The Ultimate Camp Experience for Kids who love to dive
Diving Plongeon Canada (DPC) is combining the best of two worlds: the skill development of a world-class diving camp and the unique experiences of Cuban culture!
Your child will dive into a unique blend of training sessions, mastering new skills and perfecting old ones. All the drills are presented in a kid-friendly fashion, so while they are learning and being challenged, they will be smiling and having a great time! Throughout the week, campers will get the chance to showcase the skills they’ve learned in a variety of fun contests!
Your child will get to participate in an array of additional activities, such as: beach volleyball, soccer, dance and yoga. We will also incorporate local tourist activities like swimming with the dolphins! And everyone at our camp gets to enjoy evening campfires and recreational activities like lip sync contests, and more!
Register today! Don't delay as space is limited and spots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.
Athletes
If your child is between 12 and 16, male or female, has a love for diving, and at least one season of diving experience our camp is for them. Campers are coached by age and by skill level. Children under 12 years will be considered if they are accompanied by a parent. Your child will be well-matched to ensure they are both challenged and have the confidence needed to reach their full potential.
There’s no doubt that this program is designed for those who love to flip – after all, it’s 6 hours of training each day – but we are targeting and welcoming divers who are in the early stages of a development pathway that leads to national championship participation…and beyond.
Coaches
Our coaches are some of the best in the world. And that’s not just talk. We’ve selected the best and brightest from Cuba and from Canada to coach our campers.
Camp Director and Lead Coach
Lino Socorro – Former Cuban Olympic & National Team Head Coach and currently the Senior High Performance Director at Diving Canada Cuban
Coaches
Jose Guerra – Cuban National Team Head Coach, Olympic Diver and World Medalist
Barb Bush –Canadian Olympian, National Level 3 Coach, Commonwealth Games Silver Medalist, Certified Yoga Instructor and FINA International Judge
Others TBA
Consultant and Camp Co-Director
Mitch Geller – Canadian Chief Technical Officer and Olympic Coach
Camp Location
Your child will be staying at the Breezes Bella Costa on the famous Varadero peninsula. Breakfasts, dinners and some lunches will be provided at the hotel while some lunches will be catered at the pool between training sessions.
The outdoor diving facility is located within the aquatic complex on the site of the Matanzas Provincial Sport School
The diving facility consists of multiple one and three metre springboards (all new Fall 2015)and a full complement of diving platforms. The facility also has dryland training space with trampoline, acrobatic and warm-up areas.
Care of your child and Logistics
From the moment your child arrives in Montreal or Toronto for check-in, on route to Cuba, until they are put on their flight home from Vancouver or Toronto, your child will be under the care of our camp counsellors or coaches.
Camp Check-in
Campers will be greeted at Vancouver International Airport or Toronto’s Pearson International Airport by our counsellors. In some cases, depending on travel schedules, an overnight stay may be arranged in Toronto or Vancouver.
Vancouver and Toronto departures
Our group will travel together from Vancouver International Airport or Toronto International Airport to Varadero. Upon arrival, the group will clear customs with our counsellors and then met by our local host team for transportation on an air conditioned coach to the Varadero based resort hotel.
Your child will share a room with one or two other campers of similar age and same gender. Should parents have special requests in this regard, every effort shall be made to accommodate them.
Camp Counsellors and Canadian Coaches will be staying on the same floor and in the same area as your child.
All meals shall be taken together as a group. Breakfast and dinners will be buffet style at the hotel. Lunch will be catered at the pool and shall consist of an assortment of sandwiches, fresh fruit and juices. Bottled water will be provided daily in each hotel room and available in abundance at the pool. Every effort shall be taken to accommodate special food related requests. Additionally, should your child have other personal snack type foods that they enjoy (trail mix, granola bars, etc), they are encouraged to bring such items along with them.
Depending on flight times, there will be a beachfront workout scheduled for arrival day to get athletes excited and ready for day one at the pool.
All transportation to and from the pool will be by air conditioned tour coach with our counsellors and Canadian coaches. The local travel time to the Matanzas Pool is 40-45 minutes.
Departure Day
Your child will be escorted from Cuba back to Vancouver or Toronto to a prearranged pick-up location or checked in for their flight home. We will work with the airline to ensure that they will care for your child until arrival home.
Medical
While excellent full service hospitals are within minutes of the pool and the hotel, there is also a first aid on site at the training facility.
What does a typical day at Diving camp look like?
Honing skills and building confidence is what we are about. Each day is laser-focused on technique so divers build upon and acquire the tools required for their unique growth and rate of skill acquisition.
In addition to diving skills, our campers will learn great sportsmanship, teamwork and leadership, exemplified by our coaches throughout the week.
Camp Days
Two training sessions will occur daily over the course of the five camp days and will consist of a variety of warmup, dryland (acrobatics, somersaulting and trampoline) and in water activities on all boards.
Using a variety of apparatus, dance and acrobatics, dryland activities will focus on flexibility, body line, coordination, rhythm, balance and body awareness!
Pool sessions will address all aspects of all dive groups!
- take-offs
- link and connection
- dive positions
- come-out
- entry techniques…front, back!
Campers won’t go home empty handed. On the morning of day three of the camp, divers will undergo a battery of tests to assess overall diving aptitude. Along with their refined and newly developed skills, your child will return home with an extensive multi-faceted diver development profile. This profile will be built on the principles of the “Gold Medal Profile” tracking system used within the Canadian National Team. Divers, their parents and coaches will clearly see our coaches’ assessment of the diver’s aptitude for the sport, broken down into four categories:
- Physical
- Technical
- Postural
- Flexibility
That afternoon campers will get a little break from the pool and enjoy a relaxing afternoon swimming with the dolphin in Varadero! This is always a camp favorite!
On the final camp day divers will get to showcase their newly refined techniques in both individual and team competitions!! Those who excelled and pushed personal boundaries are celebrated at our awards ceremony.
What does my child need to bring with them?
- Diving and workout gear: Workout clothes, swimsuits, chamois, towels, deck and running shoes;
- Clothing: Shorts and t-shirts; plenty of socks
and underwear; sweatshirts, sweatpants, and
light rain jacket for chillier days; pajamas;
flip-flops or sandals for down time. It depends
on how tough your child is on clothes, and whether laundry is available, but one set of clothes for every day of camp, plus two extras, is a good rule of thumb. - Sun protection: Hats, sunglasses, and plenty of sunscreen, along with strict instructions on when to use it (every day, with frequent reapplications)
- Toiletries: Whatever your child uses regularly; Include some basic first-aid supplies, such as bandages or blister pads, and insect repellent. Please inform us of any medications required by your child.
- Electronics: Although the power supply in Cuba is mainly 110 volts, most of the modern hotels have dual voltage with all the sockets in the room being 220 volts. Most digital cameras, cellphones and laptop computers will work on both voltages. Check your charger
and if it says: Input: AC 100V-240V~50Hz/60Hz
it will be OK to plug into the hotel 220 volt sockets. - Miscellaneous: Water bottle, alarm clock, performance/recovery drink powder, favorite snacks
- Spending money: CUBAN CUC or Canadian cash that can be exchanged at the hotel for snacks and souvenirs
Oh, and don’t forget that the most important thing they bring is a great attitude and a sense of adventure!
