News
RAID Launches the World’s First Online Freediving Continuing Education Program at DEMA Show 2014
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.
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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