Some guys have all the luck I guess, quite often I feel like I'm one of them but last week there was no doubt about it whatsoever.
After doing a small press-release a while ago for the Telegraaf (the largest Dutch newspaper) on heli-diving in Curaçao, which is exclusively organized by a good friend of mine he suddenly asked me if I'd like to do it myself tomorrow?
After less than a nanosecond, a huge smile on my face and a big "Are you kidding me?" things were taken care of and a day later we were setting our gear up on a small industrial platform near the huge oil-harbor of Willemstad. With me were Belgium adventurer Marc Sluszny, underwater photographer Peter Verhoog and Walther Bruckschen, a German Journalist, the lucky bunch so to speak!
As a heli-dive is not completely without danger we had to do a full-gear practice inside the hangar which had a very good airco. Just imagine practicing this sort of thing with full wetsuit and heavy scuba gear in the soaring 35 degree weather of this tropical paradise! Most importantly is the jumping out of the heli: if this isn't done in perfect sync the heli can easily tilt and that's something you don't want 2 meters above the surface of a sea!
The trick is a third person inside the heli that holds both divers hands while they climb outside and hang backward fully. Literally your faith is in this guys hands as he controls the moment to drop, it's simply out of your hands.
George from Blue Skies Helicopters.
The Amazing view over Willemstad from the chopper.
And what a drop it is! After an intensely beautiful flight under the impressive Julianabrug, along Willemstad and all its bright colors, the low pass over the Pontjesbrug with many people waving and taking photographs (the helicopter is open so they see you in full scuba-gear) it's time for a sharp right turn over the stunning blue seawater and the approach to the wreck site. Niels Jorissen, the owner of DivecharterCuracao and the organizer of these heli-dives, is already waiting with his 25 feet Tornado RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) so all we have to do is climb out and wait for the right hovering height of the helicopter.
Now that's a heli-drop!!!
So there we are, hanging outside, arm and legs stretched out fully, one hand over mask and breathing equipment, waiting for the plunge.... Then suddenly we're falling, we pretty high so we have time to soak it up! above us the heli shoots upwards as it suddenly lost about 200 kilo's in weight. Then the splash comes, water all around us and the tail of the chopper quickly vanishes from our viewpoint. We're done, floating about while the heli goes for the next bunch of drop-outs! What an insane feeling and what a way to go diving, knowing one of the nicest wrecks of the Caribbean(the Superior Producer) is waiting for us below.... we were truly lucky!
Belgium adventurer Marc Sluszny enters the hold of the ship.
German travel writer/photographer collegue Walther Bruckschen.
Underwater photographer collegue Peter Verhoog.
Oh yes, it is quite expensive (around $250 a person) but there's people paying $200 for Dolphin dives.... screw the dolphins, I'll have a heli-drop any time!
And the carbon-footprint of this dive... well, IT IS a lot of fun!
Movieclip from the flight and dive here..
Full gallery on the heli-dive here.
More images from the Dive Festival Curaçao 2009 here.
With many, many thanks to:
Niels from DiveCharterCuracao who organizes these heli-drops, unique in the world.
George from Blue Skies for having his heli available to us.
Chilo from Chilo.tv for editing the movieclip.
