Suncoast Diving has recently become an accredited National Geographic Dive Centre and are hosting the 25th anniversary of the magazine's 1980 photo-spread titled "British Columbia's Cold Emerald Sea" shot in the Strait of Georgia off our local coastline.
This event is scheduled for April 30, on the heels of the first graduating class of the innovative new Professional Scuba Dive Instructor Program being offered by Capilano College and Suncoast Diving.
"It's really exciting that all of this is happening around the same time," said Ruth Holmes, co-owner of Suncoast Diving.She and her husband Tony approached Capilano College to offer the program a few years ago. It is now running as the only one of its kind in Canada.
Students enrolled this year say the program was "awesome" and most plan to travel and work as dive instructors in warmer climates.
The class of 18 students graduates in the latter part of April after a practicum that will take them to Mexico to practice their skills in a warmer climate. The local graduates of the course include Lachlin Rand, Elliot Burlin, Stephen Shafransky and Pavlos Boutris.
The program ran for eight months. Grads will leave with a combination of technical dive certificates and core academic courses in outdoor recreation management, enabling them to work at resort destinations, on cruise lines or in any number of tourism settings.
"The course was amazing and it was a really good experience. There's nothing I'd rather do than dive. I'm planning to travel and work after graduation," said 19-year-old student Tyson Stanley.
Once the students are back from their practicum they'll don wetsuits again to take part in the 25th anniversary of National Geographic's local underwater photo spread.
The dive shop invites all diving enthusiasts to meet at the shop at 9 a.m. on April 30 to dive for the day and then meet back at the shop to take part in festivities being planned by the Sunshine Coast Conservation Society.
There will also be an underwater photo contest running that day to be judged at Suncoast Diving.
"It's really neat to be part of this 25th anniversary because we all grew up with National Geographic and Ruth actually had a copy of the 1980 edition that featured our coastline," said Heather Ewen, organizer of the event.
For more information on the anniversary or the dive instructor program, go to www.suncoastdiving.com or call 604-740-8006.
