Quest volume 22, No. 3 August 2021 by GUE_Quest

Quest The Journal of Global Underwater Explorers

Vol. 22, No. 3 – August 2021

NEW S ERIES: PHOTO GRAPH ER PORTF OLIO

CCR 2 ENTERS THE WORLD

Possibly GUE’s most challenging course

PANOS ALEXAKOS

Meet one of GUE’s founding fathers and Quest editor emeritus

DEEP DIVE DUBAI

The deepest pool in the world is not a pool

GEAR ESSENTIALS

We trace the origins of the GUE equipment configuration

EDUCATION · CONSERVATION · EXPLORATION · COMMUNITY

Quest · August 2021

EDITOR’S LETTER Welcome to the new Quest!

’ve been a fan of magazines for as long as I can remember. When I was young, my household subscribed to a dozen of them, and I was an eager visitor to the local library, where I literally devoured periodicals about whatever my interest was that particular month. I actually learned more English from studying special interest magazines than I learned in school. Back then, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that someday I would be publishing a magazine myself. Still, after many weird coincidences and turns of events, in 1999, I suddenly occupied the editor’s chair of DYK – the Scandinavian Dive Magazine. I did not have a background in journalism, but I was a dive educator with a knack for communication and a keen eye for typography, and that seemed to be an appropriate mixture of skills. The rest was learning by doing. In 2013, the company that published the Scandinavian dive magazines went out of business. I told myself that I had a good run, but now it was time to do something else. I eventually relocated from my native Denmark to the UAE to work for Deep Dive Dubai. I continued to produce stories for several international dive magazines, and, as a GUE Tech 1 instructor, I have developed GUE training materials and manuals from my new vantage point in Dubai. From this issue, I will be taking over Quest from Panos Alexakos, who has faithfully managed the publication almost from the beginning. Read more about Panos on page 56 in this issue. When I was asked to take over the magazine, I jumped at the opportunity to combine three of my biggest passions: GUE, magazines, and storytelling from the underwater world. This first rebranded issue also represents a new distribution model. Quest has been a printed journal since the the first issue in 1999, and a considerable amount of resources was tied to printing and distribution. As much as I love

physical magazines, I’ve come to realize that we have reached a point where it no longer makes sense. Yes, I also miss record album covers and books, but streaming music from the cloud and e-books are here to stay. It just makes more sense. The carbon footprint of printing, transporting, and eventually burning magazines can’t be justified. The portability of a digital magazine, the fact that it is published and made available to everyone simultaneously, and the opportunity to embed rich media and hyperlinks in the articles will provide Quest with new functionalities. We will, however, preserve the look and feel of a proper printed magazine, and the platform we have chosen presents Quest in the best possible way. It is designed to be enjoyed on big screens such as desktops, laptops, or tablets. You can still read it on mobile devices, but that will require more scrolling and zooming. Quest is a journal for GUE members, and I want you to feel that it is your magazine. I look forward to your ideas, feedback, and constructive criticism. Dive safe and have fun! Jesper Kjøller Editor-in-Chief jk@gue.com

August 2021 · Quest

Quest The Journal of Global Underwater Explorers

Vol. 22, No. 3 · August 2021

Editor-in-chief // Jesper Kjøller

Editorial panel

// Michael Menduno // Amanda White

Design and layout // Jesper Kjøller

Copy editing

// Pat Jablonski // Kady Smith // Nic Haylett // Catherine Taber-Olensky

Contributing writers

// Kees Beemster Leverenz // Guy Shockey // Chris Hart // Dan MacKay // Jarrod Jablonski // Panos Alexakos // John Kendall

Contributing photographers

// Derk Remmers // Alexandra Graziano // Jesper Kjøller // Julian Mühlenhaus // SJ Alice Bennett // Naim Chidiac // Gerry Blaksley 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

Quest · August 2021

IN THIS ISSUE CCR 2 ENTERS THE WORLD

Much has been written of the genesis of the GUE CCR program and where it fits into the bigger picture, but now that the program is fully fleshed out, it is time to take a look at the course in more detail.

PROVISIONAL – NEVER GIVE UP!

The provisional rating is unique to GUE, and it is there for a reason. The trick is to embrace the provisional endorsement and to see it as an opportunity for growth.

PORTFOLIO – SJ ALICE BENNETT

DEEP DIVE DUBAI

SONS OF THE DESERT

With a background in event and documentary photography, SJ has a passion for creating images that tell a story. She is striving towards capturing a different angle of underwater cave systems. The recent launch of Deep Dive Dubai completely changes the landscape of the deep diving pools. Never has an indoor diving facility provided so many compelling reasons to visit. How did Jarrod Jablonski and Richard Lundgren become involved in Deep Dive Dubai?

IT THE FINS FIT, WEAR ‘EM!

EQUIPMENT ESSENTIALS

PORTRAIT OF PANOS

How do you find a fin that fits you? GUE Instructor Kees Beemster Leverenz did a survey and some number crunching to provide the data that might be the help you need. GUE’s equipment configuration provides an important means in support of GUE’s broader goals. In service of this unique importance, we are highlighting the details of the configuration in a series of articles. We will begin with the beginning. Meet one of GUE’s founding fathers, Panos Alexakos, hear the story of his integral role in creating the GUE standards, and his 20-year tenure running Quest.

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56 36

COVER DERK REMMERS

August 2021 · Quest

CCR LEVEL 2

ENTERS THE WORLD TEXT GUY SHOCKEY PHOTOS JESPER KJØLLER

Quest · August 2021

- GUE’S MOST CHALLENGING CLASS TO DATE?

Last year GUE updated the CCR Level 1 program and released the much-anticipated CCR Level 2 program. These two programs are the brainchild of Richard Lundgren and represent literally thousands of hours of work in both the field, the classroom, the computer lab, and even a hyperbaric chamber! There has been much written of the genesis of the GUE CCR program and where we saw it fitting into the bigger picture, but now that the program is fully fleshed out, it is time to take a look at the classes in more detail.

he first beta test of the GUE CCR course was taught to six GUE Tech 2 instructors in Florida in 2013. We believed that this would be a group who could cast a critical eye on the program and offer feedback and suggestions in a collegial atmosphere. I was lucky enough to be a member of this course and the only instructor present who had no previous CCR experience. In some ways I think I was the “crash test dummy” because if I could do it, then it was likely others could also! After that, we released the program to Tech 2 divers with the later intent of allowing Tech 1 divers with significant experience to also take the course. We entered into this training program conservatively and cautiously, and we were prepared to cancel it at any time if it didn’t look like it was workable. GUE has a long history of being conservative when it comes to our diver safety, and this was our way of continuing with this tradition in the CCR world.

Complete rewrite

The original course allowed for our graduates to gradually move into the T1 range after satisfying experiential requirements, and because all the students were T2 level divers, it is not surprising that many of them ended up gradually diving in the T2 range also. The standards and course materials were clear about the limits though, so we worked as quickly as possible to provide the level 2 course so that our CCR divers would not be diving outside the course standards. We were approached regularly with requests for level 2 CCR training, but we did not want to release anything until it was synced perfectly with the level 1 program, and both programs required significant reworking to make that happen. With the release of CCR Level 1 and CCR Level 2 programs in 2019, GUE has firmly placed itself once again at the forefront of dive training. In short, the materials are remarkable! They are polished and professional, and the supporting materials are world class. There is no other CCR program in the world that is as complete as ours. When you think about de-

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August 2021 · Quest

signing a class, you may think “how hard could it be?” until you realize that the entire process of design has to be integrated from top to bottom and also supported by new GUE standards written for the programs. Then the programs have to be tested, reviewed, edited, and… “rinse and repeat”.

Pent-up demand

It’s not as simple as just looking at what else was available and throwing our GUE slant on it. This was a new program developed from the ground up and intended to seamlessly integrate with all the rest of our GUE training. Even course progression diagrams found in other courses had to be updated. It was a monumental undertaking and represented thousands of hours of effort from Richard Lundgren and his core working group. The standards and training limits for the level 1 program are the same as they were for the first iteration of the course. After successfully passing CCR Level 1 and then satisfying postourse specific requirements, the CCR Level 1

COURSE FLOW CHART Recreational Diver Fundamentals

Tech Endorsement Technical Diver 1

CCR 1 CCR 2

Technical Diver 2 PCSR

Quest · August 2021

diver will be certified to what are essentially GUE T1 limits. Then after satisfying more experiential requirements, the CCR 1 diver will be able to register for CCR Level 2, where the limits are similar to our Tech 2 limits. This is no different than what existed prior, except we didn’t have the level 2 course available. We anticipated a lot of pent-up demand for the level 2 program and so far the interest level has met expectations. One of the biggest changes to the Level 1 program was to make it available to Tech 1 divers who had experience at the Tech 1 level. Based on our experience with delivering the initial CCR program, we believed that an experienced Tech 1 diver would have the skills needed to be successful with the more refined CCR Level 1 program. We also believed that the Level 2 CCR program would gradually supersede the existing open-circuit Tech 2 program and we didn’t see the utility in forcing our future explorers to take expensive and time-consuming training that could be contained within the outline of CCR Level 2. There are certainly specific skills that were found in the OC Tech 2 program that needed to be mastered, but it seemed to make more sense to master them in the environment and with the equipment that they would be diving with.

