News
Maverick Freediver Mike Wells joins RAID International Team
Mike Wells, the former International Training Director of Freediving for Scuba Schools International (SSI), has joined RAID International.
Here is the official press release from RAID:
Mike Wells needs no introduction to the diving world as his records and achievements in the art of Freediving are well known globally. As the former SSI International Training Director of Freediving, Mike conceptualised and wrote the world’s first mainstream Freediving program and in doing so effectively transformed the once cult-like pastime consisting of just a handful of participants into a safety focused, structured, mainstream sport that is today accessible to the masses.
Amongst his many dive industry and personal achievements, Mike also cofounded the iconic World Series Freediving (WSF), providing participants of the sport at all levels access to a spirited and well-run competition platform.
In just a few short years, Mike’s achievements have resulted in thousands of new certifications globally and some respected dive industry observers rightly argue that Freediving is today diving’s largest growth area.
Mike’s passion for the sport has revitalised and provided new income streams for existing dive centres along with new specialised Freediving facilities now opening in popular Freediving destinations. This global Freediving industry has in turn influenced key manufacturers to create Freediving products to feed this new and highly exciting section of the market.
When asked “why the change?” Mike said: “life is all about new challenges and my passion for Freediving has always been about making the sport accessible. So far, we have only dealt with the tip of the Freediving iceberg and I just know there are hundreds of thousands more people out there that want to get involved. Freediving is a rapidly evolving sport and therefore RAID’s focus on online training is just what is needed to take Freediving to the next level. Their revolutionary eTraining system makes the accessibility problem a no-brainer and we are not tied down to printed materials which means we can be extremely dynamic in the way we evolve the training as new research and techniques come to hand.
Importantly many of the RAID team are my friends who had the faith in me when we were getting this out of the ground. RAID is a team of divers who understand exactly what is needed to drive the sport and give me the freedom to get the job done. I am excited about putting my ideas into a new program.
Mike has been appointed to the position of Director of Freediving for RAID International effective July 1st.
In commenting on the appointment, Paul Toomer, RAID International Director of Training said: “Having Mike join the RAID International Team demonstrates, and once again proves, that more and more of the industry visionaries are unafRAID of change so I am extremely thrilled to have Mike with us”.
Terry Cummins, RAID International Director of Business, said: “Mike joining our RAID Team is fantastic news for us and the dive industry generally. Bringing an icon like Mike on-board RAID clearly illustrates that RAID has all the core products within the dive industry extremely well covered; our department heads are very experienced people who really know what they are doing and further illustrates, along with all our other unique features, that RAID is certainly a viable alternative to other training agencies out there.”
Full details of RAID’s plans for a revolutionary new approach to Freediving will be announced shortly. Watch this space…….
For more information about RAID International, visit their website: www.diveraid.com
Blogs
TRAVEL BLOG: Jeff Goodman Dives SOMABAY, Part 2
Day three of my trip to Somabay and we were spending the day on the Lady Christina and diving on the wreck of the Salem Express.
Diving wrecks for me is always one of mixed emotions. The excitement of diving a wreck is more than often tempered by the thought of loss of life when she sank. The Salem Express was a passenger ship and a roll-on/roll-off ferry travelling from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Safaga, Egypt. Most passengers were of poor class travelling home from their holidays while around 150 people were returning home from their pilgrimage to Mecca.
The ship struck a reef and sank within 20 minutes. Passengers were trapped below deck and the ship was filled with fear and panic.
The wreck area is strewn with personal belongings from the crew and passengers such as a transistor radio and a flat iron for clothes. A diver at sometime has put them in a prominent place to be seen.
Tragically only one life boat was launched while the others went down with the ship. More than 600 men, women and children lost their lives here.
It’s a stark reminder that the sea can be unforgiving and so when we dive on such wrecks we should do so with humble regard.
Returning to the surface, shoals of fish are gathered under our boat and seem to be welcoming us back into the light.
Back at the Breakers I sat in the dining area with a beer and a very good meal while my thoughts still remained with the day’s dive on the Salem Express.
Check in for part 3 tomorrow for Jeff’s last day of diving with Somabay on the off-shore reefs looking for turtles.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
Blogs
TRAVEL BLOG: Jeff Goodman Dives SOMABAY, Part 1
For a week at the end of February I was invited to sample the diving with Orca Dive Club based at the Breakers Diving and Surfing Lodge by courtesy of SOMABAY.
Somabay covers an entire peninsula and is home to several resorts as well as residential compounds. Somabay caters for scuba diving as well as many other sports, including windsurfing, golf, sailing, go-carting, horse riding and many other activities.
All the activities are of a world-class standard and any or all of these can be booked directly from The Breakers.
I took Easyjet from Bristol (UK) to Hurghada. Easyjet are not by any means my favourite airline but the flight was cheap and direct (except for the surprise extra £48 I was charged at the gate for my carry-on bag).
I was met at Hurghada airport by a driver and car and taken to the Breakers 28 miles (45Kilomaters) south along the coast. Once at the hotel I was too late for an evening meal and so a basic meal was delivered to my room. That and a beer from the fridge and I was fast asleep.
Early the next morning after breakfast I arrived for my rep meeting at the Orca Dive Center for 8.00am. I was immediately made to feel welcome, and after brief introductions I got some dive gear from the store, had a chat with my dive guide Mohamed and got ready to try the house reef situated at the end of a very long wooded pier where all diving gear and divers are taken out by buggies.
Once at the end of the pier, a helping hand from staff makes sure your gear is set and then it’s a short walk to the very end where you can either climb down a ladder of simply jump in the water next to the reef. The house reef extends both north and south giving a very easy and safe dive with plenty to see. At this time of the year the water temperature was a constant 22 degrees Centigrade and there was little or no current, so there were no issues in swimming back to the pier.
Quite a few divers were in dry or semi-dry suits, but being from the UK and used to the cold I found a 3mm wetsuit with a 3mm neoprene vest quite comfortable. Even after 50 years of diving I still find that first dive of a trip slightly nerving until I am actually underwater and then all becomes relaxed and I ease into auto diving mode. There was plenty to see with many of the Red Sea favourites along the way.
After the dive and a buggy ride back to the hotel for a very good buffet lunch I was back in the water, once again on the house reef for an afternoon dive.
Check in for part 2 tomorrow when Jeff gets on a day boat and dives a few of the off-shore reefs.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
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