A True Champion
BILL MARDEN HAS SUPPORTED RAID SINCE ITS BEGINNING How many people have had a Dive Centre for almost half a century and taught for most of it!? Perhaps only a stubborn, belligerent, bloke could do this, but he’d have to be honest, hardworking and a great Instructor. Meet Mr Bill Marden owner of SubAquatics in Sydney. A well-educated man himself, as a gunsmith and engineer he successfully combined both businesses with a dive centre. His reloading tools are well renown and his engineering feats are exported worldwide. A great seaman, at one time owning three boats, with skills that could have been garnered from serving with Lord Nelson (though he missed that opportunity by just a few years!), he was a pioneer around Jervis Bay and Sydney, finding and exploring sites and wrecks, many still dived today. An original FAUI (Federation of Australian Underwater Instructors) member, Bill is his own man with traditional values and teaches diving as he lives with a “do it right or don’t do it” attitude. In the early days he was always seen around Sutherland Shire and no doubt was the envy of other dive shops as he had a great rapport with the university students which meant he frequently had courses during the week as well as weekends. His students all know you pay for his course but earn the certification. In 2014, after suffering what Bill considered to be the “increased commercialisation and market driven” attitudes of major training agencies which were driving standards of divers down, he happily joined the RAID evolution when it had its re-launch to the world and embraced (even as an ‘old dog’) the new approach to training. He freely admits he learned new skills through RAID training and qualified as Sidemount, Technical Instructor and Rebreather diver. All of us at RAID agree that Bill has no boundaries as long as his ethical and moral compass is not asked to waiver. When working with Bill, he was quite often one of the oldest participant, but he always had the brightest outlook and the youngest approach. He embraced new teaching styles even when they differed massively to those he had practiced for decades. If Bill respects you, he will follow you into the gates of hell, he is a friend for life. Since 1965 when Bill began diving he has completed more than 7000 dives, and is an accomplished UW photographer who loves wrecks. The last few years Bill has suffered some health issues and is not actively teaching or working but in his true manner has told the doctors more than once that he’s not ready to hang up his reg and continues to plan dive trips! He doesn’t believe in ‘luck’ but we wish him all the best regardless and hope to see him in the water soon. Bill is a true Champion of diving and RAID are honoured to work with him.
