Garmin Advances Dive Safety Technology with Revolutionary Descent S1 Smart Buoy

MANILA, Philippines – Garmin has made a revolutionary addition to its Garmin dive lineup with the  Descent™ S1 Buoy, designed to help strengthen diver communication and enhance peace of mind for divers and crew. Using Garmin’s unique SubWave™ sonar networking, the buoy integrates seamlessly with Garmin dive computers to help crew members on the surface track and monitor up to eight divers—and exchange preset messages with those using a compatible dive computer and Descent T2 transceiver. For increased situational awareness, connected divers can also see the distance and direction to the buoy and receive clear guidance to help them know where to surface1.

“Garmin is focused on creating essential products designed to help keep divers safe. The groundbreaking Descent S1 buoy adds game-changing communication, navigation, and safety capabilities between divers and their surface crew, making it the next must-have piece of kit for dive teams, charter operations, instructors, and more.” –Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing

Advancing the diver experience

- Find my buoy: Connected divers can see the distance and direction back to the buoy – whether it’s tethered in place, on the anchor line of a boat, or on the boat’s tag line during a drift dive – and use it to navigate back to the buoy2.

- Diver-to-surface messaging: When using a connected Descent dive computer, divers can tell those on the surface where they are, where they’re going, if they need to come up early, and their remaining decompression time1.

- Extended diver-to-diver messaging: While beneath the surface, the buoy extends the range of diver-to-diver messaging capabilities. Divers with compatible Descent dive computers can exchange preset messages with one another up to 100 meters away1.

- Post-dive review: After returning to the surface, view underwater heatmaps on the Garmin Dive™ smart-device app to see where explorations took place.

 

Revolutionizing the diving experience from the surface

Topside crews can better track divers below the surface when using both the Descent S1 Buoy and the Garmin Dive app.

 

- Remote diver monitoring: Track tank pressures, diver location and depth, and more when divers are equipped with a compatible dive computer and Descent T2 transceiver. Automatic alerts can also let topside crew members know when a diver’s tank pressure is low2.

- Surface-to-diver messaging: Topside crews can exchange preset messages with connected Descent dive computers underwater, allowing them to communicate with divers and send out a diver recall if the dive needs to be cut short.

- Diver location tracking: Track the approximate range to each diver in the SubWave sonar network—up to 100 meters away from the buoy2.

 

Rugged and connected

The compact Descent S1 Buoy weighs just 2 pounds and has an IPX8 water rating to 10 meters. The rechargeable lithium battery provides up to 15 hours of battery life so it can be used during a typical weekend dive trip before needing to be recharged. To keep divers connected to their topside crew, the buoy uses Wi-Fi® technology to wirelessly connect to the Garmin Dive app, up to 60 meters away.

 

The Descent S1 Buoy has a suggested retail price of PHP 153,990 and is available now for pre-order in Garmin Brand Stores, Garmin Specialty Stores. Interested buyers may also reach Fran So at +63 917 599 0993 to order. 

For more information, visit www.ph.garmin.com.

 

Engineered on the inside for life on the outside, Garmin products have revolutionized life for adventurers, athletes, off-road explorers, road warriors, and outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. Committed to developing products that enhance experiences, enrich lives, and help provide peace of mind, Garmin believes every day is an opportunity to innovate and a chance to beat yesterday. 

1 Some compatible dive computers can receive, but not send, messages. Conditions such as surface, waves, chop, objects and diver position can obstruct the signal and reduce range; for more details, visit Garmin.com/subwave.

2 Conditions such as surface, waves, chop, objects and diver position can obstruct the signal and reduce range; for more details, visit Garmin.com/subwave

Olympian Greg Louganis Ready to Officiate 2019 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series

MANILA, Philippines – Four-time Olympic Gold Medal diver, Greg Louganis, will continue to serve as Sports Director for this year’s upcoming Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series - Season 11. The World Series will kick-off on April 12th in the Small and Big Lagoons located in Miniloc Island, El Nido, Palawan. This year will mark the first time the event comes to the Philippines and will likewise be the only Asian stop of the 2019 series.

Louganis’ Work with Red Bull Cliff Diving

In 2017, Louganis was named as the Sports Director for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series after having attended the event in the past as a judge.

“I was invited as a judge on the tour years ago,” shares Louganis. “Then after the passing of my dear friend and former Olympic competitor Niki Stajkovic, who was the original Sports Director, Red Bull reached out to me and asked if I could step into the role.”

Moreover, Louganis is excited to be working on the 11th season, stating “I am honoured to be back this year on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. I look forward to another exciting year.”

As Red Bull Cliff Diving’s Sports Director, Louganis oversees every athletic and logical aspect of the competition. This ensures that all safety measures are met, in addition to the implementation of consistent competition rules across all the competitors.

“Some of the safety measures we look for is if the diving heights meet the standard requirements for 27 meters for the Men and 21 meters for the Women,” says Louganis. “Also that there is at least 5 meters water depth which the divers would be diving in.”

