An Update from the Organiser

Greetings Rebreather Aficionados,

Thank you for your interest in Rebreather Forum 4 (RF4)! I wanted to update you on where we are and what you can expect to see in the near future.

Latest updates

The new, completed RF4 website—which will include an online registration system—will be up and running in November. We will send a notice when the site is live. The upgraded site will include a detailed symposium schedule with presenters and presenter bios, a list of exhibitors and sponsors, venue information, a discount reservation link to our lead hotel, the Excelsior, a link to diving options, and more.

We plan to charge €350-375 (currently about US$350-375) for registration which, in addition to the three-day meeting, will include reception drink tickets, a banquet dinner, coffee service, daily lunch, swag bag with conference T-shirt, and, of course, a digital copy of the RF4 Proceedings. 

Venue and more

We are finalizing venue details for the symposium which will be held 20-22 April, 2023. The core scientific meeting will be held in the Aula Magna building on the old University of Malta campus in Valletta, Malta, and the presentations/sessions will run from 08:00-17:30 each day. 

An all-star lineup of presenters

Τhe scientific program, consisting of 22 sequential sessions, is nearly complete. The sessions address safety, physiology, technology, and training and will be led by prominent field experts, who will moderate group discussions after each presentation. We are currently in the process of inviting and confirming presenters, who will be announced soon along with the program. 

Confirmed presenters include: Mark Caney, Mauritius Bell, Brian Carney or designee, Simon Caruana, John Clarke, David Doolette, Vince Ferris, Oscar Franberg, Timmy Gambin, Kevin Gurr,  Richard Harris, Paul Haynes, Richie Kohler, Rachel Lance, Gareth Lock, Alessandro Marroni, Michael Menduno, Simon Mitchell, Andy Pitkin, Neal Pollock, Phil Short, Frauke Tillmans, and Paul Toomer. We plan to produce a formal scientific proceeding following the symposium. 

Exhibits, food, non-caustic cocktails

There will be a small exhibit area outside of the conference with about 30-35 exhibits, including two unique exhibits on historical rebreathers. We will assemble in the exhibit area before the meeting from 07:00-8:00 on Friday and Saturday, and have daily morning and evening breaks to visit the exhibits. Coffee service and lunch will be provided next to the exhibit area each day.

We will be holding the Non-Caustic Cocktail Reception at the nearby Excelsior Hotel, which will be the RF4 lead hotel, on Wednesday, 19 April from 17:00-19:30. There will also be a banquet dinner with a guest speaker on Saturday, 22 April, at an historical setting in Valletta to be announced.

Shipwreck diving

The RAID team is working with Heritage Malta and their local registered dive centers to create a menu of shipwreck diving options for attendees and their guests before the meeting and after, which will include best practice safety protocols. There will be a link to diving options on the upcoming RF4 website. Select vendors will also be offering try-dives and demonstrations in a nearby pool, which RF4 is renting for this purpose.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. I look forward to seeing you in Malta!

Kind regards,

Michael Menduno
RF4 organiser/convener

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If you are a vendor, or other organizations interested in exhibiting at RF4, contact RF4 exhibit manager, Darcy Kieran, +1 754-900-9515, darcy@businessofdiving.com. 

If you are interested in sponsoring RF4, contact organizer/convener Michael Menduno, +1 (760) 831-9494, michael@menduno.com.  

If you are a media outlet interested in reporting on RF4, contact Cristian Pellegrini, +39 (328) 868-1481, cpellegrini@daneurope.org.