Tech and Training

Technical Diving & Training

Interview with Jakub Šimánek

Jakub Šimánek diving in Egypt

Jakub Šimánek lives for diving and dives for a living. He inherited his passion for the underwater world from his father at a young age. Currently, a Factory Instructor Trainer for the Liberty closed circuit rebreather (CCR), Jakub has been a part of the development team at the dive equipment manufacturer Divesoft since 2012.

Hilarion: Exploring the Greek Silver Mines of Lavreotiki

Smiling faces after completion of a successful dive in Mine 80 (below) with Tzamalis (right) at the surface in support of exploration divers Kranidiotis (left) and Stamatakis (center), Hilarion mine complex, Lavrio, Lavreotiki, Greece. Photo by Maria Fotiadi.

In May 2019, a group of dry cavers visited the famous silver mines of Lavrion in the southeastern area of Attica, Greece. The main objective of the visit was to inspect and document the flooded chambers.

Out of Air with Plenty to Breathe

Take responsibility for opening your own cylinder valve before a dive. If someone else wants to do it for you or touches it to check it is open, politely refuse.

It was a beautiful day in Indonesia’s Banda Sea. Richard rolled back into the warm waters and swam over to join his wife, Florence. After exchanging signals, they descended together, heading for a patch of bright yellow sea fans on the reef wall at 30m, where their guide had promised to show them pygmy seahorses. The guide was already there below, searching for the elusive little creatures.

Mark Caney from PADI and the RTC

RESA and RTC are in concord over training standards

Prior to this meeting the Rebreather Education and Safety Association (RESA) and the Rebreather Training Council (RTC) had been having a robust active discussion about industry-wide rebreather training standards. It seemed sensible therefore to take the opportunity for the two organisations to find a common path forward.

Mark Caney from PADI and the RTC stated "The key item to come out of this meeting was an agreement for a joint committee to look at standards issued by both organisations, and work objectively towards harmonisation of standards.

Four Heyphones - a specialist cave radio system that can transmit through hundreds of meters through solid rock - were relayed by the Police from Derbyshire to London Heathrow, to be flown out to Thailand by Rob Harper, Rick Stanton and John Volanthen

Thailand Cave Rescue: Brit cave divers report "gnarly diving"

The Cave

This cave system runs for many miles underground and is explorable from November to June. It is prone to seasonal flooding during the monsoon months: June to October. Apparently there are warning signs discouraging visits during the rainy season.

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The moment the group are found

This is the transcript of the conversation between Rick Stanton, John Volanthen and the trapped children.

John: How many of you [are there]?

Children: Thirteen

John: Thirteen? Brilliant!

John: There's two of us.... we had to dive.

John: We're coming, it's ok. Many people are coming. We are the first.

Children ask what day it is

John: Monday. One week and Monday. You have been here 10 days. You are very strong, very strong.

Leadership Rescue Workshop Series to be Launched in Bimini, March 2018

The Leadership Rescue Workshops are open to any certified dive leader, including divemasters, assistant instructors and instructors from other agencies.

The workshop is designed to teach the most effective, state-of-the-art diving rescue techniques in a rigorous three-day program conducted by Course Directors Walt “Butch” Hendrick (NAUI 1724) and Andrea Zafares (NAUI 10533) of Team LGS, the most globally recognized authority in diving rescue and public safety diver training and education.