News
AP Valves and Ambient Pressure Diving Merge to Form AP Diving

AP Valves, founded by David Parker in 1969 and famous for producing BCDs and dive accessories of the highest quality, has merged with CCR sister company Ambient Pressure Diving to become one company again – AP Diving.
Martin Parker, Managing Director of AP Diving, had this to say of the in-house merger:
“Looking at the group as a whole, we realised there was some confusion out there about the relationship between the two companies and the multiple brand names we have collected over the decades. To rectify this we have now taken the strategic decision to simplify things by aligning AP Valves and its products (BUDDY BCDs, accessories and spares) with Ambient Pressure Diving’s rebreathers and product lines and to sell them both under the umbrella name AP Diving.
“This has meant re-branding both companies with a unified new-look as well as a number of product re-namings (see the ‘BUDDY GOES COMMANDO’ news item on the AP Diving website here) – to create brand clarity between open circuit and closed circuit products and hopefully clear up any confusion to the customer about Who’s Who and Who makes What…
“It’s simple – AP Diving now make and sell everything – Rebreathers and BCDs.
In terms of our product range, this change means that both the ‘AP Valves’ company name and the ‘BUDDY’ brand name will no longer be used in the sport diving market and the ‘BUDDY Commando’ is now called the AP Commando. This and the other re-named AP BCDs will then sit alongside the AP Inspiration range of rebreather models – the Inspiration XPD, the Inspiration EVO (previously the ‘Evolution’) and the Inspiration EVP (previously the ‘Evolution Plus’).
For divers this means clearer product labelling, simpler ordering and this new web brochure and shop – where you can buy all you want and find out all the information you need – all in one place. Importantly, you will now be buying and ordering factory direct from us – no middleman – ensuring you receive exceptional, fast & reliable service from our knowledgeable team. Some things never change.”
AP Diving was officially launched at LIDS 2014 a couple of weeks ago. Scubaverse caught up with Jeff Parker, AP Diving’s Marketing and Design Manager at the show, and talked to him about the relaunch. To watch our exclusive interview with Jeff, click here.
To visit the new AP Diving website, click here. To start buying AP Diving product, click here.
News
Euro-Divers opens to guests at Alila Kothaifaru Maldives

In celebration of Euro-Divers’ 50 Years of Diving with Friends in the Maldives, the team have opened a new PADI 5 Star Dive Center at Alila Kothaifaru Maldives.

Alila Kothaifaru Maldives retreat lies at the northern edge of the Maldives in the tranquil Raa Atoll, reached via a panoramic 45-minute seaplane voyage from Male. The island has 80 all-pool-villas, 36 of which are over water with a private pool for your enjoyment and 44 beachfront villas designed seamlessly to immerse guests in the natural surroundings. In support of sustainable tourism, Alila hotels adopt Earth Check operating standards, integrating their environments’ natural, physical, and cultural elements.
Raa Atoll is well-known for the excellent scuba diving it offers. The underwater landscape of Raa Atoll is characterized by a high number of thilas scattered inside the lagoons. These underwater coral mountains are magnets for marine life including huge schools of tropical reef fish, a generous splash of colour, iconic bucket-list-must-see marine creatures including sharks, mantas (appearing during the entire year), turtles, and uncrowded dive sites—a perfect diver’s heaven for beginners and experienced divers. We offer a full range of PADI courses for different levels. From November till March, the Manta cleaning station is located 15 minutes away by boat.

The team from Alila Kothaifaru Maldives look forward to welcoming you soon.
Find out more at: www.euro-divers.com/alila-kothaifaru-maldives
Marine Life & Conservation
Blue Marine Foundation launches new partnership with Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance

