Dominica Dive Fest

Dominica's Dive Fest celebrates 15 years in July 2008

To stay on dry land is to experience only half the magic of Dominica - that is the message behind the island's Dive Fest, which celebrates its 15th anniversary in July 2008.

Dominica's Dive Fest, the Caribbean's longest running scuba diving festival, encourages visitors to dive down and discover the beautiful landscapes and colourful marine life within the island's waters. Would-be divers and snorkellers as young as eight can participate in pool- or ocean-based introductory sessions to teach them the basics, with some trial sessions even offered completely free of charge.

The annual event takes place in Dominica from 11th – 20th July 2008. To mark this special 15th anniversary year, many local dive centres are offering group travel packages whereby one diver goes free with every seven that book.

"Dive Fest was established to showcase the incredible marine environment of Dominica to both visitors and residents and is now one of the island’s staple events" comments Steve Bornn, director of tourism at the Discover Dominica Authority. "The community gets into the spirit of proceedings to create a fun, family festival, so visitors get deeply involved with co-mingling in the colourful villages as they enjoy everything else the 'Nature Island' has to offer – beautiful scenery and endless adventures above and below the surface of the ocean."

Dive Fest is organised by the Dominica Watersports Association (DWA). The DWA's president Simon Walsh comments: "Getting children into diving and snorkelling is one of our greatest aims, and seeing the excited reactions as they surface from their first reef dive never fails to reward. It is also a great means of educating people how to dive responsibly – both for their own safety and for the preservation of our reefs. Dominica is internationally recognised for the health of its marine life and we intend to keep it that way for future generations."

Intermediate and expert scuba divers will also find plenty on offer at Dive Fest. The schedule for experienced divers includes underwater treasure hunts and photography competitions, plus the chance to borrow and test out new equipment such as underwater cameras by Sealife.

Committed landlubbers need not miss out on the fun either. A sunset wine and cheese boat cruise, an evening 'beach bash' and a discounted whale-watching excursion in the Caribbean's whale-watching capital are just some of the Dive Fest events which might appeal to those preferring to keep their feet dry.

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, please visit the website.

Dive Fest travel packages

Many of Dominica's dive centres are offering a 'buy seven, get one free' offer on diving and accommodation packages during Dive Fest. These include:

Dive Dominica and Castle Comfort Lodge
Nature Island Dive and Evergreen Hotel
Al Dive
Sunset Bay Club
Cabrits Dive Centre
Anchorage Hotel & Dive Centre

Full terms and conditions, available dates, plus details of other special offers can be found at www.dominicawatersports.com.

There are no direct flights from the UK to Dominica. Fly to Antigua, Barbados or St Lucia with BA, Virgin Atlantic, BMI or XL, from where regional connections are available with LIAT.