Dive Fest, staged at Pentewan Sands holiday park near St Austell, billed as the first event of its kind in the UK

HUNDREDS of divers from across the country are expected at a dive festival billed as the first event of its kind in the UK.

Organisers say Dive Fest in Cornwall marks the first opportunity for divers from all over the country to get together at a coastal setting.

Divers attending a festival in Cornwall next weekend will get to see the colourful delights that lurk off the south coast
People will be able to sail out and then dive in the seas of Cornwall

The festival has already proved to be hugely popular and will attract more than 1,000 divers and enthusiasts into the county.

Dive Fest will be held at the Pentewan Sands holiday park near St Austell next weekend.

It is being organised by Paul Critcher from Dive Magazine who approached local diving company Sal Diving to set up hundreds of dives from Pentewan and nearby Mevagissey.

Tamsin Sallis, from Sal Diving, said: "There are big dive shows in the UK but they are held inland so the organisers thought it would be a good idea to do something by the sea."

As well as hundreds of people taking part in dives there will also be exhibitions, celebrity divers, live music and a chance for novices to try out diving in the holiday park pool.

Mrs Sallis said: "I've been talking to people from as far away as Scotland who are coming down and a lot of people are coming early so they can spend the whole week here before the festival. The event is being hosted at Pentewan but there have been so many bookings it has spilled over to other sites."

About 25 dive clubs from around the country are expected to attend with 12 commercial boats being brought down for the event. They will go out from Mevagissey while rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) will be in operation from the beach at Pentewan.

An underwater treasure hunt has been organised with large but fake pieces of treasure planted deep under-water. A photographic competition is also being held with the best shots taken on Saturday exhibited on Sunday before a winner is chosen.

On land there will be a beach volleyball competition, beachcombing walks with the Marine Conservation Society and talks from Monty Halls, fresh from the success of the television show Monty Halls' Great Escape on BBC2.

More than 1,000 weekend tickets have been sold and day tickets are also available at a price of £15.