Wreck-diving aficionado and underwater photographer extraordinaire Pete Mesley will be delivering two unmissable talks on the Main Stage at the Sydney-based GO Diving Show ANZ at the end of the month.
Pete’s passion for diving started in the cold English waters over 33 years ago. This is where his ‘Lust for Rust’ was created and from then onwards, he has dedicated himself to researching, finding, diving and photographing wrecks.
With over 7,000-plus hours in-water experience spanning over 29 different countries, Pete has been full time in the diving industry since 1991. As well as being a PADI Course Director, Pete is a Technical Diving Instructor Trainer. Pete is notably one of the southern hemispheres most-experienced technical divers and Instructors.
Pete’s highly successful dive travel business Lust4Rust and Shock&Awe Big Animal Diving Excursions focuses on taking experienced divers to specialised dive locations worldwide. Places like Truk Lagoon, the Solomon Islands, Bikini Atoll, the Great Lakes, Sri Lanka, Palau, the South Pacific and NZ.
His experience also expands into the film and the scientific industry. Pete has also earned himself fellowship into the coveted Explorers Club.
A well-published and highly accomplished underwater photographer, Pete has an appetite for finding new places, new wrecks and adventure and documenting them. His latest project is 3D modelling all the wrecks of Truk Lagoon in Truk Lagoon Wreck Baseline Project. He is over halfway there in mapping the largest array of wrecks in the world.
Pete's talks on the Main Stage will be:
Remote Location Diving and Liveaboard Safety – Vital things to know!
There has been a huge number of dive liveaboard sinkings over the last decade. Too many! Some fatal. Why is that? We look at what questions to ask operators, to help you make an informed decision on whether to risk your life with them or not. We look at possible ‘red flags' in what to look for. I will also be giving you some hints on how to best prepare for remote location trips, vital life support equipment and proper preparation so you aren't caught offguard. Having personally witnessed such a sinking I will be telling you how I coped with such an event.
Truk Lagoon Wreck Baseline Project
With the use of photogrammetry techniques, we have set out to complete a full and comprehensive 3D modelling baseline of all the diveable wrecks of Truk Lagoon (Chuuk Lagoon). Getting this essential baseline will help secure the future of Truk, futurising the rich history of the area even long after all the wrecks have disintegrated. This is only phase 1 of the project. Once all the wrecks are modelled, the plan is to remodel them every five years. This will hopefully give us more insight to knowing the rate of degradation of the wrecks. We will discuss future phases to hopefully help grow tourism in Chuuk for the future.
The GO Diving Show ANZ
This annual event, taking place this year on 28-29 September at the Sydney Showground at the Olympic Park, is aimed at showcasing the very best of our underwater world to everyone from raw novices who are either contemplating getting into diving, or have completed their entry-level courses, to advanced divers, right through to technical divers and veteran CCR divers.
There are an array of stages – the Main Stage, the Photo Stage, the Australia/New Zealand Stage, the Inspiration Stage and the Tech Stage – that will play host to dozens of speakers from around the world, as well as a host of interactive features to suit young and old, from VR diving experiences, trydives, a demonstration pool, mermaids, and much more.
Surrounding the stages and features will be a broad range of exhibitors, from tourist boards and tour operators to resorts, liveaboards, training agencies, retailers, manufacturers, and conservation organisations.
The 2024 GO Diving Show UK, now in its fifth year, attracted more than 10,000 attendees over the weekend, and spanned an area of 10,000 sq m of exhibition space, and the Australia and New Zealand variant aspires to reaching this level in coming years.
Entry to the inaugural GO Diving Show ANZ is completely free – register here to get your tickets for what is undoubtedly the diving event of 2024 in Australia. There is plenty of parking on-site and the venue is easy to get to with plenty of transport options, so get the dates in your diary now and prepare for an epic weekend celebrating all forms of diving.
I was a long time diver with Truth Aquatics. The Conception fire hit me very hard. I have done over 900 dives since the fire but only 2 from live aboard. Even with an active highly visible night watch I was uncomfortable. I doubt I will do another live aboard. The high risk is not worth the benefit.
The industry is really kicking itself in its own butt.