles, dangling waist and chest pouches, errant hose routings, as well as other cumbersome equipment choices. This line of reasoning presents cave divers with two alternatives; they can either streamline their equipment, reduce what drag it produces, and move safely and comfortably through the cave environment, or they can maintain a set of equipment choices that will force them to expend enormous amounts of energy to move through the water. These poor choices

Selecting equipment with low PHOTO MICHAEL LEWINGTON drag combined with proper diving techniques promotes a streamlined profile.

also subject these divers to unnecessary stress, putting them at greater risk than necessary.

GUE EQUIPMENT

The Fundamentals of Better Diving delineates the key elements that contribute to a safe and enjoyable dive. The book discusses how GUE equipment configurations are almost identical across a wide range of diving environments and that to adjust for specific applications, GUE divers merely need to add appropriate safety equipment to their GUE equipment foundation. There is no reason to rehash the entire discussion here, but it is important to re-examine some of these issues from the specific perspective of cave diving. In what follows, specific equipment issues raised by the cave environment are discussed.

Valves

For cave diving, Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) dual-valve manifolds with isolators are the valves of choice. Isolator manifold systems not only allow cave divers to access their entire

gas supply from either regulator, thereby greatly facilitating gas management, but also allow them in emergencies to isolate the flow of gas between the two cylinders while still maintaining independent access to the gas in each cylinder. The value of having an isolator is clear. If, following contact with the cave ceiling, divers manage to shear off a knob while simultaneously experiencing a leak from either an O-ring or a burst disk, only an isolator will prevent losing the entire gas supply. In such an event, closing the isolator valve will allow divers to isolate their supply and ensure that no more than half of their supply will be lost.

In cave diving, DIN valves are generally preferred, particularly in the case of back gas regulators that are more likely to be damaged by inadvertent contact with the ceiling. In contrast to Yoke systems that are “compressed” O-ring systems, DIN valve systems are “captured” O-ring systems. As such, they provide a better seal and a more robust connection (contact with an overhead may release compressed O-rings).

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PHOTO KIRILL EGOROV

This exercise simulates a complete light failure or total silt-out, forcing the team to exit the cave without visual references.

Regulators

Cave diving requires the use of reliable, high-performance regulators. In all cases, DIN valves are recommended, especially for back gas systems.

Additionally, divers should be aware of the need for streamlined hose routing, for using downstream rather than upstream regulators, and for a backup regulator that will not easily free-flow.

Backup regulators should be held in place below the chin by a neck lanyard. Divers should also be conscious of the connections used to secure stage stainless steel clips to second stage regulators. Cave line is the preferred connection to hold second stage clips used with divers’ long hoses.

Stage bottle second stages do not require a clip, provided at least two retaining bands are in place around the tank. This ensures the second stage can be secured to the bottle when not in use.

Unlike other applications (e.g., recreational open water), cave diving requires the use of a 2 m/7 ft hose. Such hoses facilitate gas sharing through restricted passages—ones that require divers to proceed single file. With a 2 m/7 ft 76

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hose, divers can easily supply an out-of-gas diver with gas while either proceeding down a restrictive passage or while scooter diving. Divers should avoid 1.5 m/5 ft and 3 m/9 ft hoses in these settings—the former are too short for truly confined areas or scooter towing, and the latter are too long to be comfortably managed while not deployed. Read much more about regulators on page 52 in this issue of Quest.

GUE harness, backplate, and BCs

See Quest 23.2 for a thorough discussion on harness, backplate, and buoyancy compensators.

Masks and fins

For cave diving, a low-volume mask is ideal, and though split fins are gaining in popularity with the public, they are not good cave diving fins. A rigid, non-split fin, such as the classic Jet Fin, is a much better cave diving fin because it gives the diver better control over the fin blast, facilitates a greater variety of propulsion techniques, and creates a more powerful thrust.

Lights

In addition to their primary lights, cave divers should carry two backups. Backup lights should be powered by non-rechargeable batteries, should be sufficiently bright to communicate with team members, and should be durable, reliable, and have adequate burn time to exit the cave system in the event of a primary light failure.

