CAVE / SHIPWRECK EXPLORER
BRUCE KONEFE
- Born in Dearborn, Michigan – 27 March 1961
- Graduated from Algonac Michigan in 1979
- Four years U.S. Marine Corp as a Combat Engineer (1981-85)
- Learned to dive while stationed in Okinawa Japan (1981)
- Became full time scuba instructor in 1994 (PADI OWSI)
- Become technical diver (ANDI) in 1995
- Appointed NSS CDS Safety Director for Thailand
- Appointed ANDI Instructor Training Director #15 on 22 Dec 2010
Example Technical Diving Expeditions:-
- Discovery and survey of 9 ancient pottery wrecks – Gulf of Thailand
- Led the primary wreck exploration on many Japanese/US war wrecks – Gulf of Thailand
- Technical support diver for Indonesia scientific expedition; filming rare marine life (150m CCR dives)
- Consultant for Vietnamese government project to survey offshore ancient pottery wreck (80m)
- Stage support diver in Southern Thailand deep cave exploration (200m CCR cave dives)
- Support/preparatory team member World Depth Record attempt (260m dives)
- Bottom phase diver on Yamashiro/Fuso battleship project (200m CCR dives)
- Discovery and mapping of 25 virgin cave systems; Thailand & Philippines
Previous Educational Projects:-
- Technical diving trainer for the Thailand Government Archaeology Department
- Royal Thailand Navy hyperbaric chamber trainer/operator (logged 480+ hours
- Provided Philippines government/military hyperbaric chamber operator/tender course
- Trained Royal Thailand Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) on CCR Inspiration level 2-3
- Developed ANDI Sidemount and Technical Sidemount courses.
- Contributing author for ANDI L 2-5 OC & CCR Cave Courses, Instructor Procedures, Exams and Teaching Media
- Author of the ANDI DPV/Trimix/Cave Survey/ Sidemount Cave courses
- Author of the ANDI Cavern – Full Cave/Mine Manual
- Author of the ANDI Cave Specialty Manual
- Co – Author of the ANDI Solo diving course
- Co – Author of the ANDI Level 4 & 5 OC/ CCR Wreck courses
Ongoing Technical Diving Projects:-
- Location and exploration of appropriate training caves across the Asia region
- Develop & promotion of fledgling cave diving communities in several countries
- Expeditionary diving projects to explore remote cave systems in the Philippines jungle
- Shipwreck exploration in the Philippines; searching for undiscovered ancient and WWII wrecks