New skills

Why should a highly skilled GUE Tech 2 OC diver with existing experience on their CCR chose to take level 2 CCR training? What is the value to them for doing this? Consider what we are trying to achieve with the level 2 course: given that the CCR 1 class was basically limited to a user class with little challenges or failures at all, we are essentially training a diver to dive to 75 m/245 ft on a CCR, and this has multiple implications, some of which are not obvious at the start. First, we are introducing many more new skills than are introduced in a T2 class. This includes 15 new CCR skills and five bailout skills, as well as introducing SCR operations. Then, like T2, we introduce our level 2 students to our hypoxic gas protocols, but in this case, there are some significant additions. In the case of a CCR using hypoxic diluent, hypoxia awareness needs to be there from

We are introducing many more new skills than are introduced in a T2 class. This includes 15 new CCR skills and five bailout skills, as well as introducing SCR operations.

The GUE Level 2 CCR diver must be able to handle multiple stages, both when on the loop and after a bailout to open circuit.

August 2021 · Quest

day one, but also there are some considerations for using hypoxic gases when it comes to bailout. Second, they must also demonstrate capacity as an OC diver in the event of a bailout from 75 m/245 ft, where they are once again an open-circuit diver who must manage their open-circuit ascent and associated bottle rotations on the way home. Essentially then, we need to add significant OC training on top of already detailed CCR training. Then we need to prepare them for extended durations on the CCR, and this can mean supplementing on-board gases with offboard gases, particularly in the event of on-board gas failures. Which then leads to having to review OC failures…

The checklist sticker introduced during GUE CCR 1 has been redesigned to encompass the ACE principle for calculating scrubber endurance.

ACE in the hole

Quest · August 2021

PHOTO JOE DIVER

Dismember a mouse and then regurgitate parts of it on the family room floor get scared.

During the development of the CCR Level 2 program, Richard Lundgren conducted tests in a decompression chamber to verify the controller’s default setpoint in case of a failure.

Essentially then, we need to add significant OC training on top of already detailed CCR training.

The GUE Level 2 CCR diver is optimally prepared for exploration and adventure.

GUE CCR LEVEL 2 FACTS

GUE’s Closed-Circuit Rebreather Diver Level 2 course is intended to develop GUE CCR Level 1 skills by gradually building diver skill and knowledge regarding closed-circuit diving. The course is also designed to extend diver capacity for challenges in a comfortable learning environment by emphasizing a higher degree of physical fitness, as well as a deeper understanding of the management, maintenance procedures, and protocols of the closed circuit rebreather. WHO IS IT FOR? CCR Level 2 is intended for graduates of the GUE CCR Level 1 course who wish to further their knowledge and understanding of advanced CCR diving in more demanding environments. Students of this class wish to enhance their capacity of CCR diving within the GUE system. Applicants must have completed at least 50

non-training closed-circuit rebreather dives beyond GUE CCR Level 1 certification and furthermore have completed at least 25 non-training closed-circuit rebreather dives beyond GUE CCR Level 1 certification, deeper than 100 ft/30 m. They also must own a GUE-approved closed-circuit rebreather. WHAT WILL YOU LEARN? Course outcomes include, but are not limited to: a competent and comfortable rebreather diver with solid personal and team skills, robust knowledge of rebreather functions, operation, and failures; competent performing deep bailout to open circuit, including ascent protocol involving gas switches, rotations, and loss of decompression gases; and a diver that can plan aggressive technical dive missions including, gas, absorbent canister endurance, oxygen toxicity management and decompression strategies. August 2021 · Quest

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Given the extended durations of CCR 2 dives, it becomes prudent to examine more sophisticated CCR failure resolutions where bailing out to OC is not actually the best choice in dealing with a problem. Given that CCR 2 was now the follow-on course for CCR 1, we had to add the OC component to the course because our new CCR 1 graduates would not have any training in bottle rotations, hypoxic protocol, or ever have done an OC ascent from T2 depths. Finally, we are introducing the “ACE” concept, or “Absorbent Cannister Endurance” calculation. This is something new developed by Richard Lundgren and seriously cutting-edge work in the CCR world. Up to this course, divers have been using the CE test data to calculate the safe duration of the scrubber material, which has been limited by the restrictions of the test itself. Now the level 2 diver will be shown how to calculate their own ACE and use it to be able to complete deeper dives of longer duration. Informally, I have posed some level 2 scenario problems to some of our local CCR divers, and so far, in subsequent discussion, every single individual has answered “I never thought of that.” This suggests to me that there is significant value in our new level 2 training!

Most challenging class

I believe CCR 2 is the most challenging class in the GUE curriculum. It is thoughtful and engaging while also full of so much information that it requires significant pre-study to prepare for intelligent discussion during the class sessions itself. I daresay that every GUE diver will find themselves challenged to the level of their capacity in this program and will come away with a newfound appreciation and respect for diving deeper with a CCR. 

Quest · August 2021

GUE CCR Level 2 divers will gain an unprecendented knowledge and understanding of the CCR and its operation in a vast range of applications.

The “ACE” concept or “Absorbent Cannister Endurance” calculation, is something new developed by Richard Lundgren and seriously cutting-edge work in the CCR world.

Guy Shockey Guy Shockey lives on Vancouver Island, Canada, about two minutes from the ocean. He is an ex-military officer and holds a graduate degree in political science. He has played competitive rugby for several years. Guy travels and dives extensively and is involved with several wreck exploration projects, including ongoing work with the Underwater Archaeology Society of British Columbia. He is also a GUE Instructor Evaluator, teaching all the technical classes, including the CCR curriculum. He is also actively working with new instructor candidates and supporting local GUE communities.

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Current GUE CCR Level 1 and Level 2 Instructors • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Antonio Bresciani (Level 1) Bob Sherwood (Level 1) Derk Remmers (Level 2) Graham Blackmore (Level 2) Gunnar Midtgaard (Level 2) Guy Shockey (Level 2) Hui Jin (Level 1) Jarrod Jablonski (Level 2) John Kendall (Level 2) JP Bresser (Level 1) Karim Hamza (Level 2) Kirill Egorov (Level 2, IE) Kyungsoo Kim (Level 1) Richard Lundgren (Level 2, IE) Richard Walker (Level 1) Sameh Sokar (Level 1) Stefano Di Cosimo (Level 2)

This was a new program developed from the ground up and intended to seamlessly integrate with all the rest of our GUE training.

Read more about the individual instructors  And review scheduled CCR classes  CCR instructor training in progress.

Quest · August 2021

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR DIVING

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Available in English, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean.

August 2021 · Quest

People learn at different speeds, and sometimes the standard course duration is not enough to get everybody across the finish line. 16

Quest · August 2021

– Never give up!

TEXT CHRIS HART PHOTOS ALEXANDRA GRAZIANO

Anyone that has taken a GUE course knows that the instructor has the option of assigning a provisional rating to a student that needs a little more training in order to pass a course. The provisional rating is unique to GUE, and it is there for a reason. Chris Hart has learned to embrace the provisional endorsement and to see it as an opportunity for growth. Provisional Providing or serving for the time being only; existing only until permanently or properly replaced; temporary.

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A strong dive community is a great environment to grow and develop as a diver with a provisional rating.

earing that P-word from your agencies. According to GUE’s website, “A proviinstructor’s debrief can be sional rating means that you didn’t fail a course, heartbreaking. Some have but you still have skills to work on before you are had the pleasure of cruising evaluated as ‘Pass,’ and are eligible for official through Global Underwater GUE certification. Any Active status GUE instrucExplorers (GUE) courses with- tor in the appropriate curriculum can conduct out ever having that dreaded an upgrade evaluation. The time and fees assoverdict enter and reverberate ciated with provisional upgrades through their eardrums. On are entirely at the discretion of With a provisional the other hand, many of us the instructor; however, HQ does rating on their have—myself included—and requires you to pay for course it can be gut-wrenching. The journey, an instructor registration again if the time work put in, the stress ensince the original course has excan now empathize dured, and the investment of ceeded 6 months, but a discount with a student time and money spent to get is available.” who may need to the next level in our orgaThis process is one of the rearemediation. nization are extensive, and in sons why some seek out GUE in spite of all that, a provisional the first place. At the same time, rating is always a possibility. it is also why others steer clear. The rating itself sets us The possibility of a provisional apart from other sport diving rating requires students to check

Quest · August 2021

Knowing I have instructors and community members who care about my progress and well-being continues to bring me back.

their ego at the door. Loss crushes dreams: it can seep into one’s psyche as it humiliates, causes one to second-guess their resolve, and leads one to question the very goals that brought them to the task in the first place. It can also be thrilling to talk about amongst others in rumor mills and tight circles, especially in a group of highly trained A-type personalities—failure is a source of fear. However, overcoming one’s downfalls can be a great equalizer. With a provisional rating on their journey, an instructor can now empathize with a student who may need remediation. In turn, a team can grow, a community can embrace, and the internal communication window can be proverbially wide open. With that said, nothing else should matter except one’s willingness to succeed. As U.S. Navy Seal and Admiral William H. McRaven put it, “If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not by the size of their fins.” The willingness to fall forward, embrace “the suck,” and never quit is what sets those of us in GUE apart from the average dive organization. I, for one, can understand what it feels like to receive a provisional rating during a debrief. It has happened twice so far in my training career,

FACT FILE – GUE Standards 9.2

At the completion of GUE training, instructors must decide whether the trainee: a. Has met the minimum standard required to be certified to pursue the type of diving for which they sought training. (In order to meet this requirement, the trainee has to be awarded a grade 3 or above on every individual skill and has to pass the final exam, swim test, and breath hold test.) b. Is just short of the minimum standard required to be certified to pursue the type of diving for which they sought training. c. Requires significant work to meet the minimum standards for the class. These assessments take the form of: a. Certification b. Provisional Certification c. Failure Provisional certifications do not represent any form of GUE accreditation and must be upgraded within six months or the trainee must repeat training. Any active status GUE instructor in the appropriate curriculum can conduct an upgrade evaluation. Additional time and course fees associated with provisional upgrades are entirely at the discretion of the instructor.

