News
Deptherapy Dive Team achieves continued success in Red Sea
A team from scuba diving rehabilitation charity Deptherapy has returned from another successful Red Sea training programme with three new PADI Open Water Divers, one PADI Advanced & Deep Diver and four PADI Rescue Divers.
The latest Deptherapy programme took place during the last week in October and was the second to take place this year at Roots Red Sea in El Quseir. The Programme Members were all wounded in service veterans from the UK Armed Forces suffering from life changing mental and/or physical injuries including several with acute PTSD.
Team Deptherapy at Roots Red Sea, October 2017. Photo – Dmitry Knyazev.
The instructional team included Deptherapy Ambassador and PADI AmbassaDiver Chris Middleton who was one of the very first Deptherapy Programme Members who learnt to dive. Chris may have lost both legs in Afghanistan but refuses to be defined by his disability. He is now a fully qualified Divemaster and will take his Instructor course next year in order to realize his ambition to become the world’s first double amputee PADI Instructor.
Chris was recently featured alongside fellow Deptherapy Ambassador and PADI AmbassaDiver Gary Green in a BBC3 Amazing Humans documentary that has so far achieved almost 6 million views: see https://www.facebook.com/bbcthree/videos/10155229543295787.
Amongst the Programme Members on this trip was triple amputee Josh Boggi, a former Royal Engineer and now an award-winning Invinctus Games cyclist in training for the 2020 Paralympics. Josh achieved his Advanced Open Water, Deep Diver and Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty, adapting his trim to sidemount to compensate for his injuries. Deptherapy will continue to work with Josh to help achieve his Rescue Diver qualification.
Triple amputee Josh Boggi, who qualified as an AOWD on the trip, diving sidemount. Photo – Dmitry Knyazev.
Former Signaller Adam Deans of the Royal Corps of Signals pushed through his battles with acute PTSD, OCD and extensive knee damage to partake in the programme. He said:
“Literally until the moment that we were checked in, I wasn’t sure I was going to go on the trip. I am so glad that I did. The diving made me feel good about myself and I have regained my confidence. I – and my family – have noticed a huge difference. I’ve caught the diving bug now and cannot wait to do my Advanced course!”
The Deptherapy team is now working towards finalizing their 2018 programme to satisfy both rapidly increasing demand from prospective new divers as well as professionals who wish to learn the skills required to teach adaptive diving techniques. Already planned are two Red Sea training programmes, a UK-based Deptherapy Education Pros’ course and Mental Health First Aid course, as well as a ground-breaking expedition to Truk in August.
Once again, Deptherapy passes on its grateful thanks to its Corporate Sponsors and Individual Members whose generosity ensures both the continuation and expansion of the charity’s life changing work.
For more information about the work of Deptherapy and Deptherapy Education visit their NEW website at www.deptherapy.co.uk.
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
-
News3 months agoHone your underwater photography skills with Alphamarine Photography at Red Sea Diving Safari in March
-
News3 months agoCapturing Critters in Lembeh Underwater Photography Workshop 2024: Event Roundup
-
Marine Life & Conservation Blogs3 months agoCreature Feature: Swell Sharks
-
Blogs2 months agoMurex Resorts: Passport to Paradise!
-
Blogs2 months agoDiver Discovering Whale Skeletons Beneath Ice Judged World’s Best Underwater Photograph
-
Gear Reviews2 weeks agoGEAR REVIEW – Revolutionising Diving Comfort: The Sharkskin T2 Chillproof Suit
-
Marine Life & Conservation2 months agoSave the Manatee Club launches brand new webcams at Silver Springs State Park, Florida
-
Gear Reviews3 months agoGear Review: Oceanic+ Dive Housing for iPhone