Guz.tech is the name of a new one-day technical diving conference set to be held in the UK later this year. “Guz” is the naval name for Plymouth and a lecture theatre at Plymouth University will be the venue on Saturday, 25 November.
The event promises to celebrate “the best recent diving adventures from around the British Isles” and to feature the “spectacular diving career of one of Britain’s greatest-ever wreck-divers – a unique story that’s never been told before.”
Also read: Valhalla divers identify WW1 U-boat at 104m
This refers to Gifford Pound, who achieved hundreds of first dives on West Country country. “In an era when it was acceptable, he amassed a collection of 50+ ship’s bells that will probably never be matched,” say the organisers, who have invited Mike Etheredge to talk about his friend’s diving career and the pioneering technical techniques he employed.
Conference co-organiser Barbara Mortimer had a pivotal role in recent expeditions to identify the submarines HMS D1 and SM U-95, and is set to discuss these and other submarine wrecks that remain a mystery, as well as her upcoming diving projects.
Another presentation, by fellow event organiser Dr Fran Hockley, will cover WW1 torpedo-gunboat HMS Jason, sunk by a mine off Coll in the west of Scotland. The wreck was finally located, after many unsuccessful searches, 105 years later last April, at a depth of 95m. Hockley will explain how Jason was found, and what it’s like to dive such a significant wreck.
“We know that there have been some amazing recent expeditions of exploration and discovery and that more are planned across the UK and Ireland,“ she says. ”Come to Guz.tech to hear everything about them.”
Further presentations will be announced by Guz-tech on its site and on social media. Tickets can be booked on the site now and cost £30, and there will be an optional “get-together” for attendees in the evening.
Also on Divernet: How technical diving spread around the world, Q&A: Gemma Smith on tech diving, The Technical Diving Revolution – Pt 1, The Technical Diving Revolution – Pt 2, The Technical Diving Revolution – Pt 3
