INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATIONS & ORIGINAL DATES
TDI/SDI #12347 (Sept 2007); Open Water diver thru Advanced Trimix
DAN #12737 (April 2005); Various Diving Medical Courses
NAUI #10304 (April 1988)
PADI #37889 (Sept 1988 – not active)
NOTEWORTHY (non-instructor) CERTIFICATIONS & DATES
CHT (Board Certified Hyperbaric Technologist) – 2004
Trimix (instructed by Sheck Exley) – 1990
Full Cave – NACD & NSS-CDS – 1989
Nitrox (instructed by 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 11 languages, audio and e-book versions)
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
2011 – Andamans Islands, India, Preliminary Scientific Exploration, Above- and Underwater. With Nasreen S. Haque, Ph.D. Conducted initial photography survey and met with Indian scientists, government officials, and non-profit organization personnel to determine feasibility of long-term scientific exploration in the Andaman Islands.
2010 – Indus Valley Civilization Biodiversity Project (Dwarka, India)
Co-Expedition Leader (with Nasreen S. Haque, Ph.D.). The first expedition to collect underwater sediment bio-samples in the search for microbes that may have links to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization. Carried Explorers Club Flag.
1997 – Icelandic Cave Diving Expedition – Expedition organizer and leader. 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. Carried Explorers Club Flag.
Depth: 197 feet.
1996 – Pheasant Hunt (Orkney Islands, Scotland) – With British Army Sports Diving Team led by Maj. Neal Russell. 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 Bernie 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.
1995 – Blücher – (Oslofjord, Norway) – With support from the Norwegian Technical Diving Society, did solo dive and became only the twelfth (12th) sport diver on the German WW II cruiser Blücher. Depth: 307 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 – HMS Hampshire - (Orkney Islands, Scotland) – Became only the tenth (10th) diver to explore this controversial war grave. Depth: 206 feet.
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.
OTHER DIVING EXPERIENCES
Current, on-going exploration includes caves and abandoned mines in the U.S. Northeast, with both above- water and underwater aspects. Activities include mapping, photography and bio-sampling. Bernie has 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, California, Newfoundland, Canada, Sweden, Norway, and Scotland.MEDIA
Bernie has 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
Are you looking for exciting, dynamic programs that will educate and motivate your audience?
Want to keep your divers or dive group buzzing about the sport, eager to continue their participation?
If so, Bernie Chowdhury’s entertaining and informative line-up of safety, adventure and educational presentations will get your divers fired up to get wet!
Presentation topics include shipwrecks, caves, reefs, technical diving, expeditions, scientific and research diving, and diving safety. A program can also be put together to suit your group.
Click here for program titles and information.
Contact Bernie for more information.
Bernie has been a featured speaker at major diving conferences – both recreational and technical -- and events since 1992. He has 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). He has also given technical diving seminars (with Glenn Butler and Dr. Bill Hamilton) at Beneath the Sea (NJ) and at the Boston Sea Rovers. Bernie is Training Director for Life Support Technologies (a Hyperbaric Medicine and Life-Safety Engineering company) and part of the faculty for the 40-hour/five-day “Introduction to Hyperbaric Medicine” course offered to physicians and allied health professionals. Course approved by the UHMS (Undersea Hyperbaric and Medical Society) for issuance of 40 CMEs to participating physicians.
||Angelo Dragone ||
Address: 119 Monhagen Ave Middletown, NY 10940
Email: ad4431@yahoo.com || angelo@alphadivetraining.com
Ph: 845-344-4431
Cell: 845-249-1672
ACTIVE INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATIONS & ORIGINAL DATES
NAUI Course Director #44679 (2008)
NAUI Instructor Trainer #44679 (2006)
NAUI Instructor #44679 (2004)
SDI CPROX Administrator #95251 (June 2003)
SDI Cylinder Inspector #95250 (June 2003)
SDI Instructor #7631 (January 2003)
TDI Nitrox Instructor #7631 (March 2004)
TDI Nitrox Gas Blender #132818 (July 2004)
HSA Instructor #2690 (November 2007)
ERDI Instructor #7631 (November 2008)
ERDI Dry Suit Ops Instructor #7631 (November 2008)
ERDI Full Face Mask Instructor #7631 (November 2008)
NOTEWORTHY INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES
SSI Instructor #6348 (1998)
SSI Advanced OW Instructor #6348 (1998)
WASI/NASE Instructor #1172 (1999)
PSDA and Water Rescue Instructor Trainer #470 (2007)
DEMA Member (since 2006)
Associate Member & Special Training Consultant to & for the Sullivan County, NY “Water
Rescue and Recovery Team” (2006-2008)
Independent Instruction (Water Dragon Enterprises (March 1996 to present)
Independent Instruction with numerous Dive Shops, both in the US and Abroad
Teaching Discover Scuba and Instruction with Summer Camp Children (2003-2007)
Plan, Organize and Lead Diving Trips: US, Caribbean, Central/South America etc.
Hoops Express, Inc. a not for profit 501C(3)
Working with disabled veterans, people in the community with disabilities, underprivileged children or anyone with an interest in the underwater environment. (Scuba Diving Programs)
Supported by Maurice D. Hinchey (NYS Congressman)
Supported by William J. Larken (NYS Senator)
||Nasreen Haque ||
Address: 119 Monhagen Ave Middletown, NY 10940
Email: nazhaq@alphadivetraining.com
Cell: 917-243-3413
Nasreen S. Haque, Ph.D., is a cellular and molecular biologist. She is Associate Professor at New York Medical College (Valhalla, NY) and also teaches at the New York City College of Technology at the City University of New York (CUNY). She is the Director of the Microbial Biodiversity project, an international effort involving research into both marine and land-based organisms that may ultimately be useful in the development of new medications and cures for various illnesses. Nasreen has over 19 years of teaching and research experience in biology. She first got involved with marine research in 1989 and participated in an expedition to India’s Laccadive Islands, looking for biodiversity in fish, while on the faculty of the National Institute of Oceanography in Goa, India. She continued similar work at India's prestigious National Institute of Immunology where she was among the first scientists to conduct research on transgenic fish using recombinant DNA technology. Her discoveries in New York's Gowanus Canal show promise for possible development into new medication and have attracted media attention in television news stories and newspaper articles, including The New York Times.