Across Maldives: Pushing the Limits of Human Endurance, Technology and Marine Exploration

We are about to witness a world-first dive expedition. Starting from the northernmost point of the Maldives, Shaff Naeem's Across Maldives expedition will cover over 460 kilometers of open ocean, diving through selected locations in each atoll before reaching the southern tip.

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Across Maldives Event

Initially planned in two phases, the first stage of the project was set to take place in February 2025, focusing on a world record attempt for the longest single DPV dive in the Greater Malé Region. However, due to technical issues, the team has made the strategic decision to merge Phase 1 and Phase 2 into a single groundbreaking expedition set for spring 2026. This project will now span the full length of the Maldives, from the northernmost point of Haa Alif Atoll to the southern edge of Seenu Atoll—over 460 kilometres of open ocean.

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Shaff Naeem: 50 Hours Underwater

At first, when Shafraz Naeem, a former military diving instructor with an impressive 27-year career, decided to take on the ambitious mission of a 50-hour non-stop dive, he had no idea the feat would go on to be recognised as a new record. Mohamed Rehan interviewed Naeem to find out more.

Words:
Mohamed Rehan
Images:
Shafraz Naeem / Ocean Six Fifty
➥ Download the full article as pdf ⬅︎
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Shafraz Naeem, known to friends and acquaintances by the nickname “Shaff,” did not embark on the odyssey with the vision of setting a regional record but rather with the far more sincere and admirable intention of raising awareness about plastic pollution in the seas.

Speaking about his mindset before the dive, Shaff noted that he had decided to undertake the underwater expedition of a 50-hour non-stop dive to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Maldives tourism industry, which the country celebrated in 2022.

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Explorers Club Event: Sea Stories – November 11

Olga Torrey and Larry Cohen will discuss the diverse marine life among the coral reefs of Papua New Guinea and their interactions with the people living in the villages of Kimbe Bay and the Tufi area. 

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Human Factors in dive training

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Words:
Darryl Owen
Images:
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Creating a Virtual Event: From Acorn to Global Conference in Four Months

On 24-25 September 2021, the first-ever Human Factors in Diving Conference ran. There were 27 speakers from across the globe (New Zealand, Australia, Dubai, Europe, United States and Mexico) supported by the platform hosts LexGo Live. Just less than 25 hours of content was produced during the two eight-hour days and was uploaded in near-real-time, which will contribute to the learning about and application of human factors, non-technical skills, Just Culture and psychological safety in the sports, military, commercial and public safety diving sectors.

Words:
Gareth Lock
Images:
Gareth Lock
Screenshot from Human Factors in Diving Conference presented by Gareth Lock
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So, how did it start and what can you learn from the development of this event if you want to put something similar together?

The Idea

The genesis of the idea really started in July 2019 when I was running a two-day Human Factors in Diving face-to-face class in Edinburgh. There was a conversation between a few of the students who were from DAN Europe and the healthcare sector. Ideas were bounced around, but nothing really happened, partly because of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, there were no dive shows!

Try something new: Under ice hockey

Underwater ice hockey matches are played upside-down below the frozen surface wearing full scuba gear.

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In the classic version of the extreme game competitors do not use any breathing apparatus, but instead, go to the surface for air every 30 seconds or so.

Instead of goals, two triangular holes were carved on the top of the ice and set 15 metres apart, with the teams trying to score using a floating wooden puck. Played out by teams of two or three people, matches continued simply until the first goal.

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