Tobago's World of Watersports

Members of the Philippe Cousteau Foundation presided over the grand opening of the new center of World Of Watersports, Tobago's premier watersports facility this June. Jan Cousteau, wife of the late Philippe Cousteau, and son Philippe Pierre, grandson of Jacques-Yves, were present for the official opening. The new location adjoins the 200-room Hilton Tobago Resort. It's based at the Tobago Plantations 750-acre beachfront site at Lowlands.

From the main location at the Hilton, World Of Watersports offers a wide range of sporting activities, including scuba diving and snorkeling, windsurfing, Hobie Cat instruction and rentals, jet skiing, water skiing, wake boarding, banana boat and ringo rides, and kayaking. The PADI 5-Star Gold Palm Instructor Development Center boasts a retail outlet, state-of-the-art air-conditioned classroom and full rental facilities, all around a private 10.5-foot-deep custom training pool.

In addition to the main center at the Hilton Tobago, World Of Watersports operates satellite facilities around the island for the convenience of clients. Look for world-class service and watersports at the Blue Haven Hotel, Arnos Vale Hotel, and Pigeon Point, an upscale resort area.

The Cousteau's made an expedition to Tobago in support of the Buccoo Reef Trust. Buccoo Reef is a complex ecosystem composed of 30 acres of coral reef, seagrasses and wetlands. The reef is one of Tobago's most outstanding and valuable natural resources. World Of Watersports worked hand in hand with the team from the Philippe Cousteau Foundation on the Tobago expedition. World Of Watersports provided dive boats and services, and collateral support

The main center for World Of Watersports is located at the Tobago Plantations 750-acre beachfront site at Lowlands, right next to the new Tobago Hilton Resort. The three-story hotel reflects the plantation setting, and it overlooks a spectacular, soon-to-be-completed PGA-designed championship golf course.

Although just opened, the Hilton Tobago is already the best resort on the island. The 200 deluxe ocean-view rooms all feature private balcony, individually controlled air-conditioning, ceiling fans, mini-bar, coffee maker, electronic safe, AM/FM radio, direct-dial telephone with data port, cable TV, and bathroom with separate tub and shower. Rounding out the amenities at the Hilton Tobago are three seaside swimming pools, tennis courts, and superb dining.

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When you're ready for some world-class diving, Tobago serves up some of the world's best. The warm water and nutrients from the Orinoco River of Venezuela nourish healthy corals and large numbers of fish, not to mention populations of sea turtles and Tobago's famed mantas. The Caribbean's largest brain corals are found in Tobago. Dive amid huge barrel, vase and rope sponges and huge populations of angelfish. The array of coral and marine life is hard to equal. When you're ready for a wreck dive, descend on the 350-foot long Maverick, the old Trinidad-to-Tobago ferry. The variety of dive sites means easy dives for novices and challenging dives for experts.

For aquanauts, World Of Watersports features the newest and fastest dive craft on Tobago: a custom-built, 34-foot Calypso Marine Dive Boat. The "Atlantic Blues" sports two 200 HP motors, scuba tank racks with bench seating, dive platform and ladder, camera rinse tank, fresh water shower, and toilet. World Of Watersports also offers the "Red Seas," a 21-foot catamaran rigid-hull inflatable boat (RIB) equipped with twin outboards. The dive operator runs one-, two- and three-tank dive trips, with options for lunch and land excursions. The boats are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, including GPS, VHF radio, EPIRB, depth sounder, DAN Oxygen and first aid kits. The dive staff are trained in CPR and first aid. The safety of clients is their number one concern.

At World Of Watersports, the team is well trained and experienced--all dedicated to make your vacation one to remember. Among the diving staff are PADI Master Instructors and IDC Staff Instructors. If English is not your first language, they teach in German, Afrikaans and Dutch. To take your diving one step further, ask about the Instructor Development Courses. In the last nine years, the Course Director has taught over 3,000 courses at instructor-level all around the world. The team of diving instructors can teach "Bubble Maker" for eight to eleven year-olds to over eighteen PADI Specialty Courses.

Besides the great diving and dive instruction, World of Watersports offers up many other great experiences: discovering cozy coves and secluded beaches from the decks of Hobie Cats and Sunfish, surfing and boogie boarding the big break off Mount Irvine, admiring the scenery from a jet ski on a coastal tour of Tobago, windsurfing on the Atlantic's onshore breezes or a smooth lagoon, carving a wake behind a waterskiing boat on the calm Caribbean, and deepsea fishing for that elusive Blue Marlin you'd like to catch and tag. But the ocean sports are just the tip of the iceberg. Tobago can accommodate almost any sport your heart desires: Biking, eco-tours, horseback riding and many more "dry" activities are all available through World Of Watersports.

World Of Watersports offers watersports packages with the Hilton Tobago. Prices start at $425 for a three-night/four-day stay which includes two two-tank dives. The rate is $1,001 for a seven-night/eight-day stay which includes five two-tank dives. All rates are per person, double occupancy and available through December 15, 2001. For reservations, airline connections and more information, phone the U.S. reservations office: toll-free 866-486-2246 or 954-453-5028.