May 20, 2001

Αίθουσα Δρακόπουλου του Πανεπιστήμιου Αθηνών (Πανεπιστημίου 30 Αθήναι)

Άρθρο: Γιώργος Πέτρου

There are some very pivotal moments in the development of diving in Greece. Many important people and organizations have contributed in the past to its beginning and progress.

From the

• Nikos Kartelias
• Manolis Papagrigorakis, the "Underwater Man",
• the UK, the EUDAATK,
• the arrival of foreign organizations, the establishment of magazines such as "Greek Diver - Vythos" (Dimis Varveris),
• "Diving" (Manolis Eugenitakis), the NATEX diving exhibition,
• the appeals of Loukas Bistarakis, the liberation of the Coasts,
• the cave diving team of Giannopoulos, Bolanz, Casati,
• of the first chamber in Salamis with Athanasius

and then in the NNE with Vasilis Zachariadis and Pavlos Vavasis. The Kalymnian divers who transmitted sponge fishing to the whole world, and a legacy from the ancient Greeks, our ancestors. To this day, Kostas Thoktaridis with a rich diving past continues with his ROVs to find shipwrecks lost in the depths and time.

• This was one such moment that George Petrou - Hellas Underwater Explorers passionately envisioned and, with a lot of investment of time, effort and money, managed to organize and carry out with complete success.

We are talking about a time when technical diving was timidly trying to take its first steps in a very difficult environment. I remember that when 29 years ago in 1995 I started technical diving professionally, amateurly since 1982, that is 42 years..... (now that this article is written it is 1/6/2024), but also in 2001, many people accused us of introducing rear-filling BCDs and presenting them at exhibitions, Aluminum stage tanks, diving deep with the addition of Helium to our mixtures, or when we did cave explorations they said:

"The equipment was dangerous" (these BCDs would suffocate you and the aluminum tanks often exploded) and our technical dives-explorations were characterized as "almost suicidal". But things were changing rapidly and all of Fundamental's thanks to us began to rapidly diversify. A new era began and we see its results today.

The 1st Technical & Amateur Diving Conference marked the beginning of a new Era for diving in Greece, the one in which Technical diving entered our lives in a systematic and organized manner. Hellas Underwater Explorers / George Petrou in collaboration with the Postgraduate Department of the University of Athens held this conference, inviting a number of distinguished scientists from Greece and abroad to present the latest diving developments and views on Technical diving. All expenses were covered by George Petrou.

The conference speakers were:

1. Μαρία Αποστολοπούλου. Διευθύντρια Καθηγήτρια Μεταπτυχιακού Ωκεανογραφίας Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών.
2. Nikos Anastasiadis. Biologist Specialized in diving physiology. Trainer of Trainers.
3. Chris Parrett. Σχεδιαστής Abyss diving Software & κατασκευαστής του Abyss Explorers Trimix computer.
4. Thodoris Papastavrou. ENT Specialist in diving medicine. Instructor of Instructors.
5. Παναγιώτης Κοτιλέας. Καρδιολόγος, Ειδικευμένος στην Υπερβαρική Ιατρική. Εκπαιδευτής Εκπαιδευτών.
6. Joost Loomans. Dragger Europe – Sales Manager
7. Vasilis Giannopoulos. Doctor of Geology, Cave Diver, Educator. Head of the Paleoanthropology - Speleology Ephorate.
8. Γιώργος Πέτρου Εκπαιδευτής Εκπαιδευτών, Εξερευνητής, Hellas Underwater explorers
   
   

In a packed auditorium covered by the media of the time and with the presence of the authorities, the two co-organizers, Mr. Petrou and Ms. Apostolopoulou, greeted the spectators and the invited speakers. As the speeches began, each speaker had some very interesting topics to present.

Ms. Apostolopoulou, Director of the Postgraduate Program in Oceanography, University of Athens. She introduced us to the world of Oceanography and connected their work with that of Zack Yv Cousteou, delving into elements of marine biology. A very impressive purely scientific presentation for the data of all of us who are involved in diving and do not have their scientific eye. Here I feel the need to thank the Scuba Instructor and Professor of Oceanography, Mr. Stelios Katsanevakis, who brought us into contact with Ms. Apostolopoulou and to whom this collaboration is credited. He also helped a lot in the organization of this conference.

