The longest-running dive festival in the Caribbean kicks off on July 10 with 10 days of activities focused on scuba diving and other associated watersports. Primary festival organizer, the Dominica Watersports Association, encourages visitors to discover the landscapes and marine life found in the waters surrounding the island. Dive Fest was established to showcase the 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.

Would-be divers and snorkelers as young as 8 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 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 www.dominica.dm/site/divefest.cfm . The sponsors of this years festival include, but are not limited to, Dominica Watersports Association, Sealife Camera, Oceanic, Henderson Wetsuits and Dive Training Magazine. For more information, call 866-522-4057 or visit www.discoverdominica.com.

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