Whole the organization has started one year ago. Then for the first time we wanted to have true DIR dives. We have sent an email to GUE instructor (Global Underwater Explorers) Achim Schoefell from Germany. Nearly at the same time we have contacted Maciek R. Pawlak from USA who is fluent with GUE courses organization and he is also a friend of Andrew Georgitsis. Once during phone conversation with Maciek he asked me a question why not to organize course with the best GUE instrutor - Andrew. "Why not!" I replied. Thanks to Maciek we have contacted Andrew and agreed course date. It came in that Andrew has a lot of work all over the World. He is extreamlly busy person working over 350 days a year out of his home city. We agreed to have two courses one by one in August 2004. There will be 6 students for each course. In addition we asked for two GUE Brittanic '99 presentations. Although he was traveling around the World we do not have any problem to communicate him. It is interesting that emails has been coming from Norway, USA or from far east Asia. He arrived to Poland on August 18th flying from London to Warsaw. We have met him for the first time at the airport. First impression is that he is very tall more then you can see on the pictures. Second impression is about hand shake. Those who had seen palms might understand that impression. After short greeting we went together with Robert Klein for lunch and for a sightseeing at the old town. For a first day in Poland after his long flight it is over. On a second day there is GUE Brittanic presentation in a club "Balsam". About 16:30 we are at the place preparing projector and a screen. About quarter past five presentation has started for over 40 person audience. Just after the presentation we were told that the time for an event was too early. Although Andrew is tired after his long journey he is very excited talking about expedition. We have noticed that wreck diving is his passion. In addition Robert shows to us outstanding patience translating presentation to Polish. During the presentation some issues came in and we are going to ask Andrew about it later. After one and a half hour of presentation there were answers followed by few questions. After presentation we get going to Hancza lake area. It takes five hours to get there and we are there just after the midnight. Please were we stayed is hosted by Ela Michalak. Next day we are going to have classes after a breakfast.

Day 1

Just after the breakfast first DIR Fundamentals course has started. There is a question worrying everyone - how it is going to be. We know that Andrew is top class instructor and educator but we were told that he do not allow any kind of non DIR way diving and that he is strict.
At the very beginning there is a time for every one to explain who we are, why we are diving, how long and we we take DIRF classes. Then Andrew explain to us that we should not think to get another plastic card diving license after that course. He advice us to be open minded for every think that is new and for all his comments. We set course schedule. Today we are going to have theory and next two days are for open water training.
Lecture start with definitions of GUE, DIR and where it comes from. Then he explain how DIR gives you safer diving. After it are procedures and task for team and for each diver as well. There is a lot of new informations. Andrew explain it clearly although is english sound more like us-english and sometime it is difficult to understand him. After that part of course we have a delicious lunch thanks to our host Ela Michalak. After lunch there is time for equipment configuration. We have to get is our dry suit and under wear although there is + 30 C. After a minute every one is wet. First we are checking our harnesses. I have to shorten crouch strap. Other have more or less modifications. Some harnesses looks prefect but when body is lean forward they are come down. It is better to see it here neither underwater. I am showing D ring location according to manuals but Andrew asked me to clip on regulator to right D ring with eyes closed. It is not that easy so I move D rings up. I would never wonder how high they are now. Other has same problems. Now there is time for dry suits. Andrew check our pockets. I am loosing deco tables and mountain type clip attached to deco buoy. After five minute brake we undress our suits. Now it is time for regulators. It looks OK but we lost some things like rubber gauge protections etc. New strap on backup regulator is much more tight. Each clip is tided with cave line - no rubber connections. At last we finish and now our equipment looks DIR. It is interesting that Andrew says nothing about regulators. Now we are going to dry practice some exercises like all the kicks. First he show us proper position and the Frog kick, Mod. Frog kick, Mod. Flutter kick and Back kick. Now we are lying on a floor practicing. Then we are trying to do helicopter turn. Being a little tired we are going to practice S drill. In the beginning in pairs then in three divers teams. Now we can clearly see that we are able to donate air faster then before. We are also shown new cave diving hand signals. At the end of day one we are training how to lead dive team when one diver is OOA and other situations. We are waiting for tomorrow open water exercises.

Day 2

After a breakfast there is a time for short briefing. First is just simple diving around then helicopter turn and Basic 5 exercises with regulator and mask. On a second dive there is a time for S drill and to practice every thing. Our play ground is 30m x 10m rectangle at the depth of 7 meters. Water visibility is about 2 meters and less after a while. We are trying to stay by the line one next to other. Andrew show us proper position and kicks. Now we can see that man can swim backward using back kick. Now we are diving around rectangle. Andrew record our kicks on tape. After short brake on surface there is time for three divers teams to show helicopter turn, frog kick and other kicks. We can see that back kick is not that easy however Maciek did it properly. Helicopter turn make us sad. After three hours in water there is time for diner and then we are going to see the tape. Andrew is not happy he have seen it already. Our first impression is that we are not those from the movie. Yesterday we thought that Frog kick is so easy that we can not bust it up. Our Mod. Frog kick looks like proper Frog and Mod. flutter is not so bad. Generally trim is not perfect as well as buoyancy. Backward kick is total disaster expect Maciek nobody reallly go backward. Time for team work - although Andrew do not disturb us problems came on. Most common problem was the third diver. Cooperation in team of three was very new for us. Also line protocol was disaster. At the end it was disaster but we were there to find how to improve our diving. Discussion was till evening but Andrew do not accept excuses like low visibility when he was able to put it all on tape. There was a success because we did not lower the visibility with mud from the bottom.

