By Bejay Browne.
The world’s oldest scuba diver, a 95-year-old British World War II veteran, has celebrated 100 dives in Latchi.
Ray Woolley, 95, lives in Limassol and has dived all over the world. He has been diving in Cyprus for years, although most of his dives on the island have taken place in Latchi, he said.
“For the last few years most of my dives have been with Latchi watersports and they all make it so easy for me, which at my age is great. Latchi is such a lovely place to dive, there are many nice dive sites” he told the Paphos Post.
His dives at Latchi have ranged from 10.2 metres to 47.1 metres over the years.
The 95 year old is a great example of healthy ageing and fitness and said his gear now has to be put on board boat for him, and he has to ‘face the fact’ that he can no longer climb down cliffs with his equipment on his back.
“I’m not doing too badly but as you get older, you have to be a bit more careful and sensible and take care of yourself.”
Last year, Ray was catapulted into the spotlight when he broke his own Guinness World Record as the world’s oldest scuba diver when he dived down to 40.6 metres for 44 minutes at the well known Zenobia shipwreck in Larnaca.
Ray already held the Guinness record title following a similar successful dive on his 94th birthday, where he dived to a depth of 38.1 metres for 41 minutes.
Ray is a World War II veteran who served in the Royal Navy and ‘SBS Special Force 281’ in the Dodecanese. After the war, he trained as radio engineer and whilst working for the British foreign office was posted to Cyprus in 1964.
He is originally from Port Sunlight on the Wirral Peninsula in the UK, and started swimming at his local swimming baths aged five. In Cyprus he dives with the British sub aqua club- BSAC-at RAF Akrotiri and began diving with the Portland and Weymouth British Sub Aqua Club in 1960.
The 95-year-old also features in an award winning documentary film about his life. ‘Life Begins at 90’, was filmed in Cyprus and highlights Ray’s life, his passion for diving and the water, and his healthy approach to ageing.
The film is competing at festivals around the world, and will next be shown at the upcoming prestigious 18th International Red Cross Film Festival to be held in Varna, in Bulgaria, in June.
“I hope people like my film and that it inspires them. I’m hoping to break my own Guinness world record again this year by diving in Cyprus for my 96th birthday for the title,” he said.