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August 2021 · Quest

Take my advice: don’t quit. Keep going and reach out to your local community for help.

and it might even happen again. However, our collective commitment to excellence is what continues to drive me forward to progress and bring new divers into our community. Knowing I have instructors and community members who care about my progress and well-being continues to bring me back. My personal team name might be “Fatigue”–because you cannot spell fatigue without GUE.

The missing link

With that said, the provisional rating bolsters the team dynamic for which GUE is known. Our very ethos and evolution are rooted in the belief that teamwork is the bedrock of everything we do in diving—whether building a community or planning exploratory dive expeditions. The new diver coming into our training pipeline should understand that the success of the entire team depends on individuals’ mastery of certain required skill sets before embarking on a planned dive. Each member of the team relies on every other team member to provide the missing link 20

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needed in the unified team. Most successful operations rely on this same understanding. It could be special operations military units or Fortune 500 companies—both require a culture of synergy, teamwork, and unified goals that mitigates risk. That mindset enables us to enjoy the dives and expeditions we plan together. As a growing organization, Gareth Lock has taught us that psychological safety is necessary to discuss failure and pain points within our teams and communities; it is paramount for us to grow and learn. This ethos of psychological safety gives the comfort that a teammate is never left behind. It is also why GUE is only as strong as its weakest member: Anyone can “thumb” a dive. The team recites GUE EDGE and commits to diving as a team because we fundamentally care about each other.

Don’t quit

Nevertheless, while accepting the reality of a provisional rating isn’t easy, the rating sets the next generation of underwater explorers up for

Any Active status GUE instructor in the appropriate curriculum can conduct an upgrade evaluation.

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A provisional rating can be regarded as a learner’s permit, but it requires a constructive and positive mindset to develop the weaknesses.

success. The ability to adapt and overcome adversity pioneers the way for future projects like Mars the Magnificent, cave exploration, Project Baseline data collection, and sustainable science. The provisional rating also creates a sense of ownership of one’s credentials, and the pursuit of mastery builds the confidence needed to progress to the next level. I think our successes and failures should build upon one another to amplify what can be achieved as GUE moves forward as an organization, community, and team. Writing

Chris Hart

Quest · August 2021

this article also reminds me of the Voltaire quote, “Perfection is the enemy of the good.” You should never let your desire for perfection keep you from completing something that is good. To complete something like a Fundamentals or Cave 1 course—even imperfectly—is to learn, practice, and get closer to perfection. Furthermore, suppose you find yourself—like many of us—with a provisional rating. Take my advice: don’t quit. Keep going and reach out to your local community for help. It is up to all of us to continue this revolutionary system of underwater education. 

Chris Hart currently serves as the Illinois Public Affairs Officer for the USDA and Owner of Hart Divers International, LLC. He is a ten-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, a U.S. Navy Certified Academic Instructor, RAID Open Circuit Instructor, PADI MSDT, and DAN Instructor who joined GUE as a member in 2015. He is currently spending most of his dive time as a GUE Recreational Intern and

serves on the Board of Directors for the Midwest Underwater Explorers (MWUE) Community. Chris holds a B.S. in Criminology and Forensic Psychology from Nova Southeastern University and an M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications from West Virginia University.

SJ ALICE BENNETT F

LURKING IN THE SHADOWS

or more than three years, SJ Alice Bennett has been striving towards capturing a different angle of underwater cave systems. With a background in event and documentary photography, SJ has a passion for creating images that tell a story. Images that allow the viewer to relive the moment of capture, as it was experienced. Originally from the UK but brought up in Berlin, Germany, SJ has had a camera in her hands since the age of 10. With an education in communication and graphic design as well as visual and motion design, always with a focus on photography, it was only natural for her to combine those skill sets with her passion for diving when moving to Thailand in 2012. Even before getting cave certified in 2013, she knew

TITLE Patience LOCATION Naharon, Tulum, Mexico, 2019 CAMERA Sony a7S ii LENS FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM EXPOSURE 1/160 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 4000 LIGHTS 1 x 15k lumen and 1 x 30k lumen Big Blue Dive Lights COMMENTS In the very dark cavern area of Cenote Naharon while patiently waiting for another team to tie into the mainline, we took the opportunity to take some photos. 24

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she would be taking her camera into the caves. SJ moved to Mexico briefly in 2015 to refine her cave diving and underwater photography skills, and in 2017 settled in Tulum, Mexico, full-time. She works as a full-time freelancer offering land and underwater photography, print and digital design services, brand development, and event design to businesses around the globe. When SJ is shooting in extensive underwater cave systems, she aims to capture the otherworldly beauty and the raw emotion of these unique environments. She feels it is important to draw awareness to these amazing places that only a few are privileged enough to see first-hand. Through her images, she hopes to inspire and draw attention to the need to protect these stunning locations.

www.sjalicebennett.com

TITLE The Blue Abyss LOCATION Nohoch Nah Chich, Tulum, Mexico, 2019 CAMERA Sony a7S ii LENS FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM EXPOSURE 1/125 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 25600

LIGHTS 2 x 15k lumen and 1 x 30k lumen Big Blue Dive Lights COMMENTS The 2020 GUE photo of the year is taken in one of the deeper parts of Sac Actun. It’s about a 60minute scooter ride through massive but shallow passages and then a 20-

minute swim through smaller passages which end when the floor seems to drop out and the Blue Abyss opens up. Nelly and Roger, the divers in this photo, are at around the 15 and 30 m/50 and 100 ft levels with the cave sloping down to about 70 m/230 ft to a small sidemount restriction.

TITLE Tying In LOCATION Mayan Blue, Tulum, Mexico, 2019 CAMERA Sony a7S ii LENS FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM EXPOSURE 1/125 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 2500 LIGHTS 2x15k lumen and 1x30k lumen Big Blue Dive Lights COMMENTS Winner of UPY’s Up and Coming and Most Promising British Underwater Photographer 2021. Taken during cave training and after multiple real-life equipment failures, plans needed to be adjusted, and this a lucky planned-but-unplanned shoot. August 2021 · Quest

TITLE Spindly Pillar LOCATION Nohoch Nah Chich, Tulum, Mexico, 2018 CAMERA Sony a7S ii LENS FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM EXPOSURE 1/80 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 12800 LIGHTS 2 x 15k lumen Big Blue Dive Lights

COMMENTS Taken on the Parker Line when entering from Cenote Nohotch, which is such a beautiful part of the longest underwater cave system in the world, Sistema Sac Actun. This particular area is highly decorated and very shallow, which allows for long bottom times with plenty of time to take photos.

TITLE Peacock Springs LOCATION Peacock Springs, Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park, Florida, 2019 CAMERA Sony a7S ii LENS FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM EXPOSURE 1/125 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 25600 LIGHTS 1 x 15k lumen and 1 x 30k lumen Big Blue Dive Lights COMMENTS Peacock Springs is often overlooked as “just” a training site. But its beautiful tunnels with many carved out pillars are so interesting and beautiful to photograph. It is also one of the few caves in Florida without any substantial flow. 26

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TITLE Fathoms Deep LOCATION Mayan Blue, Tulum, Mexico, 2019 CAMERA Sony a7S ii LENS FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM EXPOSURE 1/160 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 25600 LIGHTS 2 x 15k lumen and 1 x 30k lumen Big Blue Dive Lights COMMENTS From a shoot for Fathom Dive Systems, two CCR divers swim above and below the halocline with percolation from previous divers creating hazy effects above it.

TITLE Downstream LOCATION Nohoch Nah Chich, Tulum, Mexico, 2021 CAMERA Sony a7S ii LENS FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM EXPOSURE 1/100 sec @ f/2.8, ISO 2000 LIGHTS 1 x 30k lumen Big Blue Dive Lights

COMMENTS Downstream Nohotch is quite a small and shallow part of the system. This is where I started my cave photography journey in 2015, and it was nice to return to it for the first time in five years for a shoot in May 2021.

