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Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series: Freediver Safety Perspective
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After a busy day preparing for a record attempt I trawled through my information stream of e-mails. In the Inbox was a welcome sight. The organiser of the safety crew for the Red Bull Cliff diving World Series had contacted me, asking if I was interested in doing the diving safety for the 2013 event in Abereiddy, South Wales at the Blue Lagoon. Information had already started to filter through to me about this event a few weeks before, and I had googled a previous year’s competition, and seen the location and the whole thing just looked stunning.
I duly accepted the role of being on the surface of the water as the athletes dived from the 27 metre high diving board. We were to follow the Divers down into the water and deal with the potential of unconsciousness or spinal injury or simply winding of the athlete. I might add at this point due to the nature of the set up, and the skill of the athletes, this is another example of an extreme sport where there are very few injuries. But like any sport, even the sports that on the surface look like there are small risks only, accidents can happen.
I was asked to take a second freediver with me for additional support that had the required abilities. Given it was a 4-5 day contract, and located down South, I chose my good friend Sam Still. We have entrusted our lives to each other on innumerable occasions as safety divers for our own sport for almost exactly a decade now. The team was coming together; in addition to us, there was a very experienced scuba diver to deal with the potential of a deep prolonged incident, a paramedic on a jet ski operated by a Jet ski rescue driver/instructor (in case a diver needed a quick transfer to shore), both of whom had done the previous year’s competition, and of course the organiser, who had the experience of last year’s event. We were part of an experienced team.
On the shore were advanced paramedics, coastguard, various methods of transferring casualties and plenty of medical equipment for all eventualities. My hats off to the Red Bull team – when they do something, they do it properly! No cutting corners, no expense spared in safety. An entire pontoon was set up to deal with an incident; it was never needed, but doesn’t detract from it being there.
Wednesday 11th September 2013: Set up
Thursday 12th September 2013: Training
Friday 13th September 2013: Qualifying dives
Saturday 14th September 2013: Competition Day
On the morning of the set up we travelled with the crew to the venue. We parked up right next to the sea, right on the South West Wales coast, a beautiful beach to launch the armada of craft that we would eventually take over the lagoon. We decided firstly to go and view the venue – what an amazing place. I travel all around the world and this is certainly a unique place. Like a Roman amphitheatre, with a deep water pool at the bottom, with access and egress only possible around and over steep cliffs or at high tide, you could take vessels of all sizes through the narrow entrance to the bottom of the amphitheatre.
Enough time already spent, it was the beginning of what turned out to be a 12 hour day. I put many of the skills I’d learned from my two decades on and around water to good use – drove RIBS, set up platforms, towed RIBs, kayaked, tied knots, made shot lines, made buoyed off areas, depth sounded the entry points and many more useful jobs.
On training day we were fortunate to have experienced cliff diver Joey Zuber, now a TV presenter, organiser and motivational speaker. The training consisted of lots of descriptions of how the cliff divers dive, how they may spin, how far away they would land and what was the most likely outcome of a bad dive etc… He also told us about his worst accident where he smashed his femur; what made matters worse was his location in a remote part of Columbia, but that is another whole story in itself.
We learnt that the stream of water that was at the bottom of the cliff was actually so the athletes can judge where the water is to perfect their landing, so we took that job very seriously. We did get ribbed by some of my students who had travelled to see the show that we were just the ‘splashers’.
The Underwater spinal position they wanted to put the divers in was very similar to our normal lifting procedure, once we had ‘got our eye in’ on how deep and at what speed the athletes got to that depth we could pinpoint every single time in the bad visibility water (maybe 2 metres?) where to be. We decided I’d go shallow and quick, so maybe to 2 metres each dive, and Sam would go below the plume of water the diver produced and get any deeper problems, maybe 4 metres. I was extremely surprised how shallow the athletes went even on perfect dives; they were coming up in a couple, few seconds nearly every time.
We practised the transition for getting an injury from the original underwater rescue to shore. A single Freediver lifts the Cliff Diver to the surface and stabilises with Scuba diver to assist in positive buoyancy. The other Freediver gets the spinal board from the Jet Ski and positions it under the diver. Once the diver is on the board it is slid onto the back of Jet Ski, which then travels to shore, maybe 50 metres away. We got the victim from being underwater to being on the shore with the larger group of Paramedics literally within 20 seconds. It was slick! This gave us great confidence that the job in hand was within our capabilities.
