We’re very pleased to announce our programme.
| Time | Event |
| 0900 | Welcome |
| 0910 | The hunt for HMS Jason Dom Robinson |
| 0955 | Britain’s greatest wreck diver – Gifford Pound Mike Etheredge |
| 1040 | Coffee break |
| 1115 | Confessions of an accidental U-boat nerd Barbara Mortimer |
| 1200 | What time’s slack? Technical diving – a skipper’s perspective Ian Taylor |
| 1245 | Lunch |
| 1345 | Evolution of underwater photography for imaging shipwrecks around the British Isles Rick Ayrton |
| 1430 | Vickers Wellington Project Ian France |
| 1515 | Coffee break |
| 1545 | Lost in Waters Deep Expedition 2023 Paul Downs & Will Schwarz |
| 1630 | Raffle & drinks |
| 1900 | Post conference curry @ Mombay Brasserie |
The hunt for HMS Jason
HMS Jason hit a mine on 3 April 1917 and sunk with the loss of 25 lives off the coast of Coll, near Oban. Her crew are remembered in the St John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Oban.
After many unsuccessful searches, HMS Jason was finally located in April 2022 lying in 95m of water. Dominic Robinson will be explaining how it was found and what it is like to dive a wreck of this significance.
Britain’s greatest wreck diver – Gifford Pound
Gifford Pound has been described as Britain’s greatest wreck diver. He used pioneering technical techniques to achieve hundreds of first dives on wrecks around the West Country. In an era when it was acceptable, he amassed a collection of 50+ ship’s bells that will probably never be matched.
His friend Mike Etheredge will talk about Gifford’s diving career and the techniques they used.
Confessions of an accidental U-boat nerd
Many of the submarine wrecks around the British Isles have yet to be located or positively identified.
Along with her pivotal role in the recent expeditions to identify HMS D1 and SM U-95, Barbara Mortimer will also talk about submarine wrecks that remain a mystery.
What time’s slack? Technical diving – a skipper’s perspective
Ian Taylor is a well known and respected dive charter skipper, commercial diver and contractor, and accomplished technical diver.
Ian will be telling of the trials and tribulations of technical diving trips from a skipper’s and diver’s perspective.
Evolution of underwater photography for imaging shipwrecks around the British Isles
Rick Ayrton is a technical diver and photographer specialising in deep wreck exploration. He is a member of the Bristol Underwater Photography Group – BUPG (BUPG) and British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSOUP).
Having written a number of articles for various dive magazines and blog post as an O’Three Ltd ambassador, Rick has also published a book entitled ‘Expedition Britannic’.
Vickers Wellington Project
Ian France Technical who is one of the UK’s top and most respected technical diving Instructor Trainers (IANTD UK).
Ian will be speaking about his involvement in a project diving a WWII British Bomber in the Aegean Sea, Greece. The story involves how the crew were saved by locals and helped evade capture by the Nazis’ and were finally able to get home.
Lost in Waters Deep Expedition 2023
Will Schwarz and Paul Downs will jointly be talking about their recent Lost In Waters Deep expedition to Scotland with the identification of three wrecks including HMS Hoste and HMS Negro, two naval destroyers who collided in 1916 resulting in a large loss of life.
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