News
RAID International Launches RAID TV on YouTube
RAID International has launched RAID TV on YouTube. On making the announcement, Terry Cummins, Director of Business and Marketing for RAID International, said: “It is very early days for RAID TV; however, we already have quite a few videos up there of special interest, even some historical ones from our 2014 relaunch of RAID starting in Australia. Some feature our Founder Barry Coleman and several other RAID Directors, while others illustrate the magnificent support we are getting from the industry. More videos will quickly follow, especially when such videos are linked to our online courses. You can see what I mean by taking a look at our ‘Reel and Guideline’ video shot by Endurance Swimmer Darrell Staight for us that will form part of the training for our new Advanced Wreck Course to be launched later this month.”
Cummins continued: “With RAID TV we are not going to always be looking for that highly commercial video production you may see elsewhere; nor are we all about just promoting RAID on the channel, but rather we want to focus on real life footage from every day RAIDers that just as efficiently, if not more successfully, get the message across whether it is in an educational context or just showing the fun of diving through RAIDers’ eyes. Of course we will work on and develop the channel from here, especially integrating the channel into our emerging social media outlets and categorising the videos for ease of searching and viewing, as more content is added by RAID International and RAIDers across the globe.”
Paul Toomer, RAID International Director of Training, said: “This is going to be awesome. We at RAID want to share your many experiences and ideas on this site. We also want your input, your videos, your successes and want to see those funny moments where maybe it all goes a bit wrong or it is just a load of fun. To see what I mean check out how RAIDer Cathie Cummins felt after a day’s diving on the Great Barrier Reef recently (click here) – it is simple, not a big promo for RAID, just a shear unrehearsed display of joy shown after a dive that got a massive number of views on our RAID Facebook page. So RAID TV is dedicated to diving and divers with a focus on continuing education, the thrill, the fun of diving and most importantly, the “art” of diving. We would like you to submit your videos to us so we can share the magnificent underwater world with the rest of the world through your eyes, not just how we see it at RAID International. After all, without you, the divers and especially the RAIDers around the planet, we are nothing.”
Toomer added: “Now for some rules. We reserve the right to sanction anything offensive from this site. It is not a channel for bagging anyone and it is not a forum for armchair divers who have nothing better to do than show how great they are or want to just slag the content while hiding behind a keyboard. This is a channel for divers who want to share diving in the most positive way while being unafRAID to have a constructive opinion. So send your videos links to Terry at terryc@diveraid.com.au and he will post them as is appropriate.”
To learn more about RAID, 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. Visit RAID’s Facebook page here.
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.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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