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DEEP DIV The deepest pool in the world is not a pool

DEEP POOLS ARE NOT A NEW IDEA. THERE ARE A FEW OF THEM IN EUROPE ALREADY, AND THEY OFFER DIVERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN OR TO ENJOY DEEPER DIVES IN A CONTROLLED AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT. EXCITING AS THESE SPOTS ARE, THEY ARE STILL ESSENTIALLY SWIMMING POOLS WITH CHLORINATED WATER AND WHITE SQUARE TILES. THE RECENT LAUNCH OF DEEP DIVE DUBAI COMPLETELY CHANGES THE LANDSCAPE. NEVER HAS AN INDOOR DIVING FACILITY PROVIDED SO MANY COMPELLING REASONS TO VISIT.

Quest · August 2021

VE DUBAI

TEXT JESPER KJØLLER PHOTOS JESPER KJØLLER, NAIM CHIDIAC & GERRY BLAKSLEY

PHOTO GERRY BLAKSLEY

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ubai has a tradition for creating attractions and facilities that result from out-of-the-box thinking. As an example, the desert-bound Emirate obviously does not have any alpine skiing opportunities. So, Ski Dubai— an indoor ski slope—was developed. There were no safe road cycling opportunities, so over 200 km/145 mi of dedicated cycling tracks were built. Dubai also boasts an opera house and a Ferris wheel larger than London Eye, not to mention the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. Dubai also has one of the most impressive and popular skydiving facilities globally and the world’s longest urban zipline. The examples of these “only in Dubai” wonders are endless, and they keep coming.  The Persian Gulf is a sandy and shallow basin and does not offer the most exciting diving, so in order to provide divers with reliable training opportunities, a 60 meter/196 feet pool was proposed as a new addition to the list of Dubai wonders. But, true to the Emirates’ inclination for extraordinary endeavors, the creators of Deep Dive Dubai decided to develop the idea a little further and give this project a unique Dubai spin.

Metropolis

A 60 m/196 ft pool could have quickly become a somewhat dull and sterile environment unless a more creative approach were adopted. Numerous international design teams and professional theming companies explored ideas for something that would be unique and marvelous. The development team was expanded to include aquatic pioneer and GUE founder Jarrod Jablonski. The design team wanted something that could engage a sense of fun, intrigue, and fantasy while recognizing the important role diving has played in the history of the UAE. Recalling the importance of pearl diving in the development of both the region and international trade, Deep Dive Dubai was designed in the shape of an oyster. The pearl diving profession was once an essential trade for Dubai until Japan introduced industrial pearls some hundred years ago and strangled the pearling industry. Many Emirati families can trace their ancestry to a time when they were involved in the pearl trade. The design team finally landed on the idea of a sunken city, providing a surreal diving environment and nearly endless opportunities to develop unique and interactive spaces with the ability to change parts of the facility to keep the environment fresh and engaging.  Recalling the importance of pearl diving in the region, Deep Dive Dubai was designed in the shape of an oyster.

PHOTO NAIM CHIDIAC

Quest · August 2021

It is anybody’s guess what happened here. Did the entire city sink? Did a natural disaster cause it to be flooded? An earthquake, perhaps? Or is it possibly a model of a human city in a parallel universe?

PHOTO JESPER KJØLLER

The bookshelves in the library shaft are filled with volumes of classic literature. Take a close look, and you will find your favorite author or novel. August 2021 · Quest

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PHOTOS JESPER KJØLLER

Divers will find exciting functional features all over the pool. The props will be rearranged and replaced to keep the spaces engaging and fun. The vast space in the pool offers many surprises and details, and it is impossible to explore it all in just one dive.

Quest · August 2021

Deep Dive Dubai is themed as a submerged insulating the complex from the sunlight. This metropolis intact with iconic city furniture such will allow the advanced light system to create as lampposts, shopping carts, bicycles, billdifferent settings or even simulate a night dive boards, ATMs, trash cans, phone booths and fire experience in broad daylight. Multiple hydroescape ladders, among other everyday objects phones connected to an advanced sound sysfrom a modern metropolis. You get the picture. tem allow for playback of music, soundscapes, But you will not only be diving amongst urban or verbal diver recall in an emergency. The artifacts. After an unknown post-apocalyptic possibilities for creating underwater sensory incident eroded the city’s walls, you can explore experiences with light and sound are endless. a fully furnished apartment. The different rooms Spectator sport in the apartment are decorated with iconic artDivers who always wished they could share their work on the walls, furniture, and toys. There is diving experience with a non-diving friend or also a workshop with cars, motorbikes, arcade loved one have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to do games, and much more.  just that. From the surface down to 12 m/40 ft, It is anybody’s guess what happened here. viewers can watch divers traverse the first two Did the entire city sink? Did a natural disaster floors of their adventure below cause it to be flooded? An the dive deck. Visiting divers’ earthquake, perhaps? Or is it Oyster shell. friends and family can also enjoy possibly a model of a human a delicious meal or fine refreshcity in a parallel universe? An Spaceship. ments in the spacious restaurant enormous tree with roots that Metropolis. while they relax and enjoy the stretch deep down, almost from The metaphors view inside the pool through vast the surface, adds to the mystery are mixed, but glass windows. Deep Dive Dubai and implies a nature takeover. the mystery will will have managed to turn diving Mixed metaphors  into a spectator sport. The pool definitely spark your The outside of the building—inis also covered by 56 cameras imagination.  spired by a giant oyster shell— serving a threefold purpose: the and the diving environment video feed can be shared on resembling a sunken city are linked together by large monitors that are situated throughout. This the décor inside the impressive three-story fafeed is also projected to the dive control station cility surrounding the 60 m/196 ft shaft. The in- where the dive supervisor monitors all areas terior design of the dry areas is reminiscent of inside the pool for safety. A video capturing the a spaceship from a 1970s science-fiction mov- visitor experience can be edited and shared with ie with flowing organic lines forged in the 3D the guests after their visit.  printed walls, clean white interiors, and open Research  spaces. Imagine a flying saucer shaped like a While on the subject of safety, conservative giant oyster shell landed on top of a block of ratios between guides/instructors and guests/ Manhattan after a natural disaster flooded the neighborhood. Oyster shell. Spaceship. Metrop- students and the cameras covering all angles olis. The metaphors are mixed, but the mystery of the huge body of water ensure a safe experience. Deep Dive Dubai also provides ideal divwill definitely spark your imagination. Divers ing gases to optimize safety: nitrox for shallow exploring the underwater environment in Deep dives and trimix for deeper dives. A multinaDive Dubai will marvel at the enigma, and it is tional team of handpicked dive professionals, impossible not to speculate what really hapincluding instructor trainers from GUE and PADI pened here.  as well as record-holding freedivers and techAdding to the mood and atmosphere, the nical divers, are on staff. The controlled and diving facility’s curtains can cover the gigantic predictable environment delivers the optimal window panels and the skylights in the roof,

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The occupants apparently had to abandon their living space in a hurry, leaving magazines and a box of popcorn at the coffee table. The TV is still on, and the living room is decorated with posters of iconic movie stars.

PHOTO JESPER KJØLLER

setting for people of all experience levels—from first-time scuba and freedivers to those seeking one of the world’s most unique diving experiences. Even high-end technical divers and freediving athletes will find the experience rewarding. From fun-filled dives to focused training, there is something here for everyone. Divers can even enter underwater habitats at 21 m/60 ft and 6 m/20 ft while talking to one another and looking out large windows into the pool. They can use the habitats for fun, training, or decompression. These habitats resemble commercial diving bells and can be supplied with different gases from the surface as needed. Display monitors and surface communication devices enhance the unique experience, offering diving support or to provide even greater safety. 34

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Deep Dive Dubai also houses the largest hyperbaric chamber in the MENA region. Most decompression chambers are small and uncomfortable tubes that only allow for one or two patients and a tender to be inside during the recompression therapy. The centerpiece in the hyperbaric facility in Deep Dive Dubai is a modern, fully automated 10-person multi-station chamber with comfortable chairs, an entertainment system, and even a full-size bathroom cabin.  Having easy access to a modern and advanced hyperbaric facility provides another level of safety and opens interesting scientific research possibilities. The unique combination of a hyperbaric chamber and a 60-meter dive facility under the same roof will provide the perfect platform for medical research in diving physiology and related areas of interest. Deep

The rooms in the apartment at 30 m/100 ft can be explored within nitrox 32 limits.

Dive Dubai will liaise with international universities, diving physiologists, and Divers Alert Network while exploring unique research projects in diving medicine. There are classrooms for teaching dive courses with windows facing the pool, meeting rooms, and a comfortable 50-seat conference area with a large screen for presentations, seminars, and product launch events. Deep Dive Dubai will offer many exciting possibilities for movie production as one of the largest underwater studios in the world.

