Ooredoo Maldives and Freediving Instructors International (FII) has planned a special event for the freediving community in Maldives.
The “Safe Beneath the Surface: Freediving Safety Session with a World Champion”, will be held on Thursday, July 3 at 8:00 pm at Ooredoo Maldives Headquarters in Hulhumale'.
Ooredoo said the session aims to increase safety measures while diving, helping to avoid accidents and promoting best practices.
Two renowned FII speakers will lead the session. They are 13-time world record freediver Martin Stepanek and world-renowned freediving instructor Errol Putigna.
Ooredoo has opened a link to register for the session for free.
Martin Stepanek
According to FII, Martin Stepanek is a freediving pioneer, having gone to depths never before - over 400 feet on a single breath of air. He claimed his first freediving world record in 2001 and has since gone on to become one of the world's top freedivers in history, setting 13 world records throughout his competitive career. Martin's strong desire to improve the effectiveness and safety of freediving education led him to start FII. Martin has trained thousands of students worldwide utilizing this proven freediving training method including some of the world's elite sportsmen and women.
Errol Putigna
According to FII, Errol Putigna, originally from Toronto, Canada is an internationally recognized instructor. He helped develop freedive curricula alongside Martin Stepanek, such as FII's Junior Freediver program and is one of the most sought-after freediving instructors in the world, having taught professional athletes, such as Cameron Kirkconnell (Professional Spearfishing guide and Saltlife athlete), Cheyenne Lee (Saltlife model and athlete), Adam Hayward, Matt Roth (NFL) and Luke Rockhold (UFC) and Forbes 400 business entrepreneurs among others. He teaches both recreational level and professional level certification courses all over the United States, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Spain and Qatar. In addition, he has translated and adapted FII's materials for the Spanish-speaking market. He is also an avid spearfisherman and underwater photographer. His images have been published in prestigious magazines such as Oryx (the official magazine of Qatar Airways), Hawaii Skin Diver, Desert Rider and California Diver among many others.
Ooredoo Maldives MD and CEO Khalid Al Hamadi said Ooredoo Maldives will continue to support efforts to promote safety and security in communities.
“This freediving safety session was an important step in providing a pathway for our growing community of freedivers to pursue their passion with the highest standards of safety,” Khalid said.