Ο Νίκος Αναστασιάδης. Βιολόγος Ειδικευμένος στην καταδυτική φυσιολογία, Εκπαιδευτής Εκπαιδευτών, ήταν ο 2ος Ομιλητής.
Για όσους δεν γνωρίσατε τον Κύριο Αναστασιάδη τα λόγια είναι λίγα για να περιγράψεις έναν τόσο καταρτισμένο επιστημονικά εκπαιδευτή καταδύσεων. Άνθρωπος  με πάρα πολύ πνεύμα και χιούμορ. Εξαιρετικός και πολύ ξεκάθαρος στην διδασκαλία του στην ΕΟΥΔΑΑΤΚ προς όλους μας όταν σαν μαθητές υποψήφιοι εκπαιδευτές μας δίδασκε την καταδυτική φυσιολογία - Ιατρική. Ό Νίκος έγινε φίλος μου και μοιραστήκαμε όμορφες ανθρώπινες αλλά και καταδυτικές στιγμές. Είτε στα σχολεία της ομοσπονδίας, είτε στη Σύμη που είχε έρθει σαν σύμβουλος όταν είχα κάνει μια κατάδυση στο 135 μέτρα, είτε στο καταδυτικό ταξίδι που είχα διοργανώσει στην Ερυθρά θάλασσα στη  Hurganda και στο Marsa Alam. Η παρουσίασή του έγινε με διαφάνειες και για μια ακόμη φορά είχε τον τρόπο να μας κρατήσει αμείωτο το ενδιαφέρον με το τρόπο με τον οποίο τεκμηρίωνε τις απόψεις του. Προσωπικά οφείλω να τον ευχαριστήσω όταν σε δύσκολες εποχές μου εκπαιδευτικά και επαγγελματικά στάθηκε δίπλα μου και με στήριξε. Δυστυχώς ο Νίκος δεν είναι πια κοντά μας αλλά πάντα συνεχίζει να είναι μέσα στις καρδιές μας.

3rd Speaker Mr. Chris Parrett. Abyss diving Software designer & manufacturer of the Abyss Explorers Trimix computer. It was a great honor for us to have the presence of the American owner of one of the largest and most important companies in the diving industry at the time, and especially in the technical diving industry at the time. Abysmal Diving's company was a pioneer in research and diving developments. Indicatively, I will mention that he had designed one of the highest quality Diving Software - diving accounting, decompression, denitrification, Abyss, the best that my eyes have seen to this day. The software, in addition to its beautiful design, had the ability to use all gases Oxygen, Nitrogen, Helium, Neon, etc., had many algorithms to choose from Bulmann - Hann, RGBM, etc., the ability to add personal characteristics of physiology, environment, consumption, gas mixing, 32 tissue groups and everything else that a diving software could have. He was my guardian angel on many dives and he always deoxygenated me perfectly. He also brought the Abysmall Diving Trimix computer. The most beautiful and advanced thing at that time. His speech was not limited to equipment issues to our surprise but to diving physiology and deoxygenation issues, delving into the entry/exit level, i.e. the solubility of gases at the NUCLEI level. He analyzed for us how the positively charged central nucleus of an atom, which consists of Protons and Neutrons and contains almost all of its mass, "reacts". Gas dissolution, Defusion, Solubility and much more. Silence and absolute concentration from the audience.

4th speaker Mr. Thodoris Papastavrou. ENT Specialist in diving medicine. Trainer of Trainers. Teacher at EUDAATK and its curator for a period of time. Excellent scientist and speaker. Lover of the Ancient Greek spirit with a unique way of speaking and writing. His notes at the federation were for all of us profound manuals on which our entire diving edifice of knowledge was based on almost all subjects of physiology and laws of physics. With slides and power point he analyzed the why in each subject and was one of the pillars of the unquestionable quality in theoretical teaching at EUDAATK.

5ος ομιλητής ο Κος Παναγιώτης Κοτιλέας. Καρδιολόγος, Ειδικευμένος στην Υπερβαρική Ιατρική. Εκπαιδευτής Εκπαιδευτών.

Panagiotis Kotileas, a military doctor, an excellent cardiologist and in permanent collaboration with Mr. Zachariadis' Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy chamber. Always serious and measured, he gave us a very clear analysis of all the physiology and diving issues related to the heart.

