Category: General

DiveLife In Manchester And Canary Divers In Rishton Announce Collaboration Agreement

Oli van Overbeek from DiveLife and Kris Fearnley from Canary Divers hereby announce a collaboration between two entities. As both stores have become a victim of their own individual success it was decided to share resources and support one another’s strengths, a model that Mr van Overbeek has been keen to push for some time now. In practical terms DiveLife hereby takes lead in all retail sales for both stores, whereas Canary Divers takes lead in all recreational training and club activity for both stores and clubs. This allows an unparalleled offering in quality and customer support.

The combined entity offers:

• Cylinder testing
• Equipment Servicing for all major brands
• Recreational Training at both facilities
• Wing & Long hose available
• National and international club trips
• Access to two RAID instructor trainers, and a myriad of experienced instructors and divemasters
• A comprehensive membership scheme supported by both stores (for 1 membership fee)
• All major brands, SANTI, HALCYON, APEKS, MARES, XDEEP, AMMONITE, DIVESOFT, POSEIDON, RAZOR, SHEARWATER, SUUNTO, etc etc etc
• Technical and Rebreather training available to instructor level

DiveLife has been a staple name in the north west, a store that has changed hands several times and not always with the most successful outcomes. When Mr van Overbeek took the reins just a few years ago, he rebuilt the shop from the ground up, making it the success it is today. A well-stocked shop and a great online outlet.

“As we rebuild DiveLife to a status that it deserved we soon came to realise that the industry was changing; because of this I’ve felt and repeatedly stated that having a 1001 micro shops and schools was not a sustainable model. I’ve had the vision for larger global training centres which can be a training and support hub for local instructors and clubs, having this collaboration agreement with Mr Fearnley from Canary Divers will surely be the first step in such a Hub. Kris has done wonders at Canary in terms of the social atmosphere and training ethos, and I’m excited to say we have been working together to get him and part of his team over to RAID to increase their offering. We’ve mainly focused on being an equipment supply company and therefore it made sense to work together and support each other and the clients at the end of the day.” Oli van Overbeek.

Mr Fearnley was quoted:

“The collaboration between the centres makes 100% sense, Canary has been focused on training and offering a fantastic friendly dive club but as a side of being so incredibly busy on that side we have had to neglect the retail, while Dive life focuses on retail primarily it makes complete sense to join the centres and continue focusing on our strengths and continue the growth both centres have had over the last few years. “

Canary Divers in Rishton is a dive shop and training centre with years of experience training and supporting the local diving community, recently in the news for their Youth Diver Network initiatives and raising money and awareness for various charities. Situated on the Rishton high street it’s hard to miss them, the shop features a large welcoming reception and even onsite café.

Divelife in Whitefield, Manchester is a specialist retail outlet with anything from simple clips to full tech equipment. Run by Oli van Overbeek since 2018, who has 20+ years of experience in diving, after the store had been re-opened by local divers and enthusiasts. Since taking the reins, Oli has built the shop out to the level of a UK premier supplier in just under 3 years. The store now holds the highest levels of accounts with premium brands such as SANTI, Halcyon, xDeep, Ammonite, Poseidon, Mares, Divesoft, and SEAC just to name a few.

DiveLife has offers a 3-tier structure of training to offer the best and most modern way of diver training. DiveLife have in-house RAID trained instructors, offer 1-2-1 training via Matrix Diving and also has associate trainers who work with DiveLife from multiple agencies. Servicing and air-fills are also offered on-site, with 2 extra servicing workshops available for a quick turnaround for cylinders, drysuits and regulators.

We would like to offer some advice to our Members on working in the EU post-Brexit.

Since the Brexit transition period ended on 31^st December, freedom of movement for living and working between the UK and EU has ended. This means that any UK national wishing to carry out work in the EU is likely to require a work visa.

Each country has different requirements or concessions with regard to work, so the individual should consult the gov.uk website for information about their particular country of interest and also allow plenty of time for the visa application process to be completed prior to their departure from the UK.

