News
Divetech’s FOCUS GRAND CAYMAN event offers over $15K in prizes
Divetech is hosting the 6th annual FOCUS GRAND CAYMAN, an annual event that brings together underwater photographers, ocean conservationists and rebreather enthusiasts, at Cobalt Coast Dive Resort in Grand Cayman between the 30th August and the 6th Sepember 2014.
Participating divers will enjoy world class diving on the North Wall and Northwest Point while sharing their passion for the sea with professionals from the rebreather diving world and the underwater imaging industry who are there to share what they know. Attending FOCUS GRAND CAYMAN are well-known dive industry personalities Ryan Canon from Reef Photo & Video, Chris Parsons from Nauticam, Tanya Burnett from Island Exposure, Peter DenHaan of Silent Diving, Doug Ebersole from KISS Rebreathers, Eric Keibler from Oceanic Ventures and Peter Sotis from Add Helium.
Divetech owner Nancy Easterbrook says this combination of pros with knowledge and divers who want to know more, thrown into the diving mix for a week, is an exciting opportunity for everyone to learn. “There’s a tremendous amount of talent at FOCUS GRAND CAYMAN so no matter where people are, they can learn so much,” she says. “This event is open to recreational and technical OC and CCR divers – new photo buffs and experienced shooters are all welcome.”
Divers who sign up for the event will have the chance to try out the latest in underwater housings, strobes, lights, and cameras from Reef Photo & Video, including brands like Nauticam, Keldan, FIX and the latest cameras from Sony, Canon, Nikon and Olympus. In addition to diving with the professionals, there are workshops and clinics to learn about new products and technologies, or test the latest in rebreathers. FOCUS GRAND CAYMAN includes six days of open-deck boat trips, unlimited shore diving with incredible macros opportunities, unlimited air, O2, nitrox, trimix and scrubber, including Cayman’s famous Kittiwake Wreck and Stingray City, plus the new blue light NightSea® Flouro Discovery dive. The photo contest includes categories for Cayman Small, Underwater Scene, Spirit of Cayman, Spirit of Cayman Video and Local talent with awesome prizes valued at over $15,000 awarded and 100% of the entry fees donated to ocean and marine life conservation. Everyone wins a prize!
“We’ll keep the guests as busy as they want to be. Want to take in the morning dives, then dash to a seminar or two, checkout out some new gear on a shore dive, then dinner, then catch the evening presentations, great! Want to instead catch a nap and then a cocktail by the pool as the sun sinks into the Caribbean Sea, that’s great too!” stated Ryan Canon. Tanya Burnett adds “My first trip to Grand Cayman was in the late 80’s; I was smitten immediately and have been back many, many times for the chance to dive into an ocean the color of Bombay Sapphire. Grand Cayman never ceases to amaze me with all the fun dive and photo opportunities you can find on this tiny Caribbean gem. I’ve seen her shallow reefs, deep walls, encrusted wrecks, played with the marine life. I look forward to sharing some fun photo ops, brilliant tropical conditions and a whole lot of great diving while we play with the latest gear available.”
With a full week of diving, clinics, workshops, lectures, demonstrations, test diving rebreathers and other events, Nancy Easterbrook says her favorite part of the event is enjoying the fruits of everyone’s labors. “Of course all the incredible, creative photography and video is such a joy to watch under 10,000 Caribbean stars!” she says. Sessions to choose from include: Intro to Fluorescence Light & Lighting, Wide Angle Techniques, Exposure – Dialing It In, Shooting Wrecks, Lighting Techniques – Strobe Positioning and More, Macro Techniques and Tools, HDR and Pano Images, Macro Video, Video Techniques, Editing and Exporting Images w/Lightroom, Technical Excellence – Eliminating Common Errors in Photography, Telling a Story with Video, Intro to Video Editing, Image Sharing & Collaboration and Silent Shooting.
“When I think about hovering over the giant sponges at Lighthouse Point, or cruising along with an Eagle Ray in the sand, or sitting by the pool enjoying the great food and beverages at Cobalt Coast, my mind instantly goes into a state of bliss. There are few places on the planet that I’d rather be. Just the thought of a week ‘down there’ goes a long way toward relieving my day-to-day stress. I can’t wait for Focus Grand Cayman 2014.” mused Chris Parsons.
Easterbrook says FOCUS GRAND CAYMAN is an evolution as rebreathers evolved with more and more recreational rebreather divers and equipment choices in the marketplace, photographers are drawn to rebreather diving to take advantage of all the wonderful features that they offer to photographers. Hence, FOCUS GRAND CAYMAN became the name.
In addition to diving, the event package includes accommodation at the Cobalt Coast Dive Resort, full meal plan, special cocktail hour, airport transfers, tax and service charges, bus tour to the mangroves, photo contest entrance fee and an event t-shirt. The US price per person is $2,300 for divers, $2,800 for CCR Divers and $2,100 for non-divers, based on double occupancy. For reservations or information call toll free 1 888-946-5656, or in Grand Cayman, 1 345-946-5658. Information is also available online at www.focusgrandcayman.com, www.divetech.com, or www.cobaltcoast.com. Follow the event at www.facebook.com/focusunderwater.
News courtesy of www.divenewswire.com
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Ho Ho Ho! Vobster Quay’s recording-breaking charity Santa diving event returns on Sunday 15th December 2024 for another round of festive fundraising frivolities. Run in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes, this ever-popular annual fundraising event aims to raise sack-loads of cash for these two very deserving charities.
Divers of all levels are invited to grab their Santa outfits – and as much festive cheer as they can muster – and head down to Vobster Quay near Mells, Somerset for a mass sponsored Santa dive in aid of charity. In previous years, the event has attracted divers from the far corners of the UK to join in the festive merriment for a final festive dive before the Christmas and New Year break. Back in 2015, the event smashed the world record for the most Santa divers with 188 divers taking to the waters donning their festive finery – a record that remains unbeaten to this day!
Vobster Santas isn’t just about setting records – it’s also about raising some serious cash for charity. Vobster Quay encourages all divers to get into the spirit of the season to raise much-needed funds for two very deserving charities – the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes.
Through individual sponsorship and online donations, divers can invite their friends, family and work colleagues to sponsor them to plunge into the balmy waters of Vobster Quay dressed in full festive finery. Since the very first Santa dive in 2007, the event has raised over £52,000 for charity. “It’s been over 17 years since the very first charity Santa dive took place at Vobster Quay and every year the event just keeps getting bigger and better” enthused Vobster Quay owner, Amy Stanton.
“Vobster Santas is a great way for divers to say a massive thank you to the both the RNLI and Help For Heroes – two very deserving charities close to our hearts. We’re immensely proud of all that Vobster Santas has achieved and hope that even more divers will join this year’s event on Sunday 15th December. I’m confident that we can make Vobster Santas 2024 the biggest yet!”.
Divers wishing to participate can get involved by simply registering their attendance at
www.vobster.com/event-vobstersantas.php.
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