CHUM Meeting Thurs 18 Nov: All About Dominica

[Sushi Boy]

CHUM November Meeting
Thursday, 18 Nov 2021 7:30pm
In person at Jake's (2944 Chimney Rock Rd) or remotely via Zoom

Topic: How to Pronounce Dominica and Other Interesting Facts About This Island Nation

As divers, we're always exploring locations near and far to see some great stuff below (and above!) the water. We've even been all over the world as a dive club, but Cozumel and the Caribbean remain popular destinations for divers, and for good reason. Warm, clear water, lots to see, and lots to do on these islands.

Over half of the islands in the Caribbean are territories or dependencies of other nations. However, Dominica is a tiny, independent island nation in the Lesser Antilles with a comparably smaller tourist population than many other countries or territories in the region, and we're going to learn about what Dominica has to offer in this month's meeting with speaker Desiree Bell-Hillmann, who moved there in 2018 and has been diving almost everyday since she moved down there.

Join us on Zoom (below) or in person at Jake's.

Topic: How to Pronounce Dominica and Other Interesting Facts About This Island Nation
Time: Nov 18, 2021 07:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

For details on the Zoom option, click here.

 

[drrich2]

@Sushi Boy

I’m not a member, but I’m curious. Any major takeaways? Anybody inspired to plan a trip to Dominica?

Oh, and do you pronounce it Dome-in-E-kuh?

 

[ReefHound]

Correctamundo. So many pronounce it similar to Dominican Republic and some even think it's the same country. It sounds like a great place for a dive trip and there is supposedly direct flights from Miami to the island now. The shops there really need the business and a few did not survive. Dive sites are close and some shops even return to dock after each dive.

 

[ReefHound]

Btw, feel free to register on our forums (link in my sig) and join in on our Zoom meetings.

 

[tursiops]

@Sushi Boy

I’m not a member, but I’m curious. Any major takeaways? Anybody inspired to plan a trip to Dominica?

Oh, and do you pronounce it Dome-in-E-kuh?

I've got a group going there in June. Went a few years ago, loved it.

 

[drrich2]

and there is supposedly direct flights from Miami to the island now.

That addresses what I suspect has been a major roadblock to mainstream dive destination status; it was my understanding that historically it took about 2 days to get there (from much of the U.S.); given the typical 7-day U.S. worker vacation trip, a 4 day round trip is a non-starter for a lot of people.

I've got a group going there in June.

If that goes well, please post a trip report and tell us about the topside experience (e.g.: resort or hotel, what it's like eating out, do they have sandy beaches, etc...). For all that dive trips might seem like an adventure, I think a lot of people like to know what they're getting into. Especially those with non-divers along for the ride.

I've never been to Dominica. I did a rainforest excursion in St. Lucia that was very lush, and from what I hear Saba and Dominica (which is much larger than Saba) have lush rainforest. Some nice photo sets from happy divers might steer some business their way.