Diving at the highest level @ Curacao

[scubaniels]

This was in yesterdays local paper Amigoe.

Willemstad, Curacao 14 November 2008

Diving at the highest level

Willemstad- 'The phone hasn't stopped ringing since we first launched our new product during the Regatta. So says Niels Jorissen as he hangs up his cell phone. The owner of Dive Charter Curacao and George Tielen from Blue Skies Helicopters have another scoop. They now offer helicopter dives possible on every day of the week. The divers are flown in full dive gear to the dive site. The flight takes them underneath the Juliana Bridge and over the floating bridge thru the centre of town. As the helicopter reaches the dive site it hovers at about 7 feet above the water. The two divers climb out of the helicopter and drop them self backwards in the water simultaneously. During this pictures are being taken from the Dive Charter Curacao boat which is moored at the dive site. Once in the water a guided dive follows on the islands largest sunken wreck, the Superior Producer.

After the dive the newbie heli-divers board the fast rigid hull inflatable that brings them back to the Blue skies helicopter office on the Motetwerf in the town centre for a debriefing. Here the pictures are available and they get a certificate of participation.

'Unique on the island and as far as we know in the whole wide world' so say both the adventures entrepreneurs.

For more information contact Dive Charter Curacao; phonenumber 005999-5293899

 

[ScubaSteve]

Ummmm.....OK. So what is the premium for this over a regular dive on the same site? Obviously the site can be done by boat if the boat is already there. This just sounds like an opportunity for people to flaunt their money in troubling economic times. If I am to throw money away on "I did that!!" things, this would not be one of them. Maybe it is for others.

 

[Damselfish]

Well the flight through town might be cool, but I agree it seems a little silly to take a helicopter to an easily accessible site, even if it's an "experience." Now if they flew to someplace that is hard to access or distant...

 

[ScubaSteve]

That I definitely agree with. A remote destination dive that nobody else can do.....that would be worthwhile (depending on the cost of course)

 

[medical1]

I've done shore dives to the Superior Producer multiple times.
This just sounds silly (And expensive) to fly to a site so accessible from shore.
If it was to a remote location or to a part of the Mushroom Forrest that is not too accessible - Maybe. I can think of other things to have bragging rights about on the island - Ostrich racing comes to mind

Anybody know what they charge for copter diving & what agency offers this specialty?

 

[ScubaSteve]

.......what agency offers this specialty?

Rhymes with "Schmadi"

 

[Storm]

Iwas told that you couldn't dive the Producer when there was a ship in poprt, so how to they guarantee that.

For me the point is moot, I'm not interested in heli-diving, especially to site that can be reached readily by boat and shore.

Besides, If I want to do a back roll into a 7 foot fall into the water, there are pleanty of shore dives here in eastern Ontario where that is the only way to enter the water....in short...no big deal.:doh2: