Opening up Germany
RAID is constantly growing and turning more divers and wannabe divers on to the fun, comfort and safety of diving The RAID Way™. And occasionally we get to welcome old friends and dive buddies into the “family.” We’re so happy to let the diving community know that RAID Germany is now fully online. Stefano Stolfa (RAID Italia, one of the partners at DRI, and a senior Examiners (in center in photo)), recently worked with long-time RAID instructor-trainer Robert Lange (on right in photo above), and “new boy” Uwe Rath (left in photo) to upgrade their teaching status with the agency. Robert is now a full RRO for Deutschland (info@raid-deutschland.de), and will be responsible for professionals’ support and growth of the brand in that region. Uwe, who has been prominent in both recreational and technical diving communities in the Dominican Republic as well as in Europe, is now a RAID Examiner with a particular interest in helping to grow RAID’s professional network in Germany. We expect RAID’s newest RRO will be running instructor programs as well as professional crossovers asap. Contact Robert for details and schedules. Between us, we are making it easier to join RAID in bringing positive change to the dive industry. Beautiful classroom facilities, and 8 degrees at 18 metres for gas sharing drills!
Lungfish Rebreather Training with RAID + Paul Toomer
Although our focus at RAID has drifted more towards the recreational/sport diving end of the dive agency spectrum in the past few years, we do have a pretty solid grounding in breathers and offering CCR training. Right now we are excited that one of our senior staff Tech Examiners and one-time president, Paul Toomer, has been appointed a factory-sanctioned instructor for the Lungfish CCR. “It has been so enjoyable working with the Lungfish team and Dave Gration putting the course materials together. “I am so excited about the release of this course and we are super excited to train the first wave of RAID Lungfish divers.” Paul Toomer. The Lungfish CCR is a late-generation unit with a “travel weight” of around 10 kgs (less bulky than a traditional twinset), and which can be configured for lightweight or expedition diving. For more information about this innovative , compact unit, visit the WEBSITE>>> To speak with Paul about training on the unit for RAID, email him: paul@diveraid.com.
What’s in it for you…
WE’RE MAKING IT EASIER FOR YOU TO DO BUSINESS WITH DRI RAID was the first agency to go totally digital, fully online, no printed manuals, giving us the smallest fin-print in the industry and convenience for our members. And at the time, our back-end Business-to-Business site was state of the art. But since the only constant is change, especially in the digital world, over time, the other agencies followed our lead and caught up. Our once groundbreaking system got tired. We patched it, upgraded it, but it became obvious it really needed to be rebuilt from the first line of code to the last… brick by brick so to speak. Well, we’re doing just that. It’s going to take a while… several months because it’s like tuning a car engine while it’s still running. While the work goes on, if you’re a pro member or a dive centre owner, you’ll notice gradual changes as the contractors do the renovations. Please excuse our mess… as they say. But otherwise, it’s business as usual… only getting easier a little at a time.
This isn’t the Vatican… off your knees, please!
WHY WE MAKE SUCH A BIG DEAL ABOUT BUOYANCY (AND TRIM) You may have heard that students in RAID Open Water 20 programs (and beyond) are expected to demonstrate skills while neutrally buoyant. What skills? All of ’em: mask removal, second-stage recovery, gas sharing, all of ’em. And it’s easier than you think. So, what exactly do we mean by: “while neutrally buoyant”? We mean, floating in the water column and not touching the bottom, the sides, a piece of rope; nothing. Simply put, no kneeling on the bottom of the pool, in the sand, or anywhere else. Just floating and looking like a correctly-trained diver. We’re told that some instructors teaching for other agencies are not so picky. Ours are mindful of the environment—kneeling on some little critter or disturbing its home is not nice—and want to make the diving experience as enjoyable as possible. And that means for our students, but also from the creatures whose environment we visit when we dive. Controlling buoyancy and being in trim (which usually means being able to hold a more or less horizontal body position in the water) has a bunch of benefits besides respecting the environment. Above all, it makes swimming easier for the diver, and results in them using less gas, which results in longer and less tiring, more enjoyable dives. So, that’s why RAID makes a big deal about buoyancy and trim. Those two skills go hand-in-hand and make diving more fun, divers more relaxed, and mean any impact divers have on the environment, including the creatures who live in it, is kept to a minimum. Interested to learn more? Contact your local RAID dive center. They can start you right or, if you are already a certified diver who was taught it’s Okay to kneel, they can help you kick the habit. SEARCH HERE>>>
So, is RAID a tech agency or not?
