Inaugural Global Diving Conference held in Kiel, Germany
Excerpt from the yet-to-be-published Quest 13.2, expected Spring 2012
Four hundred divers from around the world converged upon the campus of Christian-Albrechts University in November 2011 for the first-ever Global Diving Conference in Kiel, Germany. The conference was organized by Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) and sponsored by PADI, and DAN Europe, as well as Beyond the Shore (BtS), Halcyon and Wetnotes. The event was staffed in part by the hard-working members of AMLA, the university’s Working Group for Maritime and Limnic Archaeology. The conference focused heavily on lectures and diver education, with speakers from all corners of the globe sharing their expertise with enthusiastic divers from more than 20 different countries. It was quite a crowd! There was also plenty to entertain the wreck- and cave-diving enthusiasts, with explorers unveiling projects that took place in Finland, Mexico, Russia, and Sweden, just for starters.
In addition to the educational seminars and exploration presentations, a number of additional events were held to entertain conference attendees. Two Project Baseline workshops introduced the concept and mission of GUE’s conservation initiative with a brief overview of the data-entry/publishing side of the project. Field trips organized by AMLA began with a tour of the Haithabu viking museum and reconstructed settlement. Attendees then traveled to Laboe for a tour of the German submarine, U-995. The final stop of the day was at the IFM-GEOMAR Institute where visitors got a guided tour of the facilities as well as a lecture on the institution's research areas around the world. Other events included dinner socials, one of which was hosted by the friendly staff of Baltic Dive Center. Attendees were able to mingle and meet new people, as well as catch up with old friends and colleagues.
Overall, participants felt that the 2011 Global Diving Conference was a resounding success. Several local newspapers covered the event—with articles running before the event and afterward—each with positive reviews.
Special thanks to our speakers and sponsors!
Video by JP Bresser
