1ο Σχολείο Σπηλαιοδιείσδυσης TDI στην Ελλάδα

Which organization organized the school?

The school was organized by HELLAS UNDERWATER EXPLORERS, TDI/SDI GREECE in collaboration with TDI/SDI EUROPE based in England. We must therefore thank Mr. DAVE CROCKFORD (Training Manager TDI/SDI Europe) to whom this school was largely due.

Το ιστορικό ενός Προαγγελθέντος σχολείου

The idea and the need for this school was born in the last days of September 2001. Our exploration team (Hellas Underwater Explorers, TDI/SDI Greece) organized a series of organized dives in the already explored caves “Melissani, Zervati and Choiridoni” by Mr. Giannopoulos Vasilis (Ephorate of Paleoanthropology-Spelaeology). Based on their great experience in technical diving as well as in ceiling diving, a total of about 25 people worked hard so that 6 of us could dive (penetrate) safely in these beautiful Greek caves. Already by the end of those days we had decided on the need to organize (finally) a Cave Diving school with the highest possible level. And so it was.

Conditions

Δύο χρόνια μετά το σχολείο αυτό έγινε μια πραγματικότητα. Μετά από προετοιμασία 2 χρόνων δημιουργήσαμε τις ιδανικότερες συνθήκες γι΄ αυτό. Όπως:

• Permission to hold the School from the Ephorate of Paleoanthropology - Speleology (The Grant of Permission for our diving activity was issued by the Ephorate of Paleoanthropology - Speleology of the Ministry of Culture on 6-12-2002 with No. Prot. 2556)
• High quality instructors such as: - Mr. JOE ODOM who is a TDI Training Manager and former president for many years of the NACD, NSS Cave Diving organization in the USA - Mr. MICHAEL PISKULA who is a TDI representative in the Czech Republic and vice president of the UIS Speleological Federation in his country. We therefore had the advantage of being trained with elements of the two main educational systems, the American and the European
• Σπήλαια ιδανικά για εκπαίδευση
• Υποψήφιοι με υψηλό επίπεδο εκπαίδευσης
• Ιδανικές καιρικές συνθήκες
• Equipment adequacy

Τι επίπεδα πιστοποιήθηκαν σε αυτό το σχολείο?

In this school, the following were certified:

• Αυτοδύτες Σπηλαιοκατάδυσης
  - Cavern
  - Introductory to Cave
  - Full cave
• Cave Diving Instructors

When did it happen & where did it happen?

The school was held from May 6 to 16, 2003 in the beautiful Sami of KEFALONIA. A part of our homeland with ideal morphological peculiarities, namely; It is full of caves.

Who took part?

In addition to the aforementioned trainers, Mr. Joe Odom & Michal Piskula, the trainees were the following:

1.George Petrou Instructor – candidate for Cave Diving instructor

2.Vandoros Georgios Instructor – candidate for Cave Diving instructor

3. Octopus Stavros Trainer

4.Black Santa Instructor

5.Katsanevakis Stelios Instructor

6.Pitsiotis Apostolos Advanced Wreck Diver, Extended Range Diver

7.Veropoulos Damianos Advanced Wreck Diver, Decompression Diver

8.Vassiliou Vasilis Advanced Wreck Diver

9. Chionatos Michalis Advanced Wreck Diver

10.Katrivesis Nektarios Advanced Wreck Diver

11.Papantoniou Tryfon Advanced Wreck Diver

Έλεγχος από Εφορεία Παλαιοανθρωπολογίας - Σπηλαιολογίας

Throughout the school, it was under the constant control of the Ephorate of Paleoanthropology - Speleology. Its representatives, the controlling bodies that attended were:

• Mrs. Sissy Kontaxi
• Mr. Vasilis Giannopoulos

Problems & Reactions

Και όπως κάθε πράγμα της προκοπής που έρχεται να ταράξει τα λιμνάζοντα ύδατα και αυτή η δραστηριότητά μας έγινε στόχος:

• People who, despite being unrelated & uneducated to the subject, want to have a monopoly on it
• People who, when they themselves can't run faster, try to make others limp.
• Ανθρώπων που θέλουν να κατέχουν εξουσία:
  α) για να εκμεταλλεύονται οικονομικά τον κάθε ένα που επιθυμεί να κάνει κάτι το όμορφο και διαφορετικό στην ζωή του
  β) για να καλύπτουν την κοινωνική τους ανασφάλεια
• People who criticize a result before they see it
• Ανθρώπων που αναγορεύονται εκπαιδευτές μεταξύ τους...
• Ανθρώπων που γύριζαν γύρω-γύρω και δυσφημούσαν το σχολείο
• People who used the given school to challenge the legitimate controlling power of the state

Επειδή όμως τα πράγματα δεν έρχονται πάντα όπως τα θέλουν, το σχολείο έγινε και ο πήχης ανέβηκε υψηλά.

Ασφάλεια

Two key elements characterized the realization of this school from a security perspective.

1. Compliance with all rules and safety measures 2. Absolute discipline by instructors and trainees.

Required Certificates of Participation

1st. All trainees had in principle completed a required by the Ephorate of Paleoanthropology. Speleology Seminar. And indeed the members of our team (as well as other people who did not intend to take part in the Cave Diving school) took part in the first Cycle of Seminars held by the Speleology of Nafplio at the facilities of our school with their speakers:- Ms. Kontaxi - Mr. Giannopoulos - Mr. Kontrolozo - Mr. Kirdi - Mr. Agouridis The seminar was truly extremely enjoyable. New information from a world that we scuba divers do not have access to, and which forced us (in a good way) to admire, respect, and be challenged by the world of caves. This seminar was held from Monday 7-Sunday 13 April 2003 and concluded with a visit and a walk through the caves of Vatsinidis and Selinitsa. After the end of the 1st Cycle of Seminars, a certificate of attendance and a member's ID card of the Speleology of Nafplio were given. We all thank our instructors.

