Ten years have already passed since the first edition of the largest and most important diving event in Poland. That’s why Baltictech Conferance in 2017 was so special.
We can quickly summarize Baltictech Conference 2017 in numbers. About 750 listeners from Poland and abroad attended this two-days meeting. The participants could listen to 39 lectures of 32 international speakers. They received help from 12 volunteers and 6 translators. 39 exhibitors waited for participants in the Pomeranian Science and Technology Park in Gdynia, where the conference was held. Each year the number of Baltictech Conference participants increases. 750 listeners from Poland and abroad took part in this edition.
We can not compare all the lectures objectively, because they were held in three lecture rooms at the same time. We often had to make difficult choices which one to choose. Many times we would like to be in two places at the same time. The range of topics about diving was large. This year, lectures were about many specialist issues such as cave diving, wreck diving, diving equipment (especially closed circuit), issues related to diving medicine and physiology, etc. The choice was difficult. However, the Baltictech Team took this into account. The schedule was well-arranged and similar topics were not at the same time. Summarizing the lectures, they were on the highest level. The most urgent participants listened just one-third of the Baltictech program. Therefore, most of them were "hungry" and even wanted to know more and listen more.
During ten-years history of the Baltictech we can see the positive development and hard work of the organizers to improve this event. Good selection of lecturers and topics, bigger exhibition space, which attracted 39 exhibitors including diving equipment producers and importers, representatives of several diving associations are the best proof for that. There were plenty of new technologies display and premiers at the stands. All participants had opportunity to see experts and directly ask them about the details. In every edition there is a noticeable increase of the exhibition offer and attractiveness in the stands designs.
The first day ends with the competition result for the bests: instructor - REC, TECH, CCR, diving base, dive shop, event of the year and "Golden Pipe" which means diving “Golden Raspberry Award”. Every participant could vote once. The titles were very prestigious, except the last one. Interest parties sought for favorable voices from conference participants. Differently was with the nomination for the "Golden Pipe" - which is a disapproval and kind of "yellow card", expressed loudly by the national diving world. It was cheerful and loud because of the applause. During the lottery, you could feel the excitement and big emotions. Some lucky participants won valuable prizes.
On Baltictech 2017 were also a special moment of reflection. It was a symbolic appearance of one of the Baltictech’s father - Dimitrios Stavrakakis or "Dima". The participants hold a minute's silence in his memory.
One of the lectures called “Newest discovers” was devoted to the activity of BALTICTECH TEAM. The duet of the speakers "Lukasz Piorewicz & Tomasz Stachura" told about the history and the reasons why such event dedicated to wreck and technical diving in the Baltic Sea was created in Poland. We got to know the history and evolution of the conference through well selected photos from last years and good comment.
Many of us realized that the conference is not the only thing for “Baltictech Team”. A two-years break between meetings in Gdynia is filled with many interested dives and projects. The duet "Lukasz Piorewicz & Tomasz Stachura" told the secrets about diving in many virgin wrecks near the Lawica Slupska in the Baltic Sea. A few minutes were devoted to report about the project "Santi Find the Eagle" which aim is to find location of the ORP Eagle wreck at the bottom of the North Sea. It was emphasized that the "Baltictech Team" is open and wants to integrate divers from Tricity. They invited "new faces" to join “Baltictech team” and take part in their projects. They presented, behind the scenes, highlights of new 10 episodes documentary series about wrecks in the Baltic Sea in which “Baltictech Team” takes part. The series will be broadcast soon in the TV documentary channel.
Tomasz Stachura stated that on behalf of the whole large Baltictech community, believing in its size and commitment, he attempts in administrative way to restore to diving two wrecks lying at the bottom of the Baltic Sea in Poland. The most known from them is the legendary wreck Wilhelm Gustloff, closed for diving by the Maritime Office, since 1994. Conversations, exchanges of letters with the Maritime Office are currently in progress.
