Smith Aerospace
Temporary Shutdown
From June 10th to July 13th, 2010
Friends,
There is a story behind the need for this temporary shutdown. If you don't want the whole story, you can skip down to the last 2 paragraphs.
In April 2010, I personally attended Freedive Paradise, the freediving competition of the US Nationals. As the owner of Smith Aerospace, I went there to receive my first formal freediving training and to observe the competition. I wanted to learn as much as I could about the sport of freediving, as I was in the process of developing the DOL-Fin Orca monofin which is intended to be optimized specifically to meet the needs of freedivers.
Feeling comfortable with my skills after receiving an AIDA 3 Star certificate, and with much coaxing from the other competitors at the competition, I entered the freediving competition rather than just observing. What better way to learn about the needs of athletes in a freediving competition than to participate as a competitor and experience it firsthand. I wasn't going to set any world records, but the experience seemed worth it.
What I didn't expect was how well I would do. I performed much better than I had thought I was capable of prior to the competition. I believe this outcome was partly a result of the training I received, which had a more significant impact on my abilities as a freediver than I had expected; but also, because the prototype DOL-Fin Orca, which was working very well and as designed, played a significant role in contributing to my performance. If you want to start freediving, my advise is to find an experienced freediver to dive with, and get some formal training. If you can get that training in conjunction with a competition, as I did, your training will be SIGNIFICANTLY more effective and is well worth the experience.
As fate would have it, I earned second position on the US Men's Freediving Team to compete in the Freediving World Cup in Okinawa. This is an unexpected and unique opportunity that I feel compelled to take, from both a personal and professional perspective. The experiences, personal contacts, and exposure of the DOL-Fin Orca at the World Cup could have a significant impact on the future of Smith Aerospace.
The downside of competing in the Freediving World Cup in Okinawa, is that I will need to temporarily close the doors at Smith Aerospace for about a month while I am away training and competing. I apologize for any inconveniences this shutdown may cause. Please check our calendar periodically to see important events and schedules for Smith Aerospace.
Ron Smith
Owner: Smith Aerospace