Classic literature

We walk down the slope leading into the pool and don our fins on the ramp while clarifying the last details of the dive plan. We are diving open-circuit trimix, and we carry 50% nitrox to

accelerate our deco. The view when we glide out in the middle and look down is breathtaking. I do not have any fear of heights, but I can’t help but feel a slight tinge of vertigo when I look all the way down to the bottom of the shaft. Sixty meters is gloriously deep! We descend all the way down while enjoying the view of the cityscape surrounding us. It is a surreal experience to see all these convincing objects of everyday life in an underwater environment. We arrive at the bottom, and when we look up, we are met with another Deep Dive Dubai signature sight—the circular shaft towering above us with the super bright light in the ceiling of the facility resembling the sun catching our bubbles. We leave the bottom and enjoy the view of the brick walls in the shaft decorated with strange graffiti—the artists were obviously

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Everybody can interact with the divers in the pool through the large windows throughout the facility. PHOTO NAIM CHIDIAC

narced when they created the weird creatures covering the sides. Arriving at 40 m/130 ft, we swim into the donut-shaped garage, where cars, motorbikes, and arcade games are scattered. There is even a full-sized Star Wars Stormtrooper and a pool table. We complete the appartment circuit and ascend the monumental staircase leading to another donut at 30 m/100 ft, where we arrive at the apartment. The occupants apparently had to abandon their living space in a hurry, leaving magazines and a box of popcorn at the coffee table. The TV is still on, and the living room is decorated with posters of iconic movie stars. In the apartment donut, we also pass the music room with the grand piano, the kitchen, the dining room, the bedroom, and the art room. There are so many details to take in, and I realize that it will take many dives to fully explore everything.  The variety of wayfinding lights illuminate many areas while further mood enhancements allow softly lit areas or even areas one can enjoy in total darkness. An entirely new kind of cave diving!  We ascend from the apartment through a library shaft with walls covered by bookshelves filled with timeless literature. We do our gas switch at 21 m/60 ft inside the shaft and begin the decompression portion of the dive while studying the book titles. Shake36

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speare, James Joyce, Jules Verne—all the classics are there. We complete our decompression while exploring the shallower part of the pool, and we wave at the passing spectators outside the windows. Never have 45 minutes of deco stops been less boring!

Guinness World Records

Deep Dive Dubai is, without a doubt, the most impressive diving facility in the world. After your first visit, you will probably struggle to decide the most remarkable part of the experience. Is it the friendly and professional staff? The luxurious surroundings? Or maybe the cutting-edge technology? Perhaps it is the never-ending row of wonderful surprises and details in the theming. When you get the chance to improve your diving skills in a controlled and exciting environment with tips and tricks offered by worldclass diving instructors, you will probably find that even if Deep Dive Dubai is the deepest pool in the world, the record depth—officially verified by Guinness World Records—is maybe the least interesting feature. 

www.deepdivedubai.com Facebook @DeepDiveDubai Instagram @DeepDiveDubai

Freedivers will have a blast in Deep Dive Dubai, the only place in the world to offer training possibilities to 60 m/196 ft in a controlled and predictable environment.

I do not have any fear of heights, but I can’t help but feel a slight tinge of vertigo when I look all the way down to the bottom of the shaft. Sixty meters is gloriously deep!

PHOTO GERRY BLAKSLEY August 2021 · Quest

WHAT ARE JARROD AND RICHARD DOING IN DUBAI? INTERVIEW JOHN KENDALL PHOTOS JESPER KJØLLER & GERRY BLAKSLEY

Quest · August 2021

DEEP DIVE DUBAI IS STAFFED BY LEADING FIGURES FROM GLOBAL UNDERWATER EXPLORERS. AMONG THEM JARROD JABLONSKI AND RICHARD LUNDGREN. GUE INSTRUCTOR JOHN KENDALL CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH JARROD AND RICHARD TO GAIN INSIGHT INTO THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROJECT.

A couple minutes away from Deep Dive Dubai there is desert and camels.

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When the developing team behind Deep Dive Dubai realized that a 60 m/196 ft deep diving facility would require the guidance of someone with extensive knowledge in deep diving and decompression practices, they reached out to GUE Founder and President Jarrod Jablonski. He began consulting on the project and eventually came on board as the director of Deep Dive Dubai. Later, GUE Instructor and board member Richard Lundgren joined together with GUE Vice President Dorota Czerny, Quest Editor-in-Chief and GUE Instructor Jesper Kjøller, and GUE Instructor Dimitris Fifis, who also manages GUE.tv. John Kendall (JK) What was it like to get the phone call initially about the project, and what made you get involved? Jarrod Jablonski (JJ) It was surreal to get the original call. At the time, the whole concept was under wraps, so the secrecy was intriguing. I didn't know much about it until I arrived in Dubai to talk with the team. When I saw that the ideas being thrown around were so interesting and compelling, it didn't take long for me to decide that I needed to be involved. One of the reasons I took it on was that this would be a unique opportunity to reach people in a new way. The pool is a great way of attracting people into a sport I love without the difficulties and hassles of traditional diving locations.

JK What makes Deep Dive Dubai different from other deep pools? JJ In addition to the obvious of being bigger and deeper, it is interesting to dive. I don't want to belittle other pools, as the engineering of building a deep pool is amazing and challenging, so kudos to the people that developed them, but they are still just pools and get boring quite quick. Looking at lots of pool tiles can be pretty dull after a while, so the theme concepts are a big part of what makes Deep Dive Dubai different. We plan on continually developing and changing the theming in the pool to keep it dynamic, even for repeat visitors. Another thing is technology. The cameras and sound system throughout the pool are pretty unique, and then there are the habitats. These are both for safety and interest and a cool experience for divers. Richard Lundgren (RL) Many people are obsessed with depth or volume when it comes to pools, and they forget about the environment. This is not just white tiles; this is something interesting. It's a sunken city with all of the things you would find there. It is more difficult and challenging to build a sunken city than a normal pool, it also comes with more maintenance challenges.

JK Who came up with the sunken city concept?

JK What were the biggest challenges you faced with building the pool?

JJ We had a development group that vetted and reviewed a lot of different ideas for themes. We considered about 12 different concepts. Initially, we looked at natural environments and moved to oil rigs and shipwrecks. I was never a fan of the natural concept, as it's very hard to do well. It'll always look a bit fake, no matter how well it's done, and it's possible to go and dive into a natural environment for real. The sunken city was more appealing, as it's the only thing you can't already do as a diver, so it's a fantasy. The theming really is designed to work with the diver's imagination. Where are we? What happened? These are the questions we're trying to encourage.

JJ Well, there's the obvious one, trying to dig a 60 m/196 ft deep hole in the desert sand. Most people don't know it, but the water table in Dubai is about 10 m/33 ft deep, so the deeper we dug, the higher the pressure of groundwater trying to force its way into the hole. That's a lot of force acting on the bottom. Once it was filled with water, the pressure was equalized, but while we were under construction, it was a constant challenge. There's also the logistical challenge of trying to decorate a 60 m/196 ft deep pit. Most of the theming and all of the infrastructure had to go in before we filled it with water, so there was a lot of scaffolding. With hundreds of people working

Quest · August 2021

Jarrod Jablonski is the director of Deep Dive Dubai and has been involved since the early planning stages.

Richard Lundgren is the technical manager of Deep Dive Dubai. He is responsible for the many advanced technology systems in the facility.

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kitted out with the gear they need, and they will then head to the luxurious changing rooms. Once changed into their suit, they'll meet the guide on the pool deck, who will have their equipment all ready for them. Depending on whether they are a diver, non-diver, freediver, or snorkeler they will then be taken through a dive session based on their abilities and goals. All of this will be recorded on the camera systems and be available to them to download shortly afterward. The dive will last around an hour for recreational divers, and for a technical dive, it would be about 90 minutes. While it's interesting to dive all the way to the bottom, there's not much to see once you get there, as most of the interesting stuff is in the shallower zones. It makes for a nice dive, as you can basically do your decompression while swimming around a post-apocalyptic city. JK Any future plans that you can share with us?

on-site, it could take 20 minutes to climb to the bottom of the hole down the scaffolding, and then you'd have to climb out again afterward.

JJ We're constantly evaluating and changing the theming. So, we'll often swap things out of the pool to keep it interesting for repeat visitors. We are also working closely with Dr. Marroni from DAN Europe on research projects using both the pool and the chamber.

RL Many people might think that just because our water is so well filtered and cleaner than tap RL The pool is not a static entity, it's a dynamic water, nothing will erode or corrode. However, beast that will evolve over time. We plan to keep the reality is different. it interesting for return Small design and instalvisitors with changing lation mistakes meant of theming. But we will We'll often swap things out of the that we suffered a lot also have all sorts of pool to keep it interesting for repeat from galvanic corrosion in fun and games on holivisitors. We are also working the early days. We've got days and special occathose things ironed out by closely with Dr. Marroni from DAN sions, so one week it now. might be a superhero Europe on research projects using costume competition, both the pool and the chamber. JK Tell me about a typical and the next week we visitor experience. might have an escape room. We will probably JJ It all starts online. A guest will book online have treasure hunts and even longer run compeand then have a series of emails or calls with titions for real treasures, such as dive kits. We one of our staff to establish their certification want to engage people and make them excited, levels and their desires from experience. Once rather than just swimming around doing backthe diver arrives on-site, they'll be greeted by kicks and blowing bubbles. their personal dive guide, who will get them all 42

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August 2021 · Quest

TEXT KEES BEEMSTER LEVERENZ PHOTOS JULIAN MÜHLENHAUS & GUE ARCHIVE

IF THE FINS FIT,

PHOTO GUE ARCHIVE

How do you find a fin that fits you? Maybe a statistical approach is the way to go? GUE Instructor Kees Beemster Leverenz did a survey and some number crunching to provide the data that might be the help you need.

