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rEvo Rebreather event held in wintry conditions at Stoney Cove

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Over the weekend of the 17th & 18th of March, the teams from rEvo Rebreathers and Mares gathered at Stoney Cove to show off their latest equipment, offering rEvo try dives and loaning out Mares dive and XR equipment to the divers who adventured out on what was a particularly wintry weekend. Even with a weather warning for extreme cold and heavy snow, divers turned up from around the UK.

Saturday started out beautifully sunny as the first group, who had signed up to try out the rebreather systems, headed into the classroom at Stoney Cove to hear about how the system works and the benefits over other rebreather models. Then it was time to gear up. The sky turned white and soon snow was falling, but just as quickly it shifted back to bright sunshine; clearly, the weather was going to be a feature of the day!

In the water, the temperature was 4 degrees and the visibility was somewhat less than ideal. This, however, did not seem to put-off the divers from experiencing the rEvo rebreather on a try dive. Some were experienced rebreather divers, others having a go for the first time, but once they had signed up, they were treated to 1:1 guidance from the professional instructor team that had traveled from Italy, Belgium and all over the UK.

The rEvo is a revolutionary rebreather system and we were amazed at just how compact and light the system is. Features that make it stand out from the crowd include:

  • Dual scrubber: the most efficient scrubber system on the market, dual redundant design, safer in use while using less sorb.
  • Lightweight / travel friendly: travel weight of around 15 kg, and a dive ready weight of 21kg makes the rEvo micro one of the most travel friendly units on the market.
  • Maintenance friendly: easy to set-up and maintain. Complete assembly and dive preparation including checklist in less than 5 min. The design prevents user assembly errors.
  • “True” redundant electronics: the different electronic system that monitor the ppO2 in the rebreather are redundant up to sensor level and therefore produces an inherently safe design.

In the evening Mares and rEvo hosted a dinner at Stoney Cove for journalists, instructors and dive shop owners to hear a presentation from Paul of rEvo about how the system works. Alas, the snow really picked up, and the group grew nervous at the thought of the drive out of Stoney involving driving up the winding hill. Watching the blizzard getting worse from the Nemo restaurant window, the decision was taken to head back to the hotel while we still could; a wise move.

Sunday saw the air temperature drop to a chilly -2 degrees, and as we pulled into the car park at Stoney Cove, a layer of snow had covered the cliff edges and walls around the quarry. Surely only the brave would be turning up on a day like this, but turn up they did, and the morning rEvo try dive session went ahead with seven of us braving the chilly water. For those with little experience in rebreather diving, the try dives were conducted in shallow water, staying at 5m, and touring around the Nautilus sculpture, spending around 30 minutes in the water (which was plenty given the temperatures!)

It was a very informative weekend for anyone interested in rebreather diving and it provided a great chance to try out the rEvo rebreather with 1:1 instruction. Mares, somewhat unsurprisingly, saw plenty of divers asking to try out their heated vests. I was lucky enough to be one of the divers trying these out and the difference it made to diving these wintry conditions was incredible. We did three dives over the weekend and never once got cold; no ice-cream headache and our hands were fine throughout the dives too.


For more information about rEvo Rebreathers visit their website: www.revo-rebreathers.com.

For more information about Mares visit their website: www.mares.com.

Nick and Caroline (Frogfish Photography) are a married couple of conservation driven underwater photo-journalists and authors. Both have honours degrees from Manchester University, in Environmental Biology and Biology respectively, with Nick being a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, a former high school science teacher with a DipEd in Teaching Studies. Caroline has an MSc in Animal Behaviour specializing in Caribbean Ecology. They are multiple award-winning photographers and along with 4 published books, feature regularly in the diving, wildlife and international press They are the Underwater Photography and Deputy Editors at Scubaverse and Dive Travel Adventures. Winners of the Caribbean Tourism Organization Photo-journalist of the Year for a feature on Shark Diving in The Bahamas, and they have been placed in every year they have entered. Nick and Caroline regularly use their free time to visit schools, both in the UK and on their travels, to discuss the important issues of marine conservation, sharks and plastic pollution. They are ambassadors for Sharks4Kids and founders of SeaStraw. They are Dive Ambassadors for The Islands of The Bahamas and are supported by Mares, Paralenz, Nauticam and Olympus. To find out more visit www.frogfishphotography.com

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Spooktacular Underwater Adventure: Oyster Diving’s First Halloween Scuba Party at Mercers Lake

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halloween

Last Thursday, Oyster Diving transformed Mercers Lake into a hauntingly unforgettable underwater realm for their inaugural Halloween Scuba Party. Approximately 20 intrepid divers plunged into the darkness, weaving through a mesmerising scene of spectral decorations, glow sticks, and eerie underwater pumpkins.

halloween halloween

After the thrilling night dive, participants gathered to feast on a ghoulish spread of pumpkin soup, chilli con carne, and decadent fudge brownies, perfect fuel for the frightful festivities.

halloween

With a resounding success, Oyster Diving is excited to announce plans for this event to become an annual tradition. Next year, look forward to a fully licensed bar and live music, promising an even spookier celebration under the moonlit waters.

halloween

Join us next Halloween for an experience that promises to be a haunting delight!

Find out more about Oyster Diving at oysterdiving.com.

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Marine Life & Conservation

Shark Trust launches Oceanic 31 Shark Art Auction

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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.

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

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