Bernie Chowdhury

 

ACTIVE INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATIONS & ORIGINAL DATES

TDI #12347 (Sept 2007); Nitrox; Adv Nitrox, Deco Procedures

DAN #12737 (April 2005); BLS Pro, Oxygen Admin; Field Neuro

PADI #37889 (Sept 1988); Wreck, Deep, Night specialties

NAUI #10304 (April 1988); Wreck, Deep, Night specialties

NOTEWORTHY (non-instructor) CERTIFICATIONS & DATES

CHT (Board Certified Hyperbaric Technologist) – 2004

Trimix (Sheck Exley) – 1990

Full Cave – NACD & NSS-CDS – 1989

Nitrox (Dick Rutkowski) - 1988

AWARDS & INDUSTRY POSITIONS

Life Support Technologies (hyperbaric medicine) – Training Director – current.

Historical Diving Society – Editor, Historical Diver magazine 2006-2007

Historical Diving Society – Board of Directors – 2004-2007

Immersed magazine – Publisher – 1996-2005

The Last Dive – Author - 2000 & 2002 (released in ten languages & audio version)

Beneath the Sea – Diver of the Year (Education) – 2001

Explorers Club – Fellow – 1995 – to present

National Underwater Accident Data Center (U/RI) – Analyst – 1990-1991

Inabata/Seiko – Dive Computer Marketing & Development Consultant – 1991

 

EXPEDITIONS

1991 - Andrea Doria – Organized and led Team Doria ’91, the first mixed gas sport diving expedition to the wreck.  Various decompression programs were used and two researchers were on board to conduct Doppler testing.  Depth:  238 feet.

1995 – HMS Hampshire - (Orkney Islands, Scotland) – Became only the tenth (10^th) diver to explore this controversial war grave.  Depth:  206 feet.

1995 & 1996– Norwegian Arctic Wrecks – (Narvik, and Kilbotn, Norway) – Dived various wrecks, including freighters, destroyers, an airplane, and a U-boat tender.  Depth:  186 feet.

1995 – Blücher – (Oslofjord, Norway) – With support from the Norwegian Technical Diving Society, did solo dive and became only the twelfth (12^th) sport diver on the German WW II cruiser Blücher.  Depth:  307 feet.

1996 – Pheasant Hunt (Orkney Islands, Scotland)– at the invitation of the British Army, searched for, found, dived and videoed H.M.S. Pheasant, a missing World War One destroyer.  Video that I shot appeared on BBC Scotland news.  This was the first technical diving sport mission approved by any military service in the world.

Depth:  280 feet.

1997 – Icelandic Cave Diving Expedition – the first and only expedition to survey, map and produce a documentary of any of Iceland’s underwater caves.  Made two (2) preliminary exploratory trips to Iceland, including laying line into unexplored cave passages.  Shipped high-volume tanks, compressors and a gas-mixing panel to Iceland for expedition.  Depth:  197 feet.

 

OTHER DIVING EXPERIENCES

Have dived caves in Australia, Iceland, Mexico and in the U.S. (Florida, Pennsylvania, and abandoned mines in New York).  Explorations included laying line into previously unexplored passages in Iceland, and in the U.S. (PA and NY).

 

Extensive wreck diving experience, numerous deep wreck penetrations, including those at extended range, and trimix depths.  Locations include almost all U.S. eastern seaboard states, Great Lakes, CA, Newfoundland, Canada, Sweden, Norway, and Scotland.

MEDIA

Have published over fifty (50) diving-related articles, reports and the only two wreck diving fatality accident analyses published to date (with NUADC @ U/RI, see above).

Television appearances in four (4) countries.

Featured in newspaper and magazine articles around the world.

Numerous radio appearances throughout North America and the U.K.

SPEAKING

Have been a featured speaker at major diving conferences – both recreational and technical -- and events since 1992.  Have spoken in Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Norway, Scotland, Sweden and throughout the United States.  Featured tech conference speaking includes at/in: Canada; Tek (AquaCorps); NACD Cave Workshop (FL), IQ ’92 (NAUI); IANTD Tech Conference (UK); G-tech (Germany – gave presentations in German); Sweden (on both east and west coasts); and Oztech (Australia).  Have given technical diving seminars (with Glenn Butler and Dr. Bill Hamilton) at Beneath the Sea (NJ) and at the Boston Sea Rovers.  Am Training Director for Life Support Technologies and part of the faculty for the five-day “Introduction to Hyperbaric Medicine” course offered to physicians and allied health professionals.  Course approved by the UHMS for issuance of 40 CMEs to participating physicians.