Quest · August 2021

WEAR ‘EM!

lobal Underwater Explorers (GUE) is famous for having strict equipment standards. Even within a picky organization, choosing exactly the right brands and sizes can be a challenge. In an effort to help my students with one of the many decisions they need to make prior to a GUE Fundamentals course, I decided to collect some real data by polling GUE divers on what fin sizes and styles they prefer. A large group of divers was willing to help. Spoiler alert: we like ScubaPro Jet Fins! To gather data, I decided on a six-question survey and hoped that it would be quick enough to complete so all respondents would complete all the questions.

1. What’s your highest level of GUE training? 2. What GUE equipment configuration do you most frequently use? 3. What kind of exposure protection do you most frequently use? 4. What is your shoe size? If your exact size isn’t available, choose the closest match. 5. When diving a GUE equipment configuration, what fins do you prefer? 6. What kind of fin straps do you use? To my surprise and delight, nearly 450 divers responded to the survey, with a 100% completion rate. In order to minimize the amount of data cleaning necessary in the back end, a large number of multiple-choice responses were added. A joke response was removed: a diver wearing women’s size 12 shoes, diving a

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Men’s US sizes Men’s EU sizes Men’s UK and AUS sizes Women’s US sizes

Women’s EU sizes

Women’s UK and AUS sizes

37.5 38.5 39.5

4.5

5.5

6.5

7.5

8.5

9.5

48.5 49.5

10.5 11.5 12.5 13.5 14.5

35.5 36.5 37.5 38.5 39.5 40.5 41.5 42.5

100% 100% 36% 55% 50% 15% 30% 9% 3% 4% 0% 0% 0% 0% 18% 27% 33% 62% 51% 56% 51% 36% 24% 18% 0% ScubaPro Jet Fin XL 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 9% 15% 28% 33% 45% 50% 25% ScubaPro Jet Fin XXL 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1% 0% 2% 2% 5% 25% ScubaPro Jet Fin XXXL 0%

ScubaPro Jet Fin M

18% 18%

ScubaPro Jet Fin L

0% 0% 0%

XS Scuba Turtle Fins XXL

25%

XS Scuba Turtle Fins XXXL

25% 67%

Hollis F1 Regular

Hollis F1 XL

10%

Hollis F1 XXL

Apeks RK3 L

Apeks RK3 Super

33%

OMS Slipstream M

18%

OMS Slipstream XL

OMS Slipstream XXL

Apeks RK3 HD M

Apeks RK3 HD L

Apeks RK3 HD Super

GUE CCR, and reportedly wearing split fins. A small contingent of GUE sidemount divers were ignored as well, as their responses are unlikely to apply to divers in more traditional GUE configurations. From there, I wrote a short computer program that I used to parse the data and sort it by fin size and style for each shoe size, with men and women’s data merged based on publicly available shoe size conversion charts.

Take it to the table

Unfortunately, not all the questions generated data that was useful. I was, however, able to generate a table that allows divers or instructors to make a good guess as to what fin sizes and styles are likely to work for them. 46

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If you’d like to use this chart to find your ideal fin size, start by finding your shoe size on the top. Follow a line vertically down, and you’ll find the community’s preferences as percentages. For example, if you’re a men’s size 10, 56% of respondents prefer a ScubaPro Jet Fin XL. The second most popular fin is a ScubaPro Jet Fin XXL. The third most common choice is a Hollis F1 XL. You can use this information to make an informed choice about fin size and style. If you’re diving with a wetsuit, data suggests you should err on the side of the smaller fin sizes in your column. If diving with a drysuit with an attached boot, you may want to choose the larger fin size.

A joke response was removed: a diver wearing women's size 12 shoes, diving a GUE CCR, and reportedly wearing split fins.

Fit, size, and weight of your fins are important factors in both trim and propulsion.

PHOTO JULIAN MÜHLENHAUS August 2021 · Quest

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The survey also allowed me to confirm There are also other potential issues in the a common recommendation: divers with data and my analysis, so the results should smaller feet should consider sizing up their be taken as a starting point only. Spring strap fins and using them with smaller fin straps. size and exposure protection information This preference was clearly visible in the was collected but not used to generate the data. When divers with less training were chart. This chart is intended as a starting removed from the chart, the size preferences point guide for GUE divers and is unlikely to for divers with small feet shifted up. Smaller represent a good fin choice for divers in other technical and cave divers gear configurations. tend to dive bigger fins To those of you that parthan their recreationalticipated in the survey: thank The chart is intended only counterparts. you! I appreciate you taking as a starting point the time to respond, and I for GUE divers and is Starting point hope you find the results Unfortunately, there were useful. If you’d like to look at unlikely to represent not enough responses to the raw data, or do your own a good fin choice generate recommendations analysis (I’m sure there’s a for divers in other for all fin styles, so only data data scientist in the audience gear configurations. associated with the six most who can do a much better popular fin styles is included. job), it’s available here... 

With spring straps in different sizes, you can fine-tune the fit of your fins.

Kees Beemster Leverenz

www.keesbl.com 48

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Kees is a technical diver and passionate GUE instructor based in Seattle, Washington. Kees is an active explorer and regularly participates in diving expeditions around the world. Recently, Kees has contributed to the exploration of the Swedish warship Mars, he has documented a newly-discovered

steamship in the Red Sea in 3D, and has worked for Project Recover to document American aircraft crash sites in Portugal, Croatia, and Italy. In addition to exploring, Kees actively contributes to the development of GUE’s educational materials and is the co-author of the GUE Photogrammetry course.

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 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 August 2021 · Quest

It is a mistake to identify an equipment configuration as GUE’s ultimate end. GUE’s ultimate ends are focused upon promoting high quality education, supporting aquatic conservation, and expanding global exploration. They are not about a particular type of equipment. Nonetheless, GUE’s equipment configuration provides an important means in support of GUE’s broader goals. This important supporting role is best developed by divers with a full grasp of the history and rationale for various decisions regarding equipment configuration details. In service of this unique importance, we are inspired to highlight the details of the configuration in a series of articles in Quest. Let’s begin with the beginning. 50

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ESSENTIALS OF THE GUE EQUIPMENT

CONFIGURATION

THIS ARTICLE SERIES IS BASED ON THE GUE PUBLICATION DRESS FOR SUCCESS BY DAN MACKAY WITH EXCERPTS FROM OTHER WORKS BY PANOS ALEXAKOS AND JARROD JABLONSKI. PHOTOS BY JESPER KJØLLER

he GUE configuration was was evolved to work in a variety of environments and for divers with varying levels of skill and experience. Exploration divers realized long ago that a complicated system would compound difficulties, and that equipment had to facilitate their efforts, not complicate them. The same can be said for divers with much less experience in less serious environments. In fact, new divers with little experience often benefit most from simple, standardized systems instead of complex systems that lack uniformity. Unfortunately, most discussions about the GUE system have focused on its use in long-range cave dives. The truth is, this system is amazingly flexible and can be used when diving in caves, oceans, shipwrecks, and even under ice. It is ideal for relaxing reef dives at 10 m/30 ft, for extended penetration cave dives, as well as for difficult wreck dives. It would be accurate to say that a GUE diver is using a system based upon

the Doing It Right (DIR) equipment configuration. However, it is more precise to discuss the holistic system as codified and refined by GUE in its Standards and Procedures documents, the GUE course materials, and within published Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

DIR

The Doing It Right philosophy had an important impact in the way GUE shaped the equipment configuration, so let us briefly look at DIR from a historical perspective. DIR had its genesis in the Florida cave diving community throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was during this period that early cave diving pioneers and explorers such as Bill Main, Bill Gavin, Lamar English, and Parker Turner, along with others, laid the foundations for DIR by focusing upon the idea of a minimalist and standardized equipment configuration. As cave diving became more popular over the years, there were an increasing number of accidents and fatalities. Sheck Exely was the first to study the root causes of these accidents. In his book August 2021 · Quest

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Blueprint for Survival training and equipment, among other factors, were cited as contributing to the cause of many of the accidents that occurred in the cave environment. Explorers like Gavin and Main began to promote the need to formulate a simplistic approach to equipment configurations when cave diving. This minimalist style was coined Hogarthian after Bill Hogarth Main. Early promoters of the Hogarthian method were famed cave divers George Irvine and Jarrod Jablonski. Irvine and Jablonski expanded this method from solely an equipment configuration concept into an inclusive Early promoters and holistic of the Hogarthian diving philosophy. Irvine, in method were famed his position as cave divers George Director of the Irvine and Jarrod Woodville Karst Jablonski. Irvine and Plain Project Jablonski expanded (WKPP), rigorously applied this method from this new style solely an equipment configuration concept of diving to his project teams. into an inclusive Irvine is credand holistic diving ited with coining the phrase philosophy. Doing It Right to describe the evolution of the Hogarthian method. But DIR, as Irvine championed it, is far more than just an equipment configuration—it was meant to instill an attitude that embraces the equipment configuration, the mental attitude of the diver, as well as the concept of diving as a unified team. Irvine staunchly advocated this attitude to facilitate, coordinate, and—together with Jablonski—conduct world-record cave dives at extreme depths in Wakulla Springs in Florida. It was a severe proving ground indeed. They accumulated an unparalleled safety record using DIR methods over an extended period of time. It was during this phase that the duo established standards for DIR. Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) was founded by Jablonski in 1998. Given Jablonski’s 52

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co-development of DIR, GUE naturally utilized the DIR system for its course curriculums. Over the years, DIR was modified by various groups and altered in support of interests that are in direct contrast with GUE’s. Rather than argue about what DIR is or debate whose version is authentic, it is more productive to explain GUE, clarify what the organization does, and describe how divers of all levels can gain from its theory as well as its practice.

