AFA - AIDA & SSI

[Walrus]

Welcome to freediving in Australia, the truth is always secondary to a good story and a fat wallet. Everything is done via the Media and facebook etc. Admin rights on fb gives you total rights to remove any posts you make. Posts I make are often deleted and I'm left looking like an idiot or a liar or usually both. As far as freediving is concerned, with such a minority sport I don't think any one can be bothered doing any fact checking.......

I am one of the founding members of the AFA (AIDA's Australia's rep), and have spent 1000's of hours of my own free time trying to get the sport going. This is on a non biased National level vs a small select group of people or on a club level.....
The only person I know who has spent more time then me on AFA is Ben Noble.

It's Interesting when people I used to know call me a liar or someone that doesn't want freediving here to progress. They would rather trust others that have vested interest, ie making lot of money in the business ......

 

[Walrus]

Re: The World Series of Freediving – ODEX-Treme Neptune Freediving Challenge

Fran is the sole reason why NZ had any world record holders at all (With exception to Will T). She put huge amounts of effort into organising comps and even a huge amount of personal cash towards the end before she left NZ.

 

[Walrus]

Re: The World Series of Freediving – ODEX-Treme Neptune Freediving Challenge

Ben, if you still care about AIDA and AFA being non profit please please comment on the following :-

Mike Wells had created major tension between AFA and SSI. To the degree that someone from the AFA rang up SSI and asked if Mike worked for SSI. Mike said he did not.

 

[Walrus]

Re: The World Series of Freediving – ODEX-Treme Neptune Freediving Challenge

To be clear to people living outside Australia. SSI Australia is owned by a company called www.aquanaut.com.au/

 

[Walrus]

Re: The World Series of Freediving – ODEX-Treme Neptune Freediving Challenge

My own thoughts are that there are committee members in AFA that are on the SSI payroll. I have contacted AIDA International and so far they don't seem interested.

 

[Walrus]

Re: The World Series of Freediving – ODEX-Treme Neptune Freediving Challenge

AFA is AIDA Australia's rep. The current 'president' who is an SSI Instructor has removed me from the facebook AFA comitee page. He has been in that role 8 months or so. He has complete admin rights to almost every single freediving club facebook page etc. He has total censorship rights to everything I say on the net......

 

[Walrus]

Re: The World Series of Freediving – ODEX-Treme Neptune Freediving Challenge

Knowing posts I make will be deleted I may as well go for broke. After 1 single competition Mike was in, think he made 50-60m - one of his 1st websites Mike Wells said he was a "Veteran Freediver having competed in a multitude of competitions".

Also many people in Australia were convinced that he was a world record holding freediver.


This was the start of SSI freediving. All based on media, opinions and zero truth.

 

[Walrus]

Re: The World Series of Freediving – ODEX-Treme Neptune Freediving Challenge

The next AFA (AIDA/SSI) competition is about to commence in the next week. I tried to ask the 'organiser' some simple questions, ie judges, medics etc. There was a hugely long pause. It was super obvious that he was not the organiser. He was consulting with the real organisers. They may or may not be on the SSI payroll.

 

[Walrus]

Re: The World Series of Freediving – ODEX-Treme Neptune Freediving Challenge

What's up with the Alexey add ?

 

[Walrus]

Re: The World Series of Freediving – ODEX-Treme Neptune Freediving Challenge

Who owns Deeper Blue at the moment ?

 

[Walrus]

Re: The World Series of Freediving – ODEX-Treme Neptune Freediving Challenge

Now the add is "4th Element"......

 

[Walrus]

Re: The World Series of Freediving – ODEX-Treme Neptune Freediving Challenge

Now it's Alexey again.

 

[Kars]

Re: The World Series of Freediving – ODEX-Treme Neptune Freediving Challenge

Difficult situations Walrus.

I've dealt with other forms of corruption here. Being elected secretary and being told by the chairman and the treasurer that I was not going to see meeting logs...

Commercial versus public.

I'm convinced that commercial people should not lead public organisations, simply because they do not mind misrepresenting in a big way. 'A big cause warrens big lies'.
Public organisations should be about integrity, being a base of trust for all members. They should be owned and directed by them. Their boards should be there to listen, distil and follow the people's needs. And manage the chosen projects.

A commercial company has a different set of goals.
Grow income, grow market, dominate market, obtain a high yield.

Sure people want to see the sport grow too - more buddies are always welcome. But we do not want to pay through the nose, be dependent on companies, expensive certificates, exclusivity, class to enjoy our helix activities.
So I plea for separation of the public and commercial interest.
People who's income greatly depend on freediving should not become board member of a public organisation.

Can a SSI, AA, IANTD, Padi instructor become an AIDA board member?
I would say no, because of possible conflict of interest between AIDA and named commercial organisation. Such people still can volunteer and help out to organise events, giving advice etc, but cannot be granted a leading role.

Commercial organisation like the appearance of a public organisation, because their customers may believe they get a better deal. Confusing people and playing on their fantasy is profitable, and allows for bigger margins. However I think the AIDA federation should invest and advertise their public function, so people understand the vital difference.

I think it would healthy for AIDA members to have this discussion over the Public versus Commercial question, and it's different interest and goals.


Love, courage and Water,

Kars

 

[Stephan Whelan]

This is now the new thread for all Australia SSI & AIDA discussions.

Walrus - to be clear I own DeeperBlue.com - to be able to afford to run this site we having paying advertisers who pay to have their ads on the site. This is not the same as ownership.