New water sport activity on Dive fest 2017 programme

Tonge emphasized the importance of water sports to tourism and the economy

One new activity has been added to the list of more than twenty on the programme for Dive Fest 2017.

The Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Dominica Watersports Association (DWA) and other partners launched the 28th annual Dive Fest Dominica event at the Anchorage Hotel on Friday June 16th 2017.  The event will run from July 2-16.

The new activity to be added is called ‘Freediving’ where persons dive into deep levels of water as far as they can go with, or without flippers, and no oxygen tanks.

The free diving component will be under the guidance of free diving company, Blue Element International. One member of the company, as part of Dive Fest activities, will be attempting to set a record of diving over 200 feet deep into Dominican waters.

Other Dive Fest 2017 activities include: T-VICE in concert, Free scuba diving in the pool of Anchorage Hotel, Turtle Love Day at the Rosalie Bay Resort, Whale watching, Indian River boat rides,  Wave Dance Water Sports at Picard Beach in Portsmouth, and an Island-wide Coastal Cleanup.

Minister for Tourism, Robert Tonge, said that his ministry is fully on board to at ensure that, together with partnering organizations, the event is successful and also, to strengthen relations among the event’s partners.

“Rest assured the Ministry of Tourism and Urban Renewal, and by extension the government of Dominica, stands ready and committed to collaborate effectively with the Dominica Water Sports Association. The government, inclusive of the Ministry, seeks to strengthen the bonds existing between the Ministry, the Dominica Water Sports Association, as it relates to the coordination and promotion of the water sports activities on this island,” he said.

He expressed his satisfaction over the Dive Fest event being launched “way in advance” as this shows that the teams are working together and being proactive.

Tonge said that he was impressed with the new addition of the free diving activity to the list of events as it “lends to bring some additional excitement to this year’s event,” and also forms part of water sports itself that contributes to economic sustainability.

“There is no doubt that the importance of water sports in the industry of tourism and in particular the economy of Dominica, as this industry sustains many jobs both directly and indirectly, and also they divers spend a fair amount of money as compared to the average visitor to Dominica,” the minister remarked.

Sponsors of Dive Fest 2017 are Kubuli, Clear Harbor, Petro Caribe, Rosalie Bay Resort, Fort Young Hotel, and Board Walk Restaurant and Bar.

Click here to view Dive Fest 2017 programme of activities.

 

 

 

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10 Comments

  1. Anonymous
    June 19, 2017

    Awesome!

  2. Mouton Batalie
    June 19, 2017

    Are we equipped to treat injuries caused by diving? Do we have a hyperbaric chamber? Do we have train staff and equipment? I will be there to support watersports but I am also concerned about the safety of the participants.

    • Concerned
      June 19, 2017

      Interesting point

    • zandoli
      June 19, 2017

      Taken from the United States Apnea Association:

      Q: Can you get decompression sickness, a.k.a. the bends, from freediving?

      A: Yes, but only rarely and only in extreme breath-hold diving situations. Advanced freedivers conducting repetitive deep dives for long periods underwater, with little recovery time at the surface have developed decompression sickness from an accumulation of nitrogen in the body. History has revealed commercial freedivers (those making a living harvesting pearls, sponges, lobster, fish, etc.) doing breath-hold dives for several hours in a day, to depths of 60 to 90+ feet, for periods of two minutes or more per dive, have displayed signs and symptoms of decompression sickness. However, most recreational freedivers do not come close to this phenomenon.

    • June 19, 2017

      We have a hyperbaric chamber in Dominica

    • Dominican
      June 19, 2017

      Do they use tanks in free diving? Or are you like Francisco Dodds who just love words?

  3. D/can
    June 18, 2017

    “with or without flippers and no oxygen tanks.” This seems a bit dangerous even under guidance. Who knows, whose amateur lungs are going to crush under water pressure, or an amateur who panics after going to far and comes up too soon. Perhaps some vetting of the participants?

    • June 19, 2017
    • indeed
      June 19, 2017

      First of all scuba diving is NOT with the use of oxygen,,,,,,the tanks have compressed air.
      There is a chamber on island, the Dominica Watersports Association fought for years to have this on island. However, this is something that can be used for other issues apart from dive related accidents, but the Health ministry has not seen this something to have in good working/staffed situation. It has been used on a few occasions for dive related problems

    • indeed
      June 19, 2017

      interesting point here is that Dive Fest has been hosted by the DWA for over 20 years……..to create awareness of the marine environment and its importance, to encourage locals to learn to scuba dive, to attract divers at this time of year etc etc…….suddenly the addition of something The good minister has been supportive of is getting all the attention………how supportive have you been in the past of the DWA and its efforts…………what a frustrating place

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