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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (29
Dec 2005) -- Dive companies in Wellington are reporting a huge boom
in trade since the HMNZS Wellington frigate was sunk.
It might be 21 metres down
in the ocean, but it has become the region's number one dive attraction,
pulling in scuba enthusiasts from across the world.
Wellington's dive industry
has boomed since the sinking of F69.
"We've been very busy, we've taken two charters a day since
the wreck was sunk...probably 200-300 people been out on the wreck
since it's been sunk...it's been really good," says Bill Keddy,
owner of the Splash Gordon dive shop.
Since she disappeared below the waves in November, charters have
jumped by over 50% and bookings run right through to May.
It was a text book sinking and the frigate's already attracting
an impressive array of undersea life.
And it's as safe as wrecks get - divers don't even need torches
to find their way around.
"When you're down inside there in the wreck you've always got
an escape route that you can clearly see...it always lets a lot
of light in so there's a lot of good natural lighting in the wreck,"
says recreational diver Mike Lester.
Dive companies say the demand for scuba courses has risen by up
to 70 percent since the frigate went down.
Just ten minutes from Wellington's airport, the frigate has now
been billed as the world's most accessible wreck dive.
SOURCE - One News
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