Garry Dallas, aka ‘Sidemount Bob’ from “Simply Sidemount” and “Simply Tec” has joined the RAID UK Executive team to bring further support to the rapidly expanding RAID UK & Malta Regional Office.

An avid dry caver and pot-holer in his early days, Garry began his diving career in 1999 and is now a recreational, technical and cave diving instructor. As his aka implies, his interest in diving includes sidemount, but he also has extensive experience in backmount, CCR and freediving which has led to an extensive knowledge base he eagerly shares with others. Garry also has a strong sport and business background. Prior to becoming a full-time dive instructor, Garry was a motor mechanic, working at TVR before later owning his own facility for 15 years. This mechanical mindset lends itself well to dive equipment configuration and development.

Garry’s passion for sidemount and cave diving led him to be a fundamental part of the founding of the Apeks Cave Exploration Project in 2013 and a member of the Apeks Tek Testing Team. Whether diving technical or recreational, cave or wreck, Garry provides high quality training with an enthusiastic and friendly approach. Garry has undertaken courses and adopted knowledge and skills from most of the training agencies including TDI, IANTD, PSAI, AIDA and has been a PADI and SSI recreational/technical instructor for several years. IN 2014 Garry was awarded the Best UK Instructor as voted by the readers of Sport Diver.

Garry first met Training Director of RAID International Paul Toomer during his Technical, Trimix and CCR training courses and instantly recognised a common kindred spirit with a high degree of enthusiasm for diving and a similar dedication to high standards. It was an easy fit for Garry, as RAID is a diver training agency with these fine qualities at it’s very core.

RAID UK and Malta Managing Director, James Rogers, said: “Garry is vastly known, extremely well liked and highly respected individual in the dive industry. He will assist us greatly in the vital role within RAID UK and Malta, getting our RAID Dive Centres and Instructors using, fully comprehending and capitalising on the values of the RAID education system. He will join the first wave of new RAID Instructor Trainers in October 2015 and will provide a valuable RAID contact service to the dive industry, particularly at open water sites around the UK. We are excited to have him in the team officially as a Director. His contributions will be awesome.”

Paul Toomer, RAID UK and Malta Director, said: “Garry will bring a great balance of training, business accruement and customer service to our growing membership. We are extremely excited to have Garry on board with us. We are already getting some great feedback on the increased service and realistic advice we are providing the local dive industry.”

To learn more contact your local RAID Regional Office or find all the information you need on all RAID programs at www.diveraid.com and freediving at www.freedivingraid.com. You can visit RAID’s Facebook page here.