2nd. All candidates who wish to engage in cave diving must have the following levels: Advanced Nitrox, Decompression Diver & preferably Advanced Wreck Diver.

It is unacceptable for someone to be trained in cave diving without having at least Advanced Nitrox & Decompression knowledge and skills.

3rd Medical Health Certificate

4th Dive Log

The School

Our educational team "camped" in the Karavomylos area, near the lake cave that became the school. Every morning we all meet for breakfast in a very pleasant atmosphere. Then everyone for the daily briefing. Very important for the smooth operation of the school was that everyone was truly English at their appointments.

Theoretically

Every day there were around 4-5 hours of theory where all the required material for Cave Diving was developed. We had organized a regular classroom with desks, blackboards, etc. in the hotel where we were staying. Extremely interesting material with impressively professional presentations by our two instructors. Since there were trainees who did not know English, we had made sure that there was a translation by the usual "suspect" instructor Mr. Katsanevakis Stelios, whom we thank very much. So slowly and organized we became knowledgeable about Cave Diving. As you can understand, the questions rained down and we spent a lot of hours in extremely interesting discussions. The trainees were given Cave Diving manuals in Greek. This manual was translated and edited by the TDI/SDI instructor Mr. Mavros, whom we thank very much.

Minutes

The program included 2 dives daily where 2 instructors corresponded to 2 trainees!!! It was truly a very experienced and methodical training which, dive by dive, day by day, brought its results. The practical program generally included exercises such as (some of them):

• Ξηράς, με μαύρη μάσκα και ανάπτυξη μίτου
• Dry, with a black mask and finding a mate
• On land, with pathfinding and communication between the pair
• Equipment familiarization
• Buoyancy
• Marching in the desert
• Growing and harvesting mint
• March with a black mask on the forehead
• Course (long route) with black mask on the nose with simultaneous cooperation in case of wind cut
• Release in case of entanglement
• Finding a lost friend
• Finding a lost couple
• Installation of route marking material on the mito
• Tie a knot
• Development of a secondary course
• emergencies
• turning off the lights

Equipment

As is easy to understand, the equipment of Cave Diving is characterized by adequacy and quality. 3 high quality lighting systems were used, HID technology (e.g. 4 hours white light-5900 Kelvin - 100 Watt) & LED (12 hours!!! White Light) from the company Green Force. Helmets, double tanks, stage tanks, Shutter Protectors, Din Regulators mainly Divex 950, rear-fill BCD mainly Dive System, cutters, reels and many other exciting pieces of equipment.

Student performance

IMPRESIVE really!!! The instructors recognized the Greek scuba divers:

• Calmness of movements
• Skill in performing exercises
• Effectiveness in problem solving
• Correct judgment and to their instructors at their previous schools, excellent work, which made us all feel proud.

Day after day, the trainees went deeper (further) into the cave where, returning from the largest point of penetration, they performed exercises such as: turning off the flashlights, simultaneously cutting off the air of one of the two and returning to the exit. Every day there was theory, briefing, 1st dive, discussion, 2nd dive, discussion, theory and… then everyone went to classic Greek things.. a tavern by the sea far from the rough and tumble of the cities that we all survive in. Here, sea, fresh breeze and good food. Even Joe (our American instructor) who was accustomed to another way of life succumbed to the beauty and simplicity of Greek everyday life. He stated awkwardly and with a huge smile of satisfaction.

Αποτελέσματα Σχολείου για τους εκπαιδευόμενους

After completing the school work, the trainees were certified at the following levels (and for which they had applied).

1 George Petrou - Cave Diving Instructor

2.Vandoros Georgios - Cave Diving Instructor

3.Octapodas Stavros Full cave diver

4. Black Santa - Full cave diver

5.Katsanevakis Stelios - Full cave diver

6. Pitsiotis Apostolos - Introductory to Cave

7. Veropoulos Damianos - Introductory to Cave

8. Βασιλείου Βασίλης - Introductory to Cave

9. Michalis Chionatos - Introductory to Cave

10.Katrivesis Nektarios - Introductory to Cave

11.Papantoniou Tryfon -Cavern Diver

So congratulations to everyone

Φωτογραφίες

The school's organizing company, in order to enable all of you readers to see photos from the school, as well as to display them on its website, deposited the corresponding amount of money to the Archaeological Resources Fund. A commemorative CD was also created with all the photos taken by all the school's instructors and trainees.

Thank you

For the realization of this school, I and all the other trainees feel the need to thank:

• The Ephorate of Paleoanthropology - Speleology and especially Ms. Samartzidou
• To them - Mrs. Kontaxi - Mr. Giannopoulos - Mr. Kontrolozo - Mr. Kirdi - Agouridi
• the company Paramina (Air Compressors) and Mr. Marinopoulos for the free provision of the air compressor
• The Postgraduate Program of the University of Athens and especially Ms. Apostolopoulou
• Blue star ferries and Mr. Theodoratos
• The Speleological Association of Nafplio
• Την εταιρεία φιαλών FSS (Florian Security Systems) και τον Κο Κεφάλα
• The Greek Diver magazine that always supports our activities
• All the trainees who took part
• TDI/SDI Europe and its manager Mr. Dave Crockford
• Our trainers Mr. Joe Odom & Michal Piskula.