The real test started once the athletes started their warm up dives. More than once, there was a stream of Cliff Divers leap from the 27m platform, one after another. We literally power dived down for the first, swam to the surface, checked they were okay and on the Jet Ski they went back to shore. As soon as we then look up to the platform the next diver was there ready to soar through the air into the water. So with no time to hang about we would swim quickly back to our set positions, where the Cliff Divers would occasionally gave us specific instructions at to where they wanted us, as each had their own preference near or far. Once they were happy we would all signal that were ready and then we started to splash hard to make their entry visible. They’d take some steps back, stretch, then they’d walk forward and dive, we’d start to breath in as they left the platform and as soon as they hit the water, about 3 seconds later, we would hold our breath and dive after them, swimming frantically over to them, follow them up, see they are okay, lie on our back to signal to the next cliff diver….
It was one of those repetitive series of actions where you can just forget about everything in the world except your specific reason for being there. The brief times of rest in between I would lie on my back, watching a cliff diver walk over to the edge of the platform, then watching the clouds in the blue sky behind the diver’s silhouette as they slowly drifted behind the cliffs, the warm sun on my face… and then they’d jump, everything would start to go into slow motion as I got more into the zone… nice.
The divers came quick because the water was cold and they wanted to get back into the hot tub. South Wales, even in August, in just a tiny pair of speedos is only for the hardy.
The competition day came soon enough. We had met the athletes a few times over lunches and dinners and they are a sound bunch, genuinely great people; we knew we had to be there for them. An armada of kayaks and boats started to filter through into the lagoon and find their spot. Hundreds of spectators lined the cliffs, the water’s edge and some even in the water. The amphitheatre was full, full of excited viewers and the athletes never failed to impress.
Find out more about the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series here
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Green Fins National Workshop Charts Roadmap for Sustainable Marine Tourism Initiatives
Green Fins, the global environmental standards for diving and snorkelling, is set to contribute to Indonesia’s blue economy. A national workshop, focused on “Enabling a sustainable diving and snorkelling industry in Indonesia through the implementation of Green Fins initiative,” has ignited a collaborative effort to safeguard the nation’s marine ecosystems through marine tourism.
The Reef-World Foundation, the UNEP Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) and the Coral Triangle Center (CTC) held the Green Fins National Workshop in Aryaduta Menteng, Jakarta, Indonesia, on 18 – 19 February 2025. This pivotal event, supported by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) through the Blue Natural Capital Financing Facility (BNCFF), brought together key stakeholders from the Indonesian government, marine tourism industry, conservation organisations and the global Green Fins network to develop a roadmap for strengthening the Green Fins initiative in Indonesia and to explore sustainable financing mechanisms for its long-term implementation.
Participants from five Indonesian ministries, including the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, collaborated with local MPA management bodies, dive operators and international experts to chart a course for a more environmentally responsible marine tourism sector. This diverse group engaged in focused discussions and strategic planning, addressed key aspects of Green Fins implementation and explored opportunities for its integration into national marine conservation efforts.
“We’re not just discussing sustainability”, said JJ Harvey, Operations Director at The Reef-World Foundation. “We’re creating a tangible roadmap for action. The energy and collaboration at this workshop have been truly inspiring, laying the groundwork for real, measurable change in Indonesia’s dive industry and unlocking the full potential of its marine tourism while ensuring the future health of its reefs.”
“The Coral Triangle, as the global epicenter of marine biodiversity, relies on Indonesia’s leadership to combat threats through strong coral reef conservation and sustainable tourism practices,” said Rili Djohani, CTC Executive Director. “Expanding Green Fins and scaling up training efforts are crucial steps toward ensuring equitable benefit-sharing and long-term conservation impact of our unique marine resources.”
“Sustainable Blue Economy is at the forefront of COBSEA’s work on marine and coastal ecosystems,” stated Mahesh Pradhan, UNEP COBSEA Coordinator. “Ensuring sustainable practices in marine ecotourism in Indonesia and the East Asian Seas region will further consolidate concrete conservation efforts while also benefiting local communities. COBSEA is proud to support the Green Fins initiative, which was initiated in Thailand over 20 years ago and has now blossomed into a significant global movement.”
Key discussions and explorations during the workshop included:
- Alignment of Green Fins with national policies and international commitments, including the Indonesia 2030/45 MPA Vision, the national biodiversity action plan (NBSAP) and international commitments such as the Global Biodiversity Framework.
- Exploration of a comprehensive roadmap for Green Fins implementation in Indonesia, outlining potential steps, timeline and financial strategies.