Less is more

While GUE’s equipment philosophy embraces far more than a simple equipment configuration, this discussion is meant to reflect how it was used to produce the equipment configuration(s) that are prevalent today. The original pioneers eschewed the “more is better” attitude established in the diving community. This ideology is rooted in the analysis of the hard-earned experience and accidents that plagued the early cave diving pioneers. What was discovered, mostly as a by-product of trial and error, was that divers who encumbered themselves with excessive equipment were doing so to use equipment as a stopgap measure to make up for a shortfall in skill or ability. For example, if divers are skilled and have effective buoyancy control, there is no need for them to use a helmet in a cave. Divers can avoid knocking themselves senseless by being aware of their environment. GUE methodology states that it is far more important to take just the right amount and just the right type

of equipment for the mission, and to look to team integrity to provide levels of redundancy and safety. Strictly speaking, this approach means using only what you need—nothing more, nothing less. The unique balance of the GUE equipment configuration has proven itself in the world’s most demanding environments. If divers extend this mindset to create an ideology, most have found that the application of critical thinking ultimately broadens to include their equipment. By understanding this philosophy, divers can make selections that efficiently complement their trim, streamlining, and balance. Many divers are initially taught to make equipment selection based on “flexibility”—its ability to adapt to the widest variety of diving applications. However, upon further inspection, truly educated divers will find that the pros and cons of how this affects their entire system (including that of teammates and support), must be considered.

Consistency is king

Along with streamlined equipment and “only taking what you need,” another core component of GUE is being consistent. This means being consistent within your team, environment, and training. Having standardized equipment configurations is a key factor of ensuring safety, comfort, and competence of the unified team. It is often very helpful to understand what is trying to be accomplished by using an example to highlight the large-scale intent of applying GUE methodology. To date, most conventional approaches to cave and technical diving have been built bottom-up—that is, taking a basic configuration and adding

to it. What GUE does is force us to ask what it is we want to accomplish, then define the resulting equipment configuration that best suits our purposes using a top-down methodology. As a real-world example, let us take a very cursory look at the following scenario. The mission is for three divers to conduct a dive on a 218 m/720 ft long wreck at a depth of 66 m/220 ft. The water is moderately cold and there is a current. Now, if we look at the mission, the major equipment requirements are: • • • • •

Redundant air supply (double tanks) Decompression gases (minimum two) Primary and backup lights Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) Drysuit

And the list goes on. As you can appreciate, if the three divers conducting this dive all configure their equipment differently, logistics would be nearly impossible, as well as a huge compromise of safety considerations, should an emergency arise. With each diver having a different safety procedure for their own configuration, it would cause undue confusion and perhaps disaster in the event of an emergency. Now let’s assume that the GUE configuration is one that can be applied to most, if not all, advanced diving scenarios The unique balance (whether in a cave or on of the GUE equipment a wreck) and configuration have a look has proven itself at the why of in the world’s GUE equipmost demanding ment placement. The environments. most important concept in understanding GUE philosophy is to appreciate that all components of the system are grounded on a solid foundation. In the above scenario, the addition of the DPV enforces a large pattern of equipment configuration to emerge. For example, we operate the DPV with the right hand. This necessitates the primary light being held in the left hand to illuminate the area being traveled. August 2021 · Quest

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As a beginning diver who dives only occasionally, GUE provides a method to learn once and learn correctly and then adapt to more complex environments and configurations.

This in turn requires the bottom timer/depth gauge to be worn on the right wrist so that it can be illuminated by the primary light and read while operating the DPV. Now we can deduce the emerging pattern. We simply ask ourselves what the optimum placement for a piece of equipment is, given our overall goal.

Understanding the why

It becomes much easier for the beginning diver to understand why, for example, the primary light is carried in the left hand and not the right. The GUE philosophy once again states that we use common equipment configurations and operating procedures from the very start. If this can be accomplished, the law of primacy is followed; that is, you remember best what you are first taught. If you are taught properly from the start, then there are no bad habits to 54

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PHOTO JULIAN MUEHLENHAUS

unlearn later on. As divers advance through their diving careers, it now becomes a simple matter of adding a DPV and learning the procedures that are central to handling a DPV rather than reconfiguring the basic equipment setup and operating procedures and having to relearn those as well. Interestingly enough, if you decide to never dive to excessive depths, ride a DPV, or take diving to its limits, and just want to do recreational diving, you will derive the same benefits from a streamlined and consistent configuration as the divers in the above example. As a beginning diver who dives only occasionally, GUE provides a method to learn once and learn correctly and then adapt to more complex environments and configurations. As a dive’s complexity increases, it becomes even more important to use a GUE system. This ensures that the diver is not overwhelmed with excessive equipment that is inconsistently configured. Lack of familiarity and competence obviously reduces comfort, confidence, and ultimately safety.

It is important to think of the GUE methodology as a holistic equipment approach. Each of the components is designed to work as part of the whole, much like spokes on a bicycle wheel.

Holistic approach

The above example serves to highlight what confuses most divers when first adopting a GUE configuration: that some of the placements do not seem critical when taken out of context of the overall picture. Divers, when faced with a conundrum such as this, need to develop two key attitudes: • Look to why a piece of equipment belongs where it does. • Never substitute equipment for skill. It is important to think of the GUE methodology as a holistic equipment approach. Each of the components is designed to work as part of the whole, much like spokes on a bicycle wheel. By leaving one or several spokse out, the entire wheel is compromised. Conversely, just adding one component to your current configuration, such as a long hose for the primary regulator, does not mean you are diving a GUE diving system.

In a nutshell, GUE revolves around the following basic ideas: • Using common equipment configurations • Using common operating procedures that are, to a large degree, drawn from equipment configuration. With this basic understanding of what GUE is trying to accomplish, we will follow up with an in-depth discussion of equipment choice and configuration over the next issues of Quest. This will be facilitated through a logical progression of a GUE configuration, starting with what is closest to the diver and working outward as if we were getting dressed for a dive. 

Next time: exposure suits.

August 2021 · Quest

A passionate wreck diver in the early 90s, Panos Alexakos thought he could improve his safety practices if he learned how to cave dive. Cave training completely changed his perspective on diving, and he almost never went back to the ocean—not even for a swim. Meet one of GUE’s founding fathers, and hear the story of his integral role in creating the GUE standards, and his 20-year tenure running Quest. An enthusiastic wreck explorer at the beginning of his diving career, Panos stopped ocean diving and developed into a hardcore cave diver.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PANOS ALEXAKOS 56

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PORTRAIT OF PANOS

– The father of Quest

BASED ON AN EDITED TRANSCRIPT OF A GUE .TV INTERVIEW BY JARROD JABLONSKI

orn in Japan and raised in Spain and Athens, Panos immigrated to the U.S. for advanced schooling at 17. He earned his undergraduate degree and then a Ph.D. in philosophy, his education interrupted only by a brief stint in shipping. –I had lived in Greece most of my life, and in those days, I spent every summer spearfishing, but it was prohibited to scuba dive because of the risk to underwater archaeological artifacts. So, most of us would just do breath-hold spearfishing. Every summer, I traveled the islands with my spearfishing gear, but I never had an opportunity to actually go down and spend time underwater on scuba. –When I came to America, I had other things on my plate with universities and studies. In the early 90s, having earned my Ph.D., and teaching at Villanova University, I lived in downtown Philadelphia, and I was by the ocean, so I said to myself, “I think I need to scuba dive!” So sure enough, I went to this PADI shop in Philadelphia, Blue Horizons Dive Center, and I did my first open water class, and I was sold. I did Open Water through Divemaster in a few weeks, and I started diving in the Atlantic Ocean. Throughout these early wreck dives, Panos realized that he probably needed some overhead training. When he left Philadelphia to teach at the University of Tennessee and found himself landlocked, he signed up for a cave class with a

Florida cave instructor to learn better propulsion techniques, buoyancy control, and line management; he never looked back. In fact, he almost never went back to the ocean again—not even for a swim. –When I first started, I went diving every opportunity I had for the first four or five years. I was enthralled with open water diving, and I would essentially teach the last day of class at the university, submit my grades, get on an airplane with my gear, and off I went to some destination where I stayed until the day before classes started again and I would come back. I went to many of the Caribbean islands, to Mexico, and to Cozumel. –But I was pushing limits. Staying at 12 m/40 ft of water looking at fish was no longer a particularly challenging or interesting experience. What followed were 90 m/300+ ft air dives on a single aluminum 80. Luckily, nothing happened, I was sensible enough to pull the plug on that, and I signed up for a cave class. –After the cave class, I spent six weeks in Mexico diving every day with a local explorer. And that was a pivotal moment for me because it was there that I discovered the limitations of the training that I had had on many different levels.