The short answer is no, but we understand the confusion. Dive RAID International, RAID for short, takes training open water divers—beginners—seriously. Our instructors are top-drawer professionals who teach new divers skills from day one, that other agencies think are advanced! And that confuses some. Our opinion is that buoyancy control, knowing a few extra tricks to swim with the least effort, how to be a confident and helpful buddy, the advantages of breathing from a long-hose, and proper gas planning and dive management are necessary and shouldn’t be extra bolt-on courses (costing the student extra bolt-on fees by the way): we feel these things are basic. And in RAID’s basic courses is when student are introduced to them. Before RAID came along, breathing gases (like trimix and nitrox), and kit configurations we introduce early on, were considered “technical.” So, some people think that’s what RAID is all about… technical stuff. But we’re not: we’re just different. And yes, we do have technical programs—cavern, cave, rebreathers, deep diving, DPV, and so on—but our focus is on introducing a new generation of divers (of all ages) to the fun and thrill of underwater adventuring in a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning space. So, if you are looking to get into diving for the first time, or if you already into scuba or freediving, but want to get more from it, try us. The RAID Way™ works! And it’s fun.
Public Safety Diver
Dive RAID International has developed a Public Safety Diver (PSD) Entry-Level program which is due for release in mid-September 2023. It is the first offering from RAID into this type of diving. Although the agency is a “new” vendor in the PSD market, we recognised it as a special case and the SMEs (subject matter experts) who created this program have extensive experience in the PSD field. To give you a better idea of the scope of this new program, follow this link>>>. For more details please contact the regional office for your area (look here) or RAID HQ. If you’d like to be kept up-to-date with news from RAID via our mailing list, sign-up here>>>
The story is nothing happened…
As an instructor, it’s always a treat to hear from students after their course telling you how much they appreciate the help you’ve given them, and how valuable that help has been. It’s particularly neat when the most important event post training, is that nothing happened… when it really could have! Jimmy Henderson, one of the RAID instructors at Dino’s Diving, recently got one of those messages thanking him for “drilling us in the basics.” A while back he worked with a father and son team before their Bahamas dive trip. The trip sounds like a fun time, but the highlight was when a shark did a crazy U-turn bumping into Caleb (the son) knocking the reg from his mouth and the business end of his mask around to his ear. Kevin (dad) writes: “If you panic here and flail your arm about you could lose a finger: anything moving is viewed as food.” But Caleb, calmly reaches for his secondary puts his mask in place and clears it “like a pro,” and carries on enjoying the show. Of course dad is understandably happy and proud. Caleb, doesn’t understand the fuss. He simply thinks any diver with RAID training, would do exactly the same. No problem.
Ocean Reef Integrated Dive Mask (IDM)
RAID IS COMMITTED TO STATE-OF-THE-ART INSTRUCTION USING STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT RAID is proud to offer instruction on Ocean Reef revolutionary IDM equipment. The design and function is superior; a remarkable improvement on old-school full-face masks. And an Ocean Reef IDM has several advantages over a traditional scuba mask… field of vision, warmth and comfort, voice communications, etc. They are available in several models, colours, and built-in design features to suit divers at all levels, from beginner to professional. Ocean Reef IDMs are comfortable, perform faultlessly in any environment. Especially great for diving in colder water, and wonderful when coupled with the communications package for teaching in the pool or open water. If you are unfamiliar with Ocean Reef products and would like to find out how you can join the underwater revolution, contact your local RAID Dive Centre. They have the answers. *RAID Professionals, please contact your local RRO or our training department for information about instructor training on this line of products.
Snorkeling’s a sweet alternative
Swim gear, a towel, a mask and snorkel: what could be simpler? And there’s a lot to be seen from the surface, so that sometimes, breaking out the scuba gear isn’t necessary. Did you know that RAID now has a swimmer-friendly snorkelling program? Perfect for hassle-free exploring for any diver, and a great alternative for anyone in the family who isn’t crazy about scuba. This program has its official launch in late September 2023. To check out more about the program and to sign up with your local RAID dive centre, why not take a look at the official course page here>>> .
Cavern diver training program is so popular… we should have known
Surprised by cavern training program Every flavour and size of scuba diving broadens the mind and opens a host of unique and exciting ways to appreciate the underwater world, but frankly, we’re surprised that so many divers seem to have cavern diving is on their to-do list. At RAID, we work hard to add recreational specialties because continuing education helps our members hone dive skills and stay comfortable and competent in the water. New programs help them, and of course, they help us and our dive centres… it’s our business to respond to <market trends>. But with the “overnight” popularity of Recreational Cavern Diver—launched at the beginning of March—has taken us by surprise. We should have added a Recreational Cavern program sooner than we did. Whoops, sorry about that. However, we have to take credit for something and our guess is that the new additions to RAID‘s specialties menu (Twinset Foundations was successfully launched at the same time… and has proved popular too), are exactly what the community was waiting for. The right mix of accessible challenge, fun, and diving The RAID Way™. More about Cavern here>>> Check our Twinset Foundations here>>>