Ocean charity makes initial grant of $90,000 to marine parks on six Dutch Caribbean islands. Award will fund projects including coral protection, and training youth marine rangers.
Ocean conservation charity Blue Marine Foundation has announced it is awarding $90,000 in funding to support marine conservation in the Dutch Caribbean. A range of projects run by protected area management organisations on six islands will each receive a grant of $15,000. The funding is the first step in a longer-term partnership to support the islands and help secure sustainable financing through the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) Trust fund.
To improve ocean governance, Blue Marine uses a combination of top-down intervention and bottom-up project delivery to help local communities at the front line of conservation. It will work together with the DCNA to help marine-park organisations protect the unique and threatened biodiversity of the Dutch Caribbean.
The new partnership is an important development in the successful management of marine conservation parks in the Dutch Caribbean. The UK-based charity has established a small-grants fund to provide rapid access to support for critical conservation projects run by marine parks.
The individual projects and their local partners are:
- Aruba: monitoring water quality in its Marine Protected Area (MPA) and wetlands, in conjunction with Fundacion Parke Nacional Aruba (FPNA)
- Bonaire: assessing losses of stony corals (Acroporids e.g. staghorn and elkhorn coral), and their potential future recovery, in conjunction with Stichting Nationale Parken Bonaire (STINAPA Bonaire)
- Curaçao: establishing a bus transport marine education program and youth marine ranger program, in conjunction with Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (CARMABI)
- Saba: provision of a climate control room for the new marine field station, in conjunction with the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF).
- Sint Eustatius: assessing the health of coral, the abundance of fish life and the diversity of reefs, in conjunction with Eustatius National Parks Foundation (STENAPA)
- St Maarten: monitoring marine habitats, in conjunction with Nature Foundation St. Maarten (NFSXM)
Unique ecosystems on the islands are vulnerable to threats such as feral livestock causing sedimentation on reefs, and invasive species, including lionfish and coral diseases. They are also at risk from overfishing, climate change, coastal development, erosion and the build-up of harmful algae caused by waste water.
The islands of the Dutch Caribbean are also home to important “blue carbon” habitats – ocean ecosystems such as seagrasses, mangroves and other marine plants that suck up and lock away carbon from the earth’s atmosphere. Seagrass is so efficient at this it can capture and store carbon dioxide up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests. The management and protection of these blue carbon habitats is vital in the fight against climate change.
Current marine conservation measures in the islands include a 25,390 square km mammal and shark sanctuary- Yarari sanctuary- across the Exclusive Economic Zone of Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius. All six islands have inshore Marine Protected Areas ranging in size from 10 to 60 sq km.
Blue Marine’s Senior Project Manager Jude Brown commented: “Having recently visited two of the islands, I witnessed first-hand how special this region is. Diving the waters off Saba I saw huge Tarpon swimming amongst shoals of blue tang, and hawksbill turtles feeding on the seagrass beds. I also witnessed the challenges these islands are facing from coral disease to issues with coastal development. It is an exciting opportunity to work in the Dutch Caribbean, bringing expertise and funding from Blue Marine to join with the wealth of knowledge already on the islands, to work together to protect the important marine life arounds these islands.”
Tadzio Bervoets, Director of the DNCA commented: “The Dutch Caribbean consists of the Windward Islands of St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius and the Leeward Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao. The nature of the Dutch Caribbean contains the richest biodiversity in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The diverse ecosystems are a magnet for tourism and at the same time the most important source of income for residents of the Dutch Caribbean. Nature on the islands is unique and important but it is also fragile. The coming week we will be in The Netherlands to present a Climate Action Plan for the Dutch Caribbean to emphasize the urgent need for a climate smart future for our islands.”
Photo: Coral reefs in the Dutch Caribbean- Photo credit: Naturepics: Y.+T. Kühnast- all rights reserved
-
Competitions3 months ago
WIN an Under The Sea Art Water Bottle and Organic Cotton Tote Bag!
-
Competitions2 months ago
Win a Mares EOS 10LRZ Torch!!!
-
Competitions2 months ago
WIN your choice of a Fish Tank Water Bottle!!!
-
Competitions2 months ago
WIN a Beuchat Maxlux S Mask and Spy Snorkel!!!
-
Competitions1 month ago
Win a Vasili Lights Fish Lantern!
-
Competitions2 months ago
WIN a Pacific Northwest Cephalopod Pack from Getting Salty!
-
Competitions1 week ago
WIN a Sharkskin Performance 40L Duffle Bag!!!
-
News3 months ago
Dive into Europe