The birth of GUE

When Panos returned to the U.S., he tried to find a trimix course. But, back then, helium was considered a “voodoo gas,” and even the technical agencies were discouraging it. August 2021 · Quest

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I had figured out that skills in demanding environments needed to be excellent. You cannot accommodate safety margins and make room for poor skills..

–I said to myself, “I think it’s time to rethink what you’re doing.” I went on the internet and started doing some research, and I came across Jarrod Jablonski’s name. Panos met with Jarrod and liked that his style of teaching was centered on his experience as a lead diver for Woodville Karst Plain Project (WKPP). Jarrod was a young instructor teaching cave classes for the International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers (IANTD), and he based his courses on what he learned during his deep cave explorations in Florida. In those days, IANTD required 80% oxygen for decompression; this decision was driven less by an understanding of decompression than it was by the fact that many trainees could not hold a 6 m/20 ft stop. Panos heard that Jarrod taught his students proper buoyancy skills so that—despite it being against the standards of some agencies—they could safely use 100%. –I thought, “This guy is probably somebody I need to talk to,” because by then, I had figured out that skills in demanding environments needed to be excellent. You cannot accommodate safety margins and make room for poor skills. And this got me connected with Jarrod and the vision of the agency that we later developed. –I called Jarrod on the phone and ended up auditing one of his cave classes. At the end of the five-day class, my whole gestalt on diving had changed. I swapped my configuration and started supporting WKPP dives. Diving with oxygen was not the only issue about which Jarrod and Panos agreed. Back in that 58

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era, widespread use of deep air and inconsistent or non-existent cylinder marking was quite common. Even a technical nitrox course required deeper air dives. Jarrod tried—as much as possible—to juggle the standards of the various agencies he was teaching for, but it soon became apparent that a new agency had to be created even though Jarrod was reluctant in the beginning. He was more interested in creating a global organization committed to diving and exploring. But he and Panos realized they did not have a choice. Education had to be integrated as well. –When we started, we had no intention of teaching something like Fundamentals. The original vision was Cave 1, 2, and 3, and Tech 1, 2, and 3. That’s it. The original instructors were going to be focused explorers—divers with significant exploration experience and a skill set that was developed during exploration. –It was never the original intent to prepare people for technical diving. We were going to dive. We did not have a cadre of folks in the organization who were not technical people, because that was not the original design. However, we discovered early that people who were coming into our programs were unable to meet the standards of our courses. So, we tried to provide incoming trainees with remedial training that would increase their chance of success. This led to Fundamentals. In its first iteration, Fundamentals was merely a workshop. We didn’t have fundamentals instructors. We had cave and tech instructors teaching the elementary workshops to allow them to be able to successfully complete classes. And even so, they struggled.

The meeting between Jarrod Jablonski (left) and Panos Alexakos (right) was an essential factor in creating GUE.

The value of a back kick

Panos believes that, while it comes at some risk to GUE, their gradual foray into recreational diving provides great benefit to the recreational divers. –I think that if we are vigilant and continue to be vigilant, then we will not lose our original vision; but we must remember where we came from. We were not recreational divers nor did we have the recreational diving community in mind when we set GUE’s foundation. We were cave divers, technical divers, and deep wreck explorers. We created these earlier entry-level classes to remedy failures in previous training, not as an end goal. If we remember that, and the people we teach are aware of what the organization is and where it came from and the kind of mission statement it had, I think we’re OK. He is, however, concerned about the instructors. An instructor who has no experience in a cave

PHOTO COURTESY OF PANOS ALEXAKOS

environment, in a technical environment, or diving a rebreather will not be able to relay the value of certain fundamental skills to entry-level divers. –A back kick is not some trivial skill. There is a real value to this. But the instructors have to have been in a cave, in my view, where that skill is most valuable. Sure, it is valuable in going up an ascent line, or taking a photograph or video, and so on. But in a cave environment, it is a fundamental skill.

High standards

When Panos was grading papers in his introductory philosophy classes at the university, he had very high standards. Students often asked, “Why do I have to write a paper at this level for an intro class?” His response: “Because if you go to a harder class, you won’t be successful.” This belief applied in his support for rigorous standards in GUE. August 2021 · Quest

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–If a recreational diver would come to me and those standards because the entire identity of say: “Why this boot camp? I just want to have GUE was, for me, reducible to the organization’s fun.” I said, “Because right now you don’t know standards. Eliminate the standards, and there is what you’re going to need to be safe and comno organization. fortable in the water. I do. I know what you will need because I have already been where you are It does not make much sense to have standards heading. I have done thousands of dives, and I if they’re not going to be enforced and, from the want to give you all the material to enjoy those beginning, Panos played an important role as dives. At present, you don’t know what you need. the Director of Quality Control (or the policeman So, yes, it may feel like it is demanding and not of the organization), a job that was not necesso much fun, but you need to trust sarily his favorite. But since he me. This is going to make your was not serving as an instructor, diving career significantly more and he was well-versed in the In the beginning, enjoyable down the road.” standards and the reasoning Panos and Jarrod behind them, he was the right worked closely with In the beginning, Panos and Jarrod person for the task. one another in order worked closely with one another in order to create GUE’s standards; to create GUE’s stan–It’s been an important role. I Panos played a pivotal role in demean, it is a position that I have dards; Panos played veloping, maintaining, and enforcbeen proud of, but, as you can a pivotal role in deing those standards. imagine, disciplining people that veloping, maintainare friends for inappropriate con–I see our standards as the organi- ing, and enforcing duct has never been pleasurable. zation’s boundary stones, meaning those standards. But it was a role that I have been that the standards are the edifice proud to embrace because I alon which you build your house. If ways believed that I come to this you remove one of those boundary stones, your job with a certain level of detachment, meaning edifice collapses. that I will not allow my personal feelings to get in the way when the risk is the health of the orga–Standards are not a collection of random nization. So, friend or not, I will apply the rules pieces, but a holistic group of pieces that are objectively. We cannot allow our friends, or the mutually reinforcing. Members of that organiza- ones we feel close to, to get passes on things tion ultimately have their identity defined by their that other people do not. standards because it is the standards that define the identity of an individual as a member of GUE. A one-man show So, our standards offer a home to us who under- Panos moved to Gainesville in 2000 to be closer to the caves. Jarrod had already started publishstand ourselves to be committed to a particular way of diving. And it empowers us to be the best ing Quest as a GUE member magazine. Still, the small editorial team struggled in the early days possible divers that we can be. So, in the past, to meet deadlines and get issues out on time, my emphasis was always to look at our stansince everyone on the team had multiple respondards. There was no flexibility on my part with 60

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Panos at GUE’s headquarters in High Springs, Florida.

August 2021 · Quest

Panos has participated in numerous cave projects in Mexico. Here with GUE instructor and explorer extraordinaire Christophe Le Maillot (right).

Our guys, our instructors, must be passionate about their actual diving and put their instructing within that context rather than the reverse. PHOTO COURTESY OF PANOS ALEXAKOS

sibilities. Jarrod ultimately asked Panos to take over Quest as Senior Editor.

When Panos published the 20th anniversary issue of Quest, he wanted to highlight exploration, one of GUE’s three foundational pillars.

dedicated an entire issue to what I consider our five signature exploration projects: Woodville Karst Plain, Battle of the Aegates, Ox Bel Ha, Hoyo Negro, and Mars. Those are five projects that fill me with great pride. I think they are the crowning achievement of GUE’s theory and practice. The intent here was to put out, in this anniversary issue for our younger instructors, participants, and members who may be potentially at the fringes of what we’ve been about for the last 20 years. I hoped to give them a clear picture of where we all along wanted to go, and hopefully it can inspire them. Not necessarily to dive to 91 m/300 ft in minus one-degree water, but to have the excitement, the adventure, the love of exploration that motivated many of us who started earlier.

–For me, it’s always been about exploration. That is what motivates me. So, I wanted to come full circle on this bookend Quest, where I

–I take great pride in many of these achievements that we have accomplished as an organization because, frankly, we produced the divers

–I am like, “OK, sure.” But in the early days, we were working on Quest collaboratively, with many different personalities involved. As a result, it was difficult to find consensus on many of the things we were doing. Nor was there accountability with volunteers. So, I said to Jarrod, “I’d be happy to take over Quest, but I have to run it myself.” So, I took it over, and I believe it was in 2001 that my first issue was published.

Exploration first

Quest · August 2021

The first issue of Quest under Panos’ management was published in 2001.

who are making these things happen. And the support divers are the people who are on the boats, the people who are filling gas, the people who are checking equipment, and the people who are doing the tests. All these things together have made those projects possible. These are not these singular events that are detachable from what we’ve done in the classroom, from our standards, from our materials, from all those things; none of this would have been possible if we did not in 1999 get together and create an infrastructure that allowed all these people to be forged into incredible, high-level divers. None of this would have happened. –Our guys, our instructors, must be passionate about their actual diving and put their instructing within that context rather than the reverse. I don’t want them to be instructors first and divers second. I want them to be divers first and instructors second.

Quest’s 20th anniversary edition was dedicated to GUE’s five exploration pillars.

Watch the full interview with Panos Alexakos on GUE.tv  August 2021 · Quest

GUE Dive Centers

Quest · August 2021

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August 2021 · Quest

Quest is a publication of Global Underwater Explorers

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