Day 3

Again short morning briefing. For today we have S drill, Valve drill and deco buoy. First OOA. Again we are split for two three divers teams and we are working on emergency ascent with OOA diver with stops. Andrew starts to disturb us. He tides us in line, inflate wings and take away our masks. Now we are much more aware about "third diver" but in fact that diver is an target of Andrew's attacks. Short brake and time for Valve drill. That "easy" exercise is not that easy. Some of us have wrong size wings and have a problems to reach valves. Same about suits but Andrew show us that we really can. Finally we have to deploy deco buoys. That is very simple exercise but you need good support from your team. Again we are tided in buoy lines and surfacing immediately. Generally it is hard. At the end emergency situations, we are able to ascent to surface with one diver OOA and second one without mask. Full success for the very end. After diner we are watching movies and again Andrew show us what is going wrong. All the time problems are about trim and buoyancy. Still team work is disaster as well as team communication. After movie we have some more theory about dive planning, gas consumption and decompression. If you count dive for 30m single tank do not have enough air and double 12 liter is significant for just few minutes bottom time. Now it is time for course summary. We have to rate our self and we also seen on camera what we are doing wrong. All of us have finished course on "provisional" what means that we have to improve some issues before next training. Our DIR Fundamentals is over. Now it is time for second group.

Summary:
1 pass
10 provisional
1 fail

After second course we are going to Gdynia.

Diving wreck Abille - Maciek Rulka

On friday morning august 27th we were diving on wreck lying on the sea bottom at the Gulf of Gdansk near Hel harbour. About 10 in the morning we are leaving from yacht marina in Gdynia on board M/Y Sztorm. As usually our skipper is "Lechu" - Leszek Wieckowski. In that dive participate Maciek Rulka, Robert Klein and Andrew Georgitsis this time as our friend not instructor. Weather was perfect, light SW wind was blowing. We reach position after an hour. Robert and I plan dive according to Ratio Deco 1:1 befor dive. Plan was 20' bottom time and ascent with deep stops. Weight was at port side near chimney. I found direction to the stern and we went there. Visibility was not outstanding but enough good to have nice and comfortable dive. Termocline was at depth of 40 meters. We have were around stern and bow all the time communicating with light. It gives hugh comfort. After 20 minutes we started to ascent which was very interesting. At 21 meter stop Andrew has calculated his decompression in his wet notes. It is very interesting. After surfacing we undress in water. I must agreed that climbing back to boat is much more easy without the equipment. Now we were ready to go back. On the way to Gdynia Andrew talk about engine room... of course that one on Abille.

For that dive we were using standard TX21/35 and EAN50 for decompression. Big thanks to Lukasz Piorewicz for mixes and to Lech who pull out our equipment.

In the afternoon at 17:00 there was next GUE Britannic '99 presentation in Gdynia. Thanks to vice-president of city Mr. Stasiak and city council we were allowed to use venue in city hall. There was about 70 people on presentation which takes more then two and a half hour. A twenty minutes lecture about decompression during 120 meter dive make great impression on audience. Some guest did not even understand it because deep diving is not so common here. Presentation was a great success thanks to Robert who was translating it. Andrew told us also about his plans and dreams of underwater on-line wreck museum for kids and youths.

Last day Andrew spent seightseeing Gdansk and Gdynia because weather do not allow us to have a dive.

Time for summary. Was it worth? Yes, for sure. However logistic and financial mean it was a long shot. The most important is that we menage to do everything. Although course take only three days I have learnt a lot. I know my place and way for developing my skills to have maximum satisfaction after each dive. The most important is that finally some one has told us how to develop not how to dive. If you asked me is it worth to take DIRF classes I will replied - YES!. Next year we are going to meet Andrew. It might be also Tec 1 we want it either Andrew. DIRF is already booked.
Special thanks to: Maciek R. Pawlak - Maciek we will not organize it with out your support. Thank for you help. We wish you were here.

Robert Klein - Robert once more: THANKS YOU!

Ela Michalak - Ela thanks for you hospitality and kindness.

Dive Center CTN Piorewicze - guys thanks for mixes and you service during course.

City Council of Gdynia - for assistance during presentation. Special thanks to vice-president Mr. Stasiak.

Club Balsam - for assistance during presentation.