Axel Kollewyn, Current AUC Board

Director since 2005

Brief Bio: First Dive Course- 1976 Red Sea, Eilat, Israel, Highest Certification- NAUI Instructor 11013, (retired,) Dan O2 Oxygen Instructor- not Current, PSI Tank Inspector, (not Current)

I have taken courses from ACUC, NAUI, PADI, Federation of Underwater Activities Israel, and the British Sub Aqua Club. Dive areas around the world include Alberta (of course) Victoria, B.C., Ontario's The Great Lakes, St Lawrence Seaway, Ottawa River, Summerside PEI, Cyprus, Red Sea, and in Bermuda.

Favorite warm water dive location is the Red Sea along the coast of Israel and Egypt. Favorite cold water dive is the St Lawrence Seaway between Prescott and Kingston Ontario. Great wreck diving, the cold, fresh water preserves the wood on the old sailing ships. You can still see the structures and beams after a hundred years.

Goals: No spectacular dive trips planned in the near future, hope to make several of the council dive events in Alberta. Having the markers at Minnie in place before the end of June. Visibility is the key to the date of completion.

The AUC would like to honor & acknowledge Axel's many volunteer hours put in at Dive Alberta events over many years! My thanks for that much needed, delicious hot coffee Axel, in the early misty mountain morning at the campground in Jasper before & during the Aquathon's Pancake Breakfast!  Axel also assists & cooks up a great pot of chili for participants at the Bow River Snorkel in Calgary and has flipped burgers at many lake cleanups.  He has also helped out for many years at variety of dive events around the province and at the AUC's booth at the trade show Calgary's Outdoor Adventure Show and Calgary Boat & Sportsman Shows in addition to his thoughtful input during AUC board meeting discussions. Axel has also contributed in assisting longtime AUC Volunteer: Warren Robinson and his team in putting in and removing the Banff Safety Marker Buoys every spring and fall in Lake Minnewanka for many years now!