BRIAN WIEDERSPAN
UTD Trimix Instructor / Technical Instructor Trainer #014
Member, UTD Training Advisory Board
NAUI Technical Instructor #42629
UTD Cave 2
>2000 dives
>200 dives requiring stage decompression
>300 DPV (Scooter) dives
>200 cave dives
206.351.2019
Brian was born and raised in California, but it wasn’t until he was living in Seattle, and took a vacation in Cozumel in January 2000 that he learned to dive. He was immediately hooked, and after returning to Seattle he immediately started diving, often.
He's been a dive instructor since 2004, and a technical/trimix instructor since 2008. He's a UTD Technical Instructor Trainer, member of the UTD Training Advisory Board and is a UTD Trimix Instructor.
Brian coaches his students to become safer, more competent and confident divers and explorers. His dedication to his students is his first and foremost priority. His teaching style is more of a mentoring - he teaches as if he's building his own team, which is often the end result, as many of his students join him in his explorations and projects. When teaching, he draws from his own extensive experience and explorations, providing the students with realistic training, helping them to develop skills they'll use in their own dives and explorations.
He's trained the Seattle Aquarium's dive staff, and has helped to integrate team diving techniques & procedures into their dive operations and program. The training has included Essentials, DPV 1 and Tech 1. By incorporating their new training into their field operations, the Aquarium's staff/field divers can now extend their operating range to deeper depths, with the added safety of helium-based bottom breathing gas and oxygen for accelerated decompression, while increasing their efficiency by including DPVs and team diving protocols.
He's also trained Renton Fire Department's Water Rescue Team.
DIVE TRAINING
2000 PADI Open Water - Cozumel, Mexico
2002 & 2003 Worked as Divemaster
2004 Completed NAUI IDC
2006 5thD-X Essentials and Technical training
01/2008 Cave diving training
08/2008 Trimix training w/ Andrew Georgitsis
12/2008 First ever UTD Crossover/IDC
2010 Trimix Instructor Training
EXPLORATION | PROJECTS | MEDIA
Creator & Camera | GoPro's Searching the Maya Underworld
Camera / Team Member | Sac Actun / Dos Ojos Connection
Exploration Diver / Camera | Red Sea Wreck Exploration Project
Camera / Team Member | Vanilla Sky Project 2018 / O'ho Tucha Exploration
Exploration Diver / Camera | Olympic National Marine Sanctuary Project
Interview / Commentary | Wildlife Detectives: Mystery Sharks of Seattle
Exploration Diver / Camera | Vancouver Island Exploration Project 2017
Exploration Diver / Camera | Shipwreck of the General
Exploration Diver / Camera | Mine Exploration Project
Exploration Diver / Camera | Shipwreck Exploration Project
Camera / Team Member | Vanilla Sky Cave Exploration Project 2017
Camera / Team Member | Gran Acuifero Maya (GAM)
A true explorer at heart, Brian has been an exploration diver and camera operator on several projects. He has a true passion for documenting exploration, as it happens. His footage has been featured on National Geographic, CNN, BBC, Reuters and Associated Press. He’s won several GoPro Awards and his footage has been used in GoPro commercials and promotional / launch videos and he is currently sponsored by GoPro's Media Team.
He came up with the concept for GoPro’s “Searching the Maya Underworld – Quest for the Earth’s Biggest Cave” and worked as the primary underwater camera operator on the 14 day project, one of GoPro’s most successful “long” projects.
He was a team member and primary camera operator for the Sac Actun / Dos Ojos Connection Project, which created the world's longest underwater cave system in Jannuary 2018.
He appeared in, and was interviewed in KCTS’s 2016 Edward R. Murrow Award winning documentary “Wildlife Detectives: Mystery Sharks of Seattle
OTHER INTERESTS
Running/fitness/health, videography & video editing and music. From childhood, music has played an important role in his life.
EQUIPMENT
REGULATORS
Backmount - Apeks DST/TX50
Sidemount / Cave - Apeks DST/ATX50
Deco/Stage - Apeks DST/XTX50, DST/ATX50 & DST/XTX40
EXPOSURE
Rofos/UTD RS350 / XM450
DUI FLX Extreme Expedition / MK2 (Cave)
BACKPLATES / WINGS
Backmount - Fred Tagge & HOG plates, Agir-Brokk, Dive-Rite, Golem, HOG & Halcyon wings
Sidemount (cave exploration) - Custom using UTD Z-Harness & Z-Tec Pro Wing, Agir & Sump UK hardware and DGX Butt Plate
LIGHTS
UTD, Light Monkey & Salvo primaries & DRIS and BigBlue backups
GAUGES
Shearwater and DiveSoft
DPV
Dive-Xtras CUDA 400 and Sierra X-Scooters
VIDEO
GoPro HERO6 cameras, Golem Housings and BigBlue VL5800P & VL15000 Pro lights