In an underwater environment where there is no ambient light, lights are vital pieces of equipment that enable cave divers to orient themselves in the cave, reference guidelines, and communicate with each other. As essential to diving fun and efficiency as reliable lights are, divers must be prepared for the eventuality of failure. A variety of problems, ranging from broken bulbs, switches, and connections to flooded Arrows and cookies Line arrows and cookies are essential compocanisters and tired batteries, could leave divers nents of cave divers’ equipment and should be with insufficient lighting. Unless divers are prepared, they might find themselves literally in the clipped off on a piece of bungee and carried dark and far removed from the entrance. For this in their pockets. Line arrows are navigational markers intended to mark the direction to the reason, cave divers should carry three lights: nearest exit. Arrows are typically used where one primary light and two backups. directional marking is appropriate, such as at a Typically, primary lights are waist-mounted jump where there is no pre-existing line arrow or canister lights with sufficient burn time to last during an emergency exit from a cave system. throughout an intended dive (though cordless handheld lights are currently becoming popular), Use of line arrows in pre-marked cave systems should be done cautiously so as not to confuse with some margin for delays. Canisters should other divers with inappropriate marking. This also be made of break-resistant material. The is because it can erroneously communicate to lighthead should be mounted on a Goodman divers, who may have entered the cave system handle, freeing the hand for other uses (e.g., from another site, that running the reel). the direction marked is The size and brightthe nearest exit (which, ness of divers’ canister Arrows are typically used for them, may not be lights will, of course, where directional marking true). This potential for depend on the kinds of is appropriate, such as at a directional error should cave dives they intend jump where there is no prealso encourage divers to on doing. Before the avoid trusting currently advent of high-intenexisting line arrow or during placed markers. sity discharge (HID) an emergency exit from a To avoid this conlights, the typical cave cave system. fusion, divers can use diving primary light cookies as line markers. combined a 14 amp Being non-directional, battery pack with a they can help note position in a cave, set up a 50-watt halogen bulb for a burn time of roughtraverse or circuit, mark the exit side of a jump ly 150 minutes. More modern HID lights offer superior burn time, higher quality lighting, and— or gap, and in some cases, simply provide psychological support without reference to the for the equivalent amount of burn time and nearest exit. brightness—less weight and volume (in and out of the water) than their halogen analogs. Now, Reels and spools LED technology combined with lithium-based Each cave diving team requires one primary reel rechargeable batteries is replacing HID, much that will enable installation of a guideline from like halogen was replaced a few short years the open water to the permanent line. Primary before. The wide range of HID and LED choices reels should be of rugged construction and carry and contingencies provides a variety of options 91-152 m/300-500 ft of line, usually #36 due to appropriate for cave diving.

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repeated wear from multiple uses. These should also facilitate one-handed operation while holding a Goodman-style lighthead.

For jumps and gaps, cave divers should carry spools of rugged material and solid construction (e.g., machined Delrin). These should carry between 24-30 m/80-100 ft of line, usually #24.

Additionally, all cave divers should carry a safety spool made of a solid piece of Delrin with 3045 m/100-150 ft of line, also usually #24.

All stage and decompression bottles should be rigged with stainless steel bolt snaps. Stainless bolt snaps are attached by a piece of onequarter-inch line run under a hose clamp placed halfway down the tank. Divers should always be able to cut jammed or broken clips from their equipment. Therefore, divers should never have metal-to-metal connections on any part of their equipment. All bottles should be permanently marked to reflect their maximum operating depth (MOD), using 3-inch-high letters placed horizontally in the orientation of the tank.

A decompression or stage bottle regulator is fitted with a pressure gauge on a 6-inch hose that is bent back on itself to face the diver; it is held in place at the first stage by bungee cord or cave line. The second stage hose must be octopus length, or 90-100 cm/38-40 inches. When not in use, regulators should be tucked away in an elastic band on the bottle, and the bottle valve closed.

DPVs For short distances or frequent use, spools are more efficient and potentially safer than traditional reels because they cannot jam. This not only makes running a gap or a jump easier but also substantially increases a diver’s chances of finding a lost line or buddy. Long distances are best traveled with a reel that carries sufficient line and facilitates easier retrieval.

