KEY LARGO, Florida Keys - Located near a dozen fish-filled, coral-covered world-renowned shipwrecks, Key Largo is the perfect venue to host WreckFest 2008 for advanced open water divers through those "wreckaholics" who just can't get enough. Set for Saturday, Aug. 2, through Sunday, Aug. 10, the festival includes nine days of wreck diving plus a packed roster of topside activities.

The festival offers the opportunity to explore some of the best dive sites in North America, with excursions designed to suit divers of varying skill levels seeking explorations at varying depths.

Dive sites include the Spiegel Grove, Duane and Bibb, among others, for the recreational advanced divers, plus the Northern Light and Queen of Nassau for those with technical experience. Also to be featured are the Doc De Mille and Hugos April Fool in Biscayne National Park.

The 510-foot Spiegel Grove, one of the world's largest ships to be sunk as an artificial reef, is located off Dixie Shoals in Key Largo, just north of Molasses Reef.

"This is an excellent wreck for recreational and technical divers as it offers a wealth of different diving opportunities, from fish-watching at 80 feet right through to penetration dives deep in the wreck," said WreckFest 2008 coordinator Chris Brown of Silent World Dive Center.

Evening events are to be hosted by acclaimed divers such as wreck detective John Chatterton, International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers' Tom Mount and world record cave diver Jarrod Jablonski.

Major equipment manufacturers and training agencies such as Aqualung, Halcyon, Hollis Tech, Oceanic, Global Underwater Explorers, IANTD, Professional Association of Diving Instructors and Technical Diving International plan to provide equipment demonstrations, gear giveaways and opportunities to find out more about rebreathers, technical diving and training.

Demonstrations and seminars are to take place at the Holiday Inn Key Largo, mile marker 100 oceanside.

WreckFest 2008 passes can be purchased for one, three, six and nine days with or without accommodations. Each pass includes morning dives plus afternoon and evening activities. Passes are $100 for one day, $255 for three days, $420 for six days and $540 for an all-event super pass.

Proceeds from the festival are to benefit the Upper Keys Artificial Reef Foundation.

For more information about WreckFest 2008, including a complete schedule of events and special accommodations rates, visit www.silentworldkeylargo.com/wreckfest.html. Information also can be obtained by calling Chris Brown of Silent World at (305) 451-3252 or e-mailing info@silentworldkeylargo.com.

For information on area accommodations, call the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce at (800) 822-1088 or (305) 451-4747, or explore this Web site.