Bonaire Bound: Dive Pirates Launch Their 22nd Year of Adventure, Resilience, and the Deep Down Challenge!

The Dive Pirates Foundation is celebrating 22 years of bolstering resilience, building confidence, and making waves in the adaptive diving community with its 2026 recipient trip to Divi Flamingo Bonaire from June 13-20, 2026.

This year marks a new milestone for the Foundation as the main annual trip heads to Bonaire for the first time. The week will bring together new adaptive recipients, returning pirates, scholarship recipients, dive buddies, instructors, adaptive buddies, volunteers, and supporters for a shared week of diving, connection, and community.

With four boats taking part this year, the trip continues the Dive Pirates tradition of pairing life-changing adaptive scuba experiences with the support, training, and camaraderie that make each trip possible. The fourth boat will be led by Foundation founders Barbara Thompson and Sophie Wimberley, adding a special legacy touch to this year’s adventure.

“Every trip reminds us why this mission matters,” said Col. Gregg Wentworth, USAF (Ret.), President of the Dive Pirates Foundation. “When someone discovers freedom underwater, surrounded by a crew that believes in what they can do, that confidence carries far beyond the dive. Bonaire gives us a beautiful new setting to continue helping people build strength, independence, and resilience.”

This year’s Deep Down Challenge returns with a goal of raising $50,000, building on the success of last year’s campaign. Open to everyone on the trip, the challenge invites participants and supporters to help raisefunds for future adaptive divers by sponsoring dives by the foot or making a flat donation.

Together, the Dive Pirates crew will work toward one shared goal: helping more people with mobility disabilities experience the joy and freedom of scuba diving. Funds raised through the Deep Down Challenge support the training, equipment, travel assistance, and adaptive dive opportunities that help make each recipient’s journey possible.

This year’s 2026 Pirates in Training include Carlos Gonzalez, Arthur Mavrode, Shelby Estocado, Mark Fitzpatrick, Brittney Melick, and Marvin Donald “Don” DeLong III. Each recipient brings their own story of determination, and each is preparing to trade barriers for buoyancy as they take part in the Dive Pirates adaptive diving program.

Throughout the week, recipients will dive alongside trained buddies, instructors, volunteers, and supporters who help make the experience safe, meaningful, and unforgettable. From the first splash to the final celebration, the trip is about much more than diving. It is about confidence, community, and discovering what is possible when the right support crew comes alongside you.

Support the Mission

Not on the trip? You can still be part of the crew. Supporters can donate to an individual recipient, contribute to the Deep Down Challenge, or make a general donation to help fund training, equipment, travel support, and future adaptive diving opportunities.

Every gift helps the Dive Pirates Foundation keep its promise: to bring the joy and freedom of scuba diving to those who thought it was out of reach.

Thank You to Our 2026 Trip Sponsors

Lanyard Sponsor: Bob and Nettie Evans
Trip Packet Sponsors: JAWS, LITAS
T-Shirt Sponsors: Police Fire Dive, PlayScapes, TeamBS, 9 Little Piggies BBQ