A Quick Look at Greg Louganis’ Unforgettable Career
Louganis, who is widely considered the “the greatest American diver”, made his Olympic debut in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where he took home the Silver Medal in the platform event.

After having won three combined FINA World Championships in 1979 and 1982, Louganis returned to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles where he placed first on both the platform and springboard events. Four years later, at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Louganis suffered a concussion in the preliminary rounds. An undeterred Louganis continued and outplaced his competition by winning both Gold Medals in the springboard and platform contests.

In the years since his Olympic wins, Louganis has established himself as a global icon for civil and LGBT rights.

Where to Watch Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series

Catch the live broadcast from El Nido, Palawan, via Red Bull TV on April 13th, 2019. Viewers in the Philippines may also watch the full event, along with the remaining six stops of the 2019 World Series, on SportsAndAction and iWant Sports (iwant.ph), 5PLUS and 5plus.com.ph, FOX Sports, FOX Sports GO, FOX+ app, and online at http://www.foxsports.ph. Check local listings for times and availabilities.

We also invite you to follow the World Series on Facebook (facebook.com/redbullcliffdiving), Instagram (@redbullcliffdiving) and Twitter (@cliffdiving).


About Red Bull

Red Bull gives wings to people and ideas. As a functional beverage, we give wings to our athletes by vitalizing body and mind - supporting their professional career and setting milestones including sports like cliff diving.

About Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series

Since 2009, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series has provided a platform for aesthetic free-falls and dives of ever growing complexity, spotlighting the sport’s finest athletes as well as the most promising talents and in 2014 it introduced a Women’s World Series. In its 11th season, the sport's best athletes will once again leap, twist and somersault from breath-taking heights with no protection, except their concentration, skill and physical control during seven demanding competitions around the world.

For more info, visit http://www.redbullcliffdiving.com and check www.redbullcliffdivingnewsroom.com for more editorial content. #RedBullCliffDiving

Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series Makes First Ever Philippine Stop to Kick off 11th Season

MANILA, Philippines – The biggest event of the season makes its highly-anticipated debut in the Philippines! Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series kicks off its 11th season in El Nido, Palawan, on April 12th – 13th, 2019. This year, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series makes its regional debut in three brand new locations on its seven-stop global tour:


April 13  – El Nido, Palawan, Philippines – (NEW)
May 12 – Dublin, Ireland – (NEW)
June 2 – Polignano a Mare, Italy
June 22 – São Miguel, Azores, Portugalsd
July 14 – Beirut, Lebanon – (NEW)
August 24 – Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
September 14 – Bilbao, Spain

Twenty-four (24) professional male and female cliff divers from eighteen (18) nationalities take off for the clear emerald waters of the Small and Big Lagoon in Miniloc Island, including record champions Rhiannan Iffland (AUS) and Gary Hunt (GBR). However, each stop will feature four (4) wildcard divers seeking to earn their way up the ranks.

The divers will soar from heights of up to 27m at speeds in excess of 86km/h with nothing else but their concentration, skill, and physical control. Divers will be scored by an international jury who will grade each dive on the following metrics:

Take off
Position in the air
Entry in the water

Cliff Diving & Palawan’s Conservation

Just a forty-minute boat ride away from El Nido, Palawan, Miniloc Island provides divers and judges alike with a magnificent backdrop to the opening contests of the World Series’ 11th season. To raise additional awareness for El Nido’s conservation efforts, the Clean Cliffs Project (CCP) will run a number of educational and clean-up workshops on the island.

According to Carolyn Esmenda, Asst. Protection Area Management Board Superintendent (PAMB), “The grant to hold the event in a national park is not merely to draw more tourists, but to show the world our efforts to protect and preserve this paradise from the threats of mass tourism. I personally think the event can help convey to the world the need to protect paradise’s like ours though responsible tourism.”

Where to Watch Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series

Catch the live broadcast from El Nido via Red Bull TV on April 13th, 2019. Viewers in the Philippines may also watch the full event, along with the remaining six stops of the 2019 World Series, on FOX Sports, FOX Sports GO, FOX+ app, and online at http://www.foxsports.ph.

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About Red Bull

Red Bull gives wings to people and ideas. As a functional beverage, we give wings to our athletes by vitalizing body and mind - supporting their professional career and helping them achieve milestones within their sport.


About Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series

Since 2009, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series has provided a platform for aesthetic free-falls and dives of ever growing complexity, spotlighting the sport’s finest athletes as well as the most promising talents and in 2014 it introduced a Women’s World Series. In its 11th season, the sport's best athletes will once again leap, twist and somersault from breath-taking heights with no protection, except their concentration, skill and physical control during seven demanding competitions around the world.

For more info, visit: http://www.redbullcliffdiving.com and check www.redbullcliffdivingnewsroom.com for more editorial content. #RedBullCliffDiving