Together with World Series Freediving (WSF) at the DEMA Show 2014, RAID has just launched the world’s most comprehensive freediving programs along with the industry’s first online – all digital, smallest carbon footprint, full colour, freediving continuing education program. It’s a full-on futuristic approach to the oldest diving sport – freediving.

Freediving guru Mike Wells wrote the world’s first ever globally accepted freediving program, and has now teamed up with RAID as their International Director of Freediving to completely revolutionise freediving training again.

Wells said: “At RAID we are the first to come up with a truly comprehensive, fully documented online continuing education program for freediving. Furthermore, the RAID Freediving program is directly linked to WSF and that in itself is something very awesome.”

RAID International Director of Business and Marketing Terry Cummins said: “RAID has a passion to come up with unrivalled products of excellence and this time we have collaborated with the industry’s best and most influential people to come up with a freediving program that is superior in direction, technique and sustainability to anything else out there. Existing freedivers or anyone interested in getting into the sport should contact their local RAID Regional Office or come see us at DEMA Show 2014 (booth 1038) and take a look at the program for themselves”.

RAID CEO Jim Holliday said: “The fact we have come up with such an outstanding program is not an arrogant claim, it’s a commitment to quality unmatched in the dive industry. So if you or your friends want to be trained to the highest quality standards, head to RAID.”

Holliday should know, as seven years ago he teamed up with Wells to create SSI’s freediving program. Wells takes up the story: “Back then, freediving needed validation from the wider diving community. The challenge was to present a program that appealed to a broad adventure market worldwide. So I approached my long term friend Jim Holliday who was CEO of SSI Australia at that time to gain his support to produce a program for SSI globally. More recently I approached Jim again with an even more ambitious freediving program for RAID.”

Together again under the RAID banner, Wells, Holliday and their respective teams have developed a revolutionary freediving program that has just taken the dive world by storm, presenting freediving as mass market adventure sport that will inadvertently form an opportunity for the world’s leading diving equipment manufactures to develop dedicated freediving lines to feed a new level of  demand.

Wells said: “The program is entirely digital – the first such freediving program in the world. Secondly it is a whole new way to teach freediving; doing away with nonessential skills, the myths of old school freediving and stripping away the unnecessary romantisizing of freediving. We therefore have created a new program that fits a modern digital age and the modern tech savvy adventurer. This in turn creates a better learning experience and ultimately attracts far more people and produces far better freedivers.”

Cummins added: “With RAID we are developing a totally new global freediving community – no bubbles in sight, with its own modern and separate website that will however uniquely link the entire RAID global tribe of back gas divers and freedivers.”

Wells added: “This is just the beginning. We are going to blow your mind with what is coming next.

“We are also thinking of our many friends out there. For example, if you are an SSI Freediving Instructor you already understand the fundamentals of what we teach, so you can automatically get your RAID / WSF rating for a very small fee, including your first year’s membership free and several other immediate benefits. Also if you are an SSI Freediving Instructor, crossing over to RAID will be a seamless exercise. We are of course looking for freedivers of all levels from other agencies joining us as well. I hope you will join us; we can have some fun together and really take freediving to the next level. Please come and visit me personally in the Philippines – we need some stars for our video we are shooting for the next freediving release early in the New Year.”

For more information about RAID, visit www.diveraid.com.