News
RAID Release Independent Diver Program
Since RAID first opened its doors, the agency and its instructor core have promoted diving at every level as a team endeavour. Scuba diving is something done with a buddy.
However, the buddy system is based on a each of the team being equals and equal to the task. And all that centers on two or three divers with more of less equal experience, training, and ability. A group of peers each being capable and willing to lend a hand when needed without putting their buddy or themselves at risk
And yet we all know that there are plenty of occasions when we may be obliged to dive with a fellow diver who is not a peer. He or she may have less experience, may be counting on us to guide them. When we dive with a youngster, can we really expect them to offer a high-level of support, and get us and themselves safely back to the surface?
As an instructor, can we count on our students to help us in a real emergency? Should we?
How about diving with a camera? Are we a good buddy when we are concentrating on framing the perfect shot of a nudibranch crawling around on the lip of a barrel sponge? And can we honestly rely on our buddy when they are hovering over the forepeak of the wreck we are photographing, which puts them 10 metres or more away from our side?
There are many instances like this when an experienced diver is essentially diving without the guaranteed support of a buddy, and those divers are who we had in mind when we developed our Independent Diver Program.
The major skills taught in this course focus on the mindset and familiarity with special equipment that allows an experienced diver (one with 100 logged dives or more) to dive safely and comfortably without having to rely on a buddy for support in the case of an underwater ‘surprise.’ This course is about planning dives where the core competency is the ability to self rescue.
And of course, one outcome of that is that a RAID Self-Reliant Diver makes the absolute perfect dive buddy!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS COURSE, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL RAID DIVE CENTRE>>>
ARE YOU A RAID PRO WHO WANTS TO TEACH THIS NEW SPECIALTY? CHECK THIS OUT>>>
Scubaverse is proud to announce that renowned underwater photographer Jane Morgan is the first to join our newly launched underwater photography team, alongside team lead Saeed Rashid.
With a career spanning over two decades, Jane brings a wealth of experience, creativity, and passion for the ocean. After learning to dive in 1991, Jane’s early work in marine conservation and scuba instruction in the Philippines and Borneo laid the foundation for what would become a distinguished career in underwater photojournalism.
A chance encounter with a film camera in Egypt in 2001 sparked a lifelong passion for underwater photography. Since then, Jane’s captivating imagery has been featured in top publications around the world, from major magazines and newspapers to books and exhibitions. She has worked with the BBC, judged prestigious competitions, and earned accolades including the Plongeur d’Or at the Festival Mondial de l’Image Sous-Marine.
Now based in Cornwall, Jane dives the UK coast year-round, championing its often-overlooked marine biodiversity. She is also a proud ambassador for DYNAMICNORD and Fathoms Free, lending her voice and lens to ocean conservation efforts.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Scubaverse underwater photography team,” says Jane. “It’s an exciting opportunity to share stories from beneath the surface and connect more people with the incredible beauty—and fragility—of our oceans.”
Scubaverse founder Dave Alexander adds, “Jane is one of my absolute favourite underwater photographers, and having her on board is a huge moment for us. Her talent, passion, and dedication to marine storytelling make her an ideal fit for the team.”
We’re just getting started… come back tomorrow to meet the next member of our underwater photography dream team!
This week only – your donation to the Shark Trust will be doubled – at no extra cost to you!
This week only – your donation to the Shark Trust will be doubled – at no extra cost to you!The Shark Trust are raising vital funds for their Community Engagement Programme: empowering people to learn about sharks and rays, assisting the scientific community take action for elasmobranchs, and bring communities together to become ambassadors for change.
Every £1 you give = £2 for shark conservation. A donation of £10 becomes £20, £50 becomes £100! Help us reach our target of £10,000, if successful, this will be doubled to £20,000 by the Big Give.
Every donation makes DOUBLE the impact!
Monty Halls is backing this week of fundraising “Cousteau called sharks the “splendid savage of the sea”, and even through the more benign lens of modern shark interactions it remains a good description. The reefs I dived thirty years ago teemed with sharks, the perfect result of 450 million years of evolution. Today those same reefs are silent, the blue water empty of those elegant shadows. But hope remains that if one generation has created such devastation, so the next can reverse the damage that has been done. The Shark Trust are at the forefront of that fight.“
To find out more about the work of the Shark Trust visit their website here.
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