Stage/decompression bottles

The terms stage and decompression bottles are often used interchangeably; technically, they represent cylinders used for either decompression or increased bottom time/overhead penetration.

These bottles are practically the same yet display appropriate depth use markings and contain specific mixtures relevant to the desired application. In cave diving, where oxygen decompression bottles are left behind in the spring basin, steel bottles are appropriate. Cave divers with long decompression obligations usually opt for steel bottles because their lower working pressure gives them a greater volume of oxygen for the given pressure. Lighter aluminum bottles are preferred for stages or for use with short deco dives.

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For experienced cave divers, DPVs can be remarkable assets. By enabling them to cover great distances while reducing effort and gas consumption, scooters provide divers with incredible tools to facilitate underwater work or play. The most versatile form of propulsion vehicle is the tow-behind scooter because, unlike its competitors, 1) it breaks the water in front of divers so that they and their gear are somewhat in the slipstream of the scooter, 2) the props are in front of divers where they can be seen, 3) they are very maneuverable, and 4) they facilitate the ability to tow reserve scooters or other equipment.

PHOTO KIRILL EGOROV

Stage and decompression bottles are interchangeable terminologies. They are either used for decompression or to increase the bottom time.

When scooter diving, divers must reconcile strap. This allows divers to be pulled by the their scooter’s speed and power with their front D-ring attachment and not by their arms, ability to return to safety without it, should which further allows divers’ hands to remain it fail. In fact, not only can too much speed relaxed, with only wrist action required to sabotage gas planning, it can also undermine guide the scooter and a finger on the trigger. divers’ ability to accurately plan for a towing The best position for the scooter is where the emergency. Furthermore, too much speed over propeller wash will not hit divers at all. The distance causes comfort and thermal probbest handle position is riding with the scooter lems for divers, navigation problems for cave out in front, the arm extended but relaxed, the diving, and breathing discomfort/free-flowing hand resting on the handle. regulators. Last, since power required for Cave divers will encounter areas that do speed rises exponot allow for continued use nentially and drag of a DPV. This requires that The best handle position is rises exponentially scooters be left behind. Prowith speed, there is riding with the scooter out in tocol for leaving scooters in a point of diminishthe water includes deactifront, the arm extended but ing returns where vating the scooter by using relaxed, the hand resting on the battery capacia mechanical switch or the handle. ty required to burn pinning the trigger. Observa short time is ing this protocol will reduce prohibitive. the likelihood that a scooter The best method of attaching a scooter is will accidentally activate itself and ruin the visby a tow cord that runs from the scooter han- ibility and/or damage the guideline. This also dles to the front D-ring on the diver’s crotch holds true when towing a second scooter.

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Fully kitted GUE cave divers ready to explore.

Miscellaneous equipment

A full complement of cave equipment will also include: Mandatory: a wrist compass, a diver’s notebook with waterproof paper and appropriate writing utensil (right suit pocket), a set of decompression tables (right suit pocket), a bottom timer, a watch, appropriate exposure suit undergarments (if required), and pockets on the exposure suit.

Dive- or exposure-dependent: a V-weight (if empty bottles or aluminum back gas cylinders will make them excessively buoyant at the end of the dive), a P-valve (for long exposures), double-enders and a tow leash (multiple bottles and/or scooters), a spare mask (at least one per team on long penetrations), knotted line and survey notes (if exploring), and food and hydration (for long decompressions).

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PHOTO KIRILL EGOROV

A holistic system

GUE promotes a holistic diving system that, once embraced, is unrivaled in its ability to promote diver safety and enjoyment. Though minor equipment modifications may exist from one environment to the next, the basic tenets of the system remain identical across all diving applications. Team diving, reliable and good-quality equipment, a streamlined and rationally conceived equipment configuration, as well as sound nutritional and exercise habits all contribute to ensuring safer and more pleasurable dives. Last, by promoting matching gear configurations across dive team members, GUE facilitates efficient problem recognition and resolution. 

Next time: Line fundamentals

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Moby Tek Dive Centre – Pahang, Malaysia  www.moby-tek.com

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