News
175 scuba diving Santas break record at Vobster Quay
Festive spirits were high at UK inland dive site Vobster Quay when 175 scuba divers took to the cold lake waters dressed in their finest fluffy beards and red Santa outfits to raise money for the RNLI – smashing a world record in the process.
Vobster Quay’s Jason Brown said: “Vobster Quay has been proud to be the current holder of the world record for most Santa divers in the water at once so you can imagine just how thrilled we were when we discovered that we’d not only beaten but smashed that record. The previous record which we set in 2011 stood at 161 divers but we beat it by 14 santa divers – the total would have been even higher but several Santa divers were unable to complete their dive. We’re extremely pleased to reaffirm our world record – it’ll take some beating.”
Now in its seventh year, Vobster Santas have raised nearly £30,000 for the RNLI and so far this year they have raised more than £4,200, with finds still coming in.
Jason said “We had some amazing prizes up for grabs this year and we’d like to thank everyone who donated a prize. The rest has come though sponsorship collected by individual divers which is a fantastic effort on their part. As they collect their monies so we expect our total to rise and we are confident of hitting the £5,000 target for the RNLI which is an amazing achievement at the end of a thoroughly enjoyable day.”
Vobster Quay centre manager Tim Clements said: “We are over the moon. The day was full of festive cheer with red and white fluffy outfits everywhere you looked. We were delighted that we managed to get 175 of the divers underwater at the same time to beat our previous record. The weather was especially kind to us meaning everyone was able to enjoy the post dive hot tea and mince pies on offer.”
Source: www.fromestandard.co.uk
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Cozy and warm in cold water.
It’s drysuit season all year round. With the new RS series premium drysuits from DYNAMICNORD, divers are perfectly equipped for all cold waters.
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Dynaskins are made largely from recycled plastic bottles.
The drysuit RS-351 for men and RS-352 for women are now available at your DYNAMICNORD dealer and in the online store.
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DYNAMICNORD – Your Outdoor Companion.
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