News
Divetech Offers Thrilling Dive Expedition to Remote 12-Mile Bank Often Called the 4th Cayman Island
Tech Industry Leader Curt Bowen to Document Diving for Conservation Foundation
Twelve miles west of Grand Cayman is a pristine coral bank that rises from the depths of the Caribbean, but doesn’t break the surface of the water. The top of this isolated kidney-shaped reef formation, often called the 4th Cayman Island, is 90 to 100 feet below the surface, and like the other islands, it features dramatic drop-offs that plunge thousands of feet to the ocean bottom. Depth and distance make the 12-Mile Bank inaccessible to most divers, but Divetech is taking a select group on a dive expedition August 19 -26, 2017.
“Divetech is always looking for new and exciting adventures for our clients,” said General Manager Tony Land, who led the initial exploratory dive trip to the banks last year. “12-mile is unique in that it is remote and seldom explored. Our divers were probably among the first humans to lay eyes on sections of those walls. There aren’t many places you can do that in the world anymore, especially this close to civilization.”
Documenting the expedition will be Curt Bowen, CEO of Advanced Diver Magazine. Bowen is also on the board of the ADM Exploration Foundation, a not for profit organization dedicated to underwater exploration, discovery, and education.
“We support groups with conservation efforts and exploration of the ocean,” said Land, who is thrilled with, and inspired by, the pristine nature of the reef. “The top of the bank is filled with thriving coral heads that rise to 50 feet from the surface and abound with turtles, sharks, reef fish and pelagics, like wahoo and grouper. The area is virtually unexplored!”
https://vimeo.com/180456203
Land says other dive operations run occasional trips to the 12-mile bank, but they are confined to the recreational diving depths of 130 feet or shallower. Divetech’s technical dive profiles allow advanced divers to uncharted depths of 250 feet.
Price of Divetech’s Expedition Package to 12 Mile Bank
King Room (single) $3200
Twin Room (share) $2900
Package includes:
- 7 nights’ accommodations at Divetech’s Lighthouse Point Condo
- All Taxes
- Round Trip Airport Transfers
- 5 Boat trips to 12 Mile bank
- Unlimited shore diving at Lighthouse Point
- Gas & Scrubber
- Breakfast each day at VIVO
- Lunch will be served on the boat
- Divetech’s Dine Around option for Evening Meals including farewell BBQ at Lighthouse Point
Condos are based on triple occupancy. This is a rebreather-only trip, and divers must hold a minimum certification of CCR Normoxic Trimix. A minimum of 8 divers is required for the expedition to run. Deposits are fully refundable up until June 1st, 2017. For inquiries and bookings, email the Divetech reservations team at info@divetech.com, call 1-877-946-56581, in Grand Cayman call (345) 946-5658, or visit www.divetech.com.
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
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