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//////. paavima?
paavima is a Sinhalese word analogous to the English term 'buoyancy'. The project revolves around the ocean and in large part on diving as a means to bring assistance to a community in need. In diving, mastery of buoyancy is important and a skill one never ceases to refine. But also, we are trying to bring buoyancy, in the most positive meaning of the word (Webster's defines it as an optimistic and cheerful disposition) to a community struck by tragic and unfortunate circumstances, including the tsunami of 2004.

The paavima.org team consists of:

      Todd Barber
Chairman Reefball Foundation
Memorial Advisor

      Brandon Bond
PADI Assistant Instructor # 175825
Disaster Preparedness Manager, Kaiser Permanente National Security
Member U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, Bay Area Disaster Medical Assistance Team

     

Christopher Chin
PADI IDCS # 159401
Founder Center for Oceanic Awareness, Research, and Education
Network Exorcist at UC Berkeley
Writer/Cinematographer
http://www.deepimmersions.com


      Jason Firmin
PADI Open Water Diver
 Managing Director Mailman Sri Lanka
Co-founder Mailman HELP Foundation

      Indika Gunawardena
PADI OWSI # 487792
Cultural Liason, Translator and Manager of The Shack

      Kirk Jobsz
CEO Mailman Group
Co-founder Mailman HELP Foundation

      Francesca Koe
PADI Instructor # 186082
Scuba Editor of Deeperblue.net
Program Chair & Past President of SFMOMA's Contemporary Extension
VP, Managing Director at Underground Ads

     

Terney Pradeep Kumara
PADI Divemaster Candidate
Fisheries Biology Lecturer at University of Ruhuna
Marine Biology Advisor to Paavima.org


     

John McGuire
PADI OWSI # 612682
IT Expert


     

Philip Mucci
PADI OWSI # 230726
Engineering wizard
Vagabond, Dj and
Experienced philanthropist/facilitator


      Bill Oakes
PADI Course Director # 170832
Owner of California Dive Center

      Salvador Quiroz
PADI Divemaster # 230310
Architect
Filmmaker
Memorial co-designer

     

Vladimir Soto
PADI Master Instructor # 165157
Video pro
Art director
Memorial co-designer


      Tom Yang
PADI Master Instructor # 175925
Systems Integration Engineer at Applied Biosystems and Chief Instructor of California Dive Center
www.scubaforeveryone.com

      Champike Yatagama
Translator for Paavima.org
Network Engineer at Sri Lankan Airlines

 

  

If you are a PADI instructor who would like to get involved or if you have spare gear you can donate please contact us at:
info@paavima.org