Diver training agency RAID International has launched a new specialty diver course developed to bridge the gap between traditional open-water programs and more advanced programs.
The Explorer 30 specialty, conceived to be an easy next step from the RAID Open Water 20 diver course, has minimal theory — all online — and a focus on practical sessions themed to giving the diver more skills and experience while still under RAID Instructor supervision, according to the company.
Under the new specialty, Explorer 30 also allows the diver to participate in some alternative diving activities, including core dives featuring navigation, deep and second level buoyancy training, which are critical for safe diving in deeper depths and for the diver’s overall comfort.
However, RAID International Recreational Training Director Mark McCrum says RAID‘s buoyancy training “is a point of difference between RAID and other training agencies. We certainly do not treat buoyancy as a specialty, so in the Explorer 30 program we just take buoyancy training to a whole new level.”
According to RAID International Training Director Paul Toomer: “The RAID Explorer 30 program has three awesome core dives and two magic electives. Core and elective dives can all credit towards the core levels of the RAID Advanced 35 program and be the first dive of the respective RAID Specialty Diver Courses. We also give Instructors the flexibility of combining Nitrox training in the mix.”
As with all new RAID programs, Explorer 30 gives the game away within the title with a 30-meter (100-feet) indication of the maximum depth reflected in the training and certification.
“This is a program that the dive industry has wanted for a long time — an easy and convenient stepping stone to more advanced courses and diver specialty courses,” RAID International Business Director Terry Cummins said, adding: “We have built this as a fun-based interest retainer and teaser for the intermediate diver with the idea to keep them in diving while we also avoided the temptation of bogging the diver down with a whole lot of extra theory, seen in other programs in yet another book. We are very confident the Explorer 30 will become one of the most popular diver education programs anywhere and make a positive contribution to diver retention.”
For more info, check out www.diveRAID.com.