Όσο πέρναγε η ώρα καταλαβαίναμε ότι τα θέματα ήταν άπειρα πάνω στα οποία θα μπορούσε να μας ενημερώσει. Για παράδειγμα ένα από θέματα παρουσίασής του ήταν το PFO.  Το PFO είναι ένα ανοιχτό ωοειδές τρήμα (patent foramen ovale – PFO) ένα μικρό άνοιγμα (τρύπα) στην καρδιά. Το άνοιγμα αυτό εντοπίζεται ανάμεσα στις δύο μικρότερες κοιλότητες της καρδιάς, τον αριστερό και τον δεξιό κόλπο. Ένα ανοιχτό ωοειδές τρήμα επιτρέπει την ροή αίματος μεταξύ των δύο αυτών κοιλοτήτων. Μας ανέλυσε όλους τους παράγοντες το πως μπορούσε να αποτελέσει αντένδειξη για κατάδυση ή το πως θα μπορούσε να επηρεάσει την σωστή και ολοκληρωμένη απαζώτωσή μας.

Joost Loomans. Dragger Europe – Sales Manager

The Dutchman Joost Lumans is another of our distinguished guests. Sales Manager of the well-known Dragger company presented us with all the developments with the well-known Rebreathers. Rebreathers of semi-closed and closed type. He analyzed all aspects of the subject, advantages, disadvantages, requirements and risks. We saw the semi-closed Rebreather of Dragger in person. Welcome to a quiet world, without bubbles!!!! The audience was enthusiastic about this new development and a few looked at the subject with great skepticism. Today, Rebreathers have justifiably conquered the field of diving and especially the field of technical diving and exploration. Open or closed circuit, each system has its positives and negatives. Personally, I was diving for years with a Megalodon of Innerspace Systems Corporation.

Vasilis Giannopoulos. Doctor of Geology, Cave Diver, Educator. Head of the Paleoanthropology - Speleology Ephorate

Vasilis is undoubtedly the father of cave diving in our country. Serious and always stoic, he offered us the most spectacular and interesting presentation of the conference. Words are unnecessary and insufficient to describe his speech. Speleology, Paleoanthropology, Historical evidence, Diving, exploration, Geology, Stalactites, stalagmites, Diros caves, Vouliagmeni Cave and many more. No matter how many conferences we had, we would not have enough. And many truly impressive photographs. Another world!!!!

Γιώργος Πέτρου Εκπαιδευτής Εκπαιδευτών, Εξερευνητής, Hellas Underwater explorers

Λίγο πριν το πέρας των εργασιών του συνεδρίου κατέθεσα και εγώ τις απόψεις μου πάνω σε καθαρά εκπαιδευτικά θέματα και ειδικότερα στα θέματα Τεχνική κατάδυση και εξερεύνηση. Η ανάγκη για να σταματήσει επιτέλους το ψάρεμα με φιάλες, η εκπαίδευση να γίνει πιο ευγενική χωρίς καμία περικοπή ποιότητας πρακτικής εκπαίδευσης, η δημιουργία σύγχρονων εγχειριδίων, η επέκταση της δυνατότητας κατάδυσης για περισσότερο κόσμο, η απελευθέρωση των ακτών ήταν θέματα στα οποία αναφέρθηκα.

Finally, I emphasized that the development of technical diving and exploration must be done responsibly, organized and carefully. One of the most important achievements of me personally and more broadly of my team of Hellas Underwater Explorers is that we brought technical diving safely to the large mass of amateur scuba divers.

Questions to Speakers from the audience

I think if we had unlimited time they would still ask questions from the audience. The questions are endless.

End of conference proceedings

When I started thinking about such an undertaking, I could not imagine its size or its importance. It started as an internal need of mine, and then, together with Stelios Katsanevakis who introduced me to Ms. Apostolopoulou, with the help I had from my then colleagues and the children of our exploration team, a feasible reality slowly began to take shape. The Greek speakers, excellent scientists and friends at the same time, the honored foreign guests, the presence of the authorities, organizations, the media and all of this suffocatingly packed amphitheater contributed to the realization of a very successful conference.

From this 1st Conference and onwards with the 2nd Conference, a new era began for both amateur and technical diving.

Ευχαρίστησα όλους που συνετέλεσαν στο να γίνει αυτό το Συνέδριο πραγματικότητα, συν διοργανωτές, προσκεκλημένους, ομιλητές και κοινό.