Dive Pirates Expand Reach with New Relationship with RAID
The Dive Pirates Foundation, a recognized not-for-profit organisation beginning its 13th year of sharing the freedom of diving with those with mobile disabilities, has announced a new relationship with dive training agency RAID, in an effort to offer adaptive diving to more dive centers and recipients.
“This is very exciting for us, as we continue to grow and adapt to an ever-changing dive industry while staying true to our mission; building a community of adaptive divers who can dive in the mainstream diving community,” exclaimed Barbara Thompson, who co-founded Dive Pirates in 2005 with Sophie Wimberley and Nettie Evans. Thompson and Wimberley invested in RAID as it expands to North America with the understanding RAID will support adaptive diving.
“We have known the Dive Pirates Foundation for a long time and believe in what they do, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for our dive centers to explore,” stated Watson DeVore, president of RAID North America. “We look forward to a long partnership offering adaptive diving not only here in the USA but abroad.”
The Dive Pirates Foundation continues its longstanding relationship with Scuba Schools International (SSI) and will support its current Dive Pirates chapters in SSI dive centers.
“We can’t thank SSI enough for its support over the years as we charted new territory into adaptive diving, and we see this as another step in offering adaptive diving to more men and women who have lost some mobility due to an accident, or disease, or serving in the military,” continued Wimberley. “This is such a mobile sport, and it’s meant to be shared.”
RAID is a culmination of worldwide SCUBA diving and training experience and skill development combined and presented with today’s latest technology, considered one of the most comprehensive e-learning programs in the world. Learn more at www.diveraid.com.
The Dive Pirates Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing scuba diving to persons with disabilities and joining them with the mainstream of divers. Its vision is to create a community of adaptive divers that will dive and travel in the mainstream world of scuba diving through education and overcoming obstacles. For more information about the Foundation or to donate go to www.divepirates.org.
