Diving with A Purpose
A citizen science project for people who are passionate about shipwrecks and other underwater cultural heritage
For maritime archaeologists, the local diving community is of tremendous importance. They can be a key player in providing information but also in raising awareness and supporting the preservation of heritage sites. The organisors of IKUWA 8 are therefore very happy to offer local divers the opportunity to participate in a workshop on under water heritage during the conference.
Dr. Andy Vinduka (maritime archaeologist, conservator and founder of GIRT Scientific divers) will be joining us from Australia. Together with colleagues Jessica Vandevelde (Onroerend Erfgoed), Sven Van Haelst (Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee) and Johan Opdebeeck (Rijksdienst voor Cultureel Erfgoed, Nederland) we will be organising a two-day GIRT workshop.
GIRT stands for “Gathering Information via Recreational and Technical Scientific Divers”. It is a citizen science project, encouraging divers to actively participate in public archaeology and create added value to their dives.
During the workshop, you will learn about the underwater cultural heritage in the North Sea, the local legislation, what sort of research is being conducted and how you as a recreational of technical diver can contribute to this research. You will learn different techniques to survey a site, how to process your data and how to upload your own research in the GIRT database. GIRT members can then ‘adopt a wreck’ they like and agree to monitor the site periodically using this methodology.
For more information on the workshops or on GIRT, go to https://www.girtsd.org/
Practical information
Timing & Locations
- Day 1: Sunday 12 October 2025, 9:00 - 17:00, VLIZ Marine Station, Slipwaykaai 2, 8400 Oostende (BE)
- Day 2: Monday 13 October 2025, 9:00 - 17:00, Transfo Diving Tank, Transfostraat 5, 8550 Zwevegem (BE) - https://duiktank.be/en/
Price
- Participation fee: 50 EUR (VAT incl.)
- Fee includes catering on both days (drinks & lunch) and entrance to the diving tank
Requirements
- Only qualified divers with 50+ logged dives can join the workshop
Equipment
- Please bring your own diving equipment
- Rental equipment is available at Transfo, but is not covered by the organisation
Registration
Please send an e-mail with your name, invoice details (name/company, address, VAT-number if applicable) and food preferences to events@vliz.be