Dive Fest 2009 – A Ten Day Event Set to Kick Off July 10th to 19th.
(Click here to see photos from Dive Fest 2008.)
The longest running Dive Festival in the Caribbean kicks off on July 10 for an action-packed ten days of activities focused on scuba diving and other associated watersports.
Primary festival organizer, the Dominica Watersports Association, encourages visitors to dive down and discover the beautiful landscapes and colorful marine life found in the waters surrounding the island.
“Dive Fest was established to showcase the renowned marine environment of Dominica to visitors and residents alike, and is now one of the island’s signature events,†comments Colin Piper, Director of Tourism at Discover Dominica Authority. “Visitors are invited to join in and experience the best the island has to offer, with endless adventures both above and below the surface. If you need a reason to visit Dominica, Dive Fest is it.â€
Would-be divers and snorkelers as young as eight can participate in pool or ocean-based introductory sessions to learn the basics, with some trial sessions offered completely free of charge. Intermediate and expert scuba divers will find a schedule that includes underwater treasure hunts, photography competitions and the chance to borrow and test out new equipment such as an underwater camera by Sealife.
Activities will take place along the entire East Coast, from Scotts Head to Portsmouth, as well as at selected locations around the island. Although Dive Fest has an environmentally-oriented focus, it has widespread appeal due to the variety of planned activities such as barbecues, wine tasting, whale watching, sunset cruises and more.
Dive Fest culminates with the traditional Carib Canoe Race, where highly competitive teams race custom built craft to be crowned champions; often with a few capsized crews along the way. To view the full schedule of events during Dive Fest, visit http://www.dominica.dm/site/divefest.cfm.
The sponsors of this year’s festival include, but are not limited to; Dominica Watersports Association, Sealife Camera, Oceanic, Henderson Wetsuits and Dive Training Magazine.