- Discussions on diverse financing mechanisms, including public-private partnerships, blended finance models, and integration with existing programmes, to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of Green Fins.
- Emphasis on enhanced collaboration between government agencies, the private sector and conservation organisations.
- A strong focus on inclusivity, including gender-inclusive approaches and support for small-scale businesses.
The workshop highlighted Indonesia’s position as a global leader in MPA-based diving, with 70% of dives occurring within MPAs. Discussions emphasised the need to address challenges such as revenue leakage and high implementation costs while leveraging opportunities to integrate Green Fins into existing government initiatives, such as the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries’ Blue Economy strategy and the Ministry of Tourism’s sustainable tourism programmes. Participants also engaged in a learning exchange, sharing best practices from countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan and Thailand, focusing on developing sustainable funding models and enhancing assessor capacity.
The outcomes of this workshop will both strengthen Green Fins Indonesia and contribute to the broader global impact, driving sustainable marine tourism worldwide.
Discover how your organisation can contribute to the global expansion of Green Fins by contacting info@greenfins.net.
About Reef-World
The Reef-World Foundation is a registered UK charity which delivers practical solutions for marine conservation around the world. The charity promotes the wise use of natural resources – particularly coral reefs and related ecosystems – for the benefit of local communities, visitors and future generations. It is dedicated to supporting, inspiring and empowering governments, businesses, communities and individuals around the world to act in conserving and sustainably developing coastal resources.
Reef-World leads the global implementation of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative, which focuses on driving environmentally friendly scuba diving and snorkelling practices across the industry globally. As such, the charity provides low-cost and practical solutions to local and industry-wide environmental challenges associated with the marine tourism industry. It provides education and capacity-building assistance to empower environmental champions (within the diving industry, local communities, authorities and governments) to implement proven coastal resource management approaches.
Please visit www.reef-world.org to learn more or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.
About Green Fins
Green Fins is a proven conservation management approach – spearheaded by The Reef-World Foundation in partnership with the UN Environment Programme – which leads to a measurable reduction in the negative environmental impacts associated with the marine tourism industry. The initiative aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines that promote a sustainable diving and snorkelling tourism industry. It provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for the diving and snorkelling industry and has a robust assessment system to measure compliance.
Green Fins encourages and empowers members of the diving industry to act to reduce the pressures on coral reefs by offering dive and snorkel companies practical, low-cost alternatives to harmful practices – such as anchoring, fish feeding and chemical pollution – as well as providing strategic training, support and resources. By reducing the local direct and indirect pressures tourism puts on coral reefs, it helps make corals healthier and more resilient to other stresses, such as the effects of climate change. Look for the Green Fins logo when booking your next dive trip.
Please visit www.greenfins.net to learn more or follow the initiative on Facebook, Instagram and X.
About Coral Triangle Center
Coral Triangle Center (CTC) is a foundation based in Indonesia with regional scope and global impact. Established in 2010, CTC works closely with local communities, private sector, governments, and partners to strengthen marine resource management in the Coral Triangle to protect coral reef ecosystems, ensure sustainable livelihoods and food security.
CTC supports on-the-ground conservation in Bali, Maluku, as well as in Timor-Leste, and leads learning networks of women leaders and marine protected area practitioners in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste. CTC is developing its Center for Marine Conservation in Bali as an integrated learning space for training programs, outreach activities, interactive exhibits, and artistic and cultural performances to influence millions of people to care for our oceans and those who depend on it.
Since its establishment in 2010 until 2024, CTC has protected more than 435,000 hectares of critical marine habitat. We have trained more than 8,000 people to support marine protected areas and sustainable fisheries management throughout the Coral Triangle region. More than 26,000 people have visited our Center for Marine Conservation, many of whom have been inspired to take direct action to protect our oceans. In the last three years, we reach an average of 200,000 people annually to care for our seas via our social media channels.
About UNEP COBSEA
The Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) is a regional intergovernmental mechanism and one of 18 Regional Seas Programmes. It is the decision-making body for the East Asian Seas Action Plan, bridging together nine countries – Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, and Viet Nam – in the protection and sustainable development of the marine and coastal environment for the health and well-being of present and future generations. The COBSEA Secretariat is hosted by Thailand in Bangkok and is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
COBSEA works on 1) marine pollution prevention, reduction and control, 2) marine and coastal biodiversity, ecosystem conservation and management, and 3) climate action.
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