Held at IndoChine Suntec City Bar, in the heart of the Lion City, UW360’s Monthly Divers’ Party attracted dive enthusiasts, operators and professionals to come together and show support for this booming industry. With an impressive line-up of entertainment, including guest speakers and prize giveaways, guests left their fins at home and wound down from the working day with great food and drink.
Each guest received a complimentary door gift which included a free welcome drink, a S$15 IndoChine voucher, and the choice between receiving one of the latest issues of our award-winning titles, Asian Diver and Scuba Diver.
Every month, the UW360 Divers’ Monthly Party features special guest appearances, and October was no exception. Kicking off the show, professional freediver and AIDA instructor Chris Kim gave an interactive presentation. Briefly outlining the core skills needed to succeed in freediving, he went on to invite the audience to try out a breath test: Those who wished to participate had to go through basic breath-hold preparation before seeing how long they could hold their breath for. With over 10 years of freediving experience, Chris has become well known within the sport for winning the SG Pool Freediving Open in 2015, and by coming second place in the Australian National Depth Championship.
After a brief musical interlude, Syrena – Singapore’s first mermaid – gave her presentation. Through both images and retelling of past experiences, she gave the crowd an insight into what the life of a mermaid is like by showcasing her fantastic costumes and difficult training routines (to be able to lift that 15 kilogram tail). Syrena has made a name for herself through entertaining and performing at Singapore’s events and parties, and by setting up the Singapore Mermaid School, has helped many kids to fulfil their fantasies.
To close the presentations, Michelle Ooi, 11-time Singapore national woman’s freediving record holder, broke down the step-by-step preparation procedures for world-record breaker William Trubridge’s competitive freedive. She then went on to offload some of her own experiences during competitions and her journey to becoming a professional. After the presentation guests were able to have a quick Q&A with her to answer any questions that they had about the sport, and about Michelle’s own underwater encounters.
The night ended in typical “lucky draw” style. Three prizes were up for grabs: the third place prize was a National Geographic Snorkel (worth S$50), second place was a Mares Puck Pro dive computer (worth S$326), and first place was a 2D/1N trip for two certified divers aboard the MV Kangaroo Explorer by Cairns Dive Centre (worth S$1,112).
It was an incredible night, and we’re already looking forward to November’s party, 10.11.16 (venue TBC)!