Additionally, please consider your Insurance status, are you and your students covered when you work outside the EU?

RAID is proud member of APSTO

At RAID, we get asked questions about diving and diver safety on a daily basis, and lately one question that keeps occurring goes something like this: “What should divers do after a long layoff?”

Luckily, that’s a simple one to answer: “Take things slowly, go back to basics and take a refresher if possible!”

Your watch words for getting back in the water safely after any layoff, especially one longer than a few weeks, should always be Cautiously, and Conservatively.

To help guide you, we have prepared a list of questions divers should be asking themselves…and the folks they dive with. Take a look at each of these and answer truthfully.

• Is my physical fitness what it was or better than it was before the pandemic?
• Is my mental fitness (stress levels, situational awareness, general comfort) where it needs to be to dive safely?
• Is my kit serviced, tested and totally fit for purpose?
• Does my personal kit still fit and is my muscle memory such that I can deploy and operate it safely?
• Am I prepared to rebuild my diving skills with several simple, shallow, and straightforward dives at protected sites?
• Will I start every dive by following a pre-dive checklist and execute a thorough buddy check including a bubble-check and S-Drill?
• Am I going to work through a skills circuit in shallow water with a buddy or better yet a camera recording my performance to demonstrate my readiness to dive?
• Do I need to take a refresher under the guidance of a Dive Pro to be sure I am ready to get back into the water?

Diving is one of the most rewarding activities we know of, but we must treat the risks it entails with respect and understand personal limits will have changed while we have been staying safe from COVID.

View the latest guidance from the British Diving Safety Group (BDSG) here.

Effective now, RAID UK has appointed M&A – Malta’s lead diving distributor as their new agent. RAID is a modern and flexible mainstream diver training agency option, with an inclusive, rather than exclusive, membership policy that is much needing in order to adapt quickly in this ever-changing market world.

RAID UK needed to ensure a continued stability and strong service level in 2021 and beyond. M&A are the perfect choice, their experience and support will accelerate RAID’s growth in a highly competitive market.

James Rogers – International Business Director, RAID International – “Shaun Upton and his team will work closely with RAID UK to continue building a solid RAID base of quality professional trainers and dive centers. The inquiries are already flying in and M&A and our other elite Instructor Trainers will spearhead crossovers to RAID and the supply of services and information”

Please welcome them – contact info:  www.mandamalta.com

Put some dash in your dives. Get moving with the raid DPV programs

The thrill of speeding through the water behind a diver propulsion vehicle (DPV) is an experience that really gets the blood racing. Using a DPV provides divers both immense fun and the means to achieve goals that would be impossible without their use.

RAID is proud to announce the new two-tier DPV training program with certifications for DPV and Advanced DPV.

WHY DPV AND WHY NOW?
Recreational and technical divers are using DPVs to access sites that would be difficult to reach and explore using traditional propulsion methods; to help propel large amounts of heavy equipment; to increase the safety of dives in areas of strong current; or just for the pure exhilaration of shooting through the water at speed and performing underwater acrobatics.

By extending your capabilities and extending your range, using a DPV opens new vistas for exploration and fun.

DPV
This certification option is aimed at the recreational diver who wishes to learn how to use a DPV to enhance their diving by using mainly natural navigation.

Advanced DPV
This certification option is available to anyone who is familiar with longhose configuration, has logged a minimum of 20 dives and is certified as Navigation specialty divers.

This certification option is aimed at the slightly more experienced diver with preexisting navigational training and diving on a single, twin or sidemount setup with a longhose. Although this level is slightly more challenging, the more advanced navigation exercises provide an important base for more complex types of DPV diving within a team.

PREREQUISITES
You must:

• Be a minimum of 12 years old.
• Be certified as RAID Open Water 20, Junior Open Water or equivalent.

GET STARTED
Just visit www.diveRAID.com to put some extra dash into your dives.