News
Diving community in B.C. celebrates 25th anniversary of the sinking of the Emerald Princess
One of B.C.’s most famous underwater attractions is celebrating an important milestone.
The world famous Emerald Princess was lowered into the waters near Powell River on the 16th March, 1989 — 25 years ago.
It is a 575-pound, nine-foot tall bronze mermaid statue that now sits 60 feet below the surface in Saltery Bay Provincial Park.
It is the creation of local sculptor Simon Morris.
But Morris says the wife of Jim Willoughby, a local diving legend, takes all the credit for coming up with the idea.
“It was Jodi who said we should put a mermaid underwater for divers, and that got us started.”
In 1986, Willoughby met Morris in a pub and started talking about the idea for the Mermaid.
“He said, I’d like to try that,” says Willoughby.
The two started drawing pictures, until Morris came up with a concept he liked.
And then, says Willoughby, he started carving.
“The guy was a magician. I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life,” he says.
Once the sculpture was finished, the duo scouted a big boulder as a permanent home for the Emerald Princess.
“I designed the Mermaid such that she could brush against it. On the left side of her tail are two rods sticking out and we pre-drilled holes in the granite boulder,” says Morris.
With the help of a crane and a lift bag, the Mermaid was lowered to its permanent home at the bottom of Saltery Bay.
“We were looking for a spot that was going to be easily accessible for a shore dive, so that divers of all levels could dive there,” says Morris.
In the last 25 years, the statue has attracted divers from around the world.
Celebrities and explorers like Prince Philip and the Cousteau family have visited B.C.’s only underwater sculpture.
Read more on this story here.
Source: www.globalnews.ca
Whether freediving or diving – everyone cuts a great figure in the new camouflage suits from DYNAMICNORD.
Thanks to the specially designed camouflage pattern in beautiful colours, the new two-piece
SFS-3 and SFS-5 apnea suits are perfect for freediving. The design gives freedivers the chance to observe underwater creatures from a shorter distance.
Due to the robust and high-quality Yamamoto neoprene and high-quality workmanship, the SFS-3 and SFS-5 are also suitable for scuba diving or other water sports.
As the names suggest, the suits are available in 3 or 5mm neoprene thickness. A combination of high-quality Yamamoto #39/45 Limestone neoprene is used. This material is characterised by its special lightness and flexibility. The suits are extremely flexible and comfortable to wear while providing maximum thermal insulation. The outer flex lamination supports the ultra 4-way stretch. Thanks to the open cells, the suits fit like a second skin.
The double-clip beaver tail is a convenient system for donning and doffing. Reinforced knees and rear ensure the necessary robustness. The vented hood allows excess air to escape.
The MC-15 freediving mask and SC-10 freediving snorkel with camouflage pattern as well as the AF-70 freediving fins are available in matching colours.
The camouflage SFS-3 and SFS-5 apnea suits are now available from DYNAMICNORD dealers in great colours and unisex sizes.
SFS-3
Recommended sales price: £264.00
Sizes unisex: S-2XL
Colours: camo/blue, camo/green
SFS-5
Recommended sales price: £353.00
Sizes unisex: S-2XL
Colours: camo/blue, camo/green
DYNAMICNORD – Your Outdoor Companion.
The GO Diving Show – the only consumer dive and travel show in the UK – returns to the NAEC Stoneleigh on 1-2 March 2025, just in time to kick off the new season, and early bird 2-for-1 tickets are now available, representing fantastic value for money.
Buy your ticket before 31 January 2025 for £17.50, and get your buddy, your spouse or your best friend in with you absolutely free! Or why not bring that non-diving mate along so they can see all of the wonders of the underwater world they are missing out on!
Effectively, the 2-for-1 offer equates to each ticket being just £8.75. And as always, this includes complimentary parking. And under-16s go free of charge, so bring the kids along for a fabulous family day out!
The Main Stage headline presenter is TV star, author and adventurer Steve Backshall, making a welcome return to the GO Diving Show after a few years away. He’ll be joined by NASA-trained NEEMO Aquanaut and Head of Scientific Research at DEEP Dawn Kernagis, fellow TV presenter, author and perennial favourite Monty Halls, and the dynamic duo of explorers Rannva Joermundsson and Maria Bollerup, who will be talking about their recent Expedition Buteng in Indonesia.
The dedicated UK Stage, Tech Stage, Photo Stage and Inspiration Stage are filling up with some familiar faces and a host of fresh speakers, and the show floor is getting fill to capacity with hundreds of exhibitors, including tour operators, resorts, dive centres, liveaboards, tourist boards, training agencies, manufacturers, retailers, and the ever-popular British Isles Experience.
You can take advantage of the Go Diving Show 2-for-1 ticket deal here.
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