IT'S been four years since Snorkel Park re-opened its doors to the public and according to general manager Raymond Lambert, the park is busier than ever. "By this time of the year, we work round-the-clock when it comes to the weekend. This weekend, for example, we'll finish at 3 a.m. and by the time we are done packing away and cleaning everything, it's like 5 or 6 a.m. and then we will re-open the beach at 8 or 9 a.m. in the morning," he said.

That's good news for a facility that was once described as "derelict" in its beginning stages. With WindJammer Sports providing jet ski tours, kayak, paddleboat, float and snorkel equipment rentals, this season the park has added an inflatable slide to its offerings, which is the largest inflatable slide on the island standing high at 30 feet and 115 feet long.

"The slide is a new addition," Mr. Lambert explained. "We put it on in conjunction with Fun Time Entertainment. It's called the Hippo H2 and it's great.

"The kids just absolutely love it. It's been a big boost for the little ones that are sometimes too small to be in the water by themselves but it's also not limited to children. Adults have a great time once they go on it and it is especially popular for corporate events but even on weekends you will find adults buying passes for the slide not just for their kids but for themselves as well."

Entrance to the park is free and visitors are encouraged to just bring themselves, as the aim of the park is to offer a diverse range of activities suited for everyone.

"We allow people to come in for free and rent chairs, floats, paddle boats, kayaks and jet skis. So basically you can come to the beach and really just bring yourself. We try to have something for the whole family.

"Snorkeling, interestingly enough, is one of the things the park is named after but it's real - the snorkeling is actually really good out here. It's good for a number of reasons. The reef is very close to shore making it really accessible. There's no real serious rip tide or undercurrent. It's great for novice snorkellers and has some pretty cool spots for more experienced people. Once you get out there it's a pretty vast area," said Mr. Lambert.

Hammerhead's Bar & Grill located within the park has also seen some upgrades as Mr. Lambert has been focusing on enhancing its food and beverage services.

"We describe the place as a work in progress and each year we grow the facility," he explained. "The restaurant side at Hammerhead's started out as more of a snack counter and it has now progressed as a pretty good restaurant. Our focus is still primarily lunch and special events but having said that what we really want to do is to progress into a full-time restaurant even in the winter months. So there is still work to be done as we deal with the challenges of the off season."

Perhaps with the additional cruise ships tying up in Dockyard this season, Snorkel Park will be able to reach that goal sooner than they think.

"Dockyard is one of those places where the cruise ships helps to bring life. People attract people and anytime the cruise ships are in town everyone becomes a little bit more excited. For us, it's not just the passengers but also the crew of the ships that we accommodate and locals tend to come out more when we have our parties along with guest workers. So our weekly parties have a really good cross-section of people that turn out," he said.

The weekly parties consist of Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings when the park hosts Jam Signal, the band formerly known as Home Grown, from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. and is followed by a DJ until 3 a.m.

"Monday, Wednesday and Thursday are our regular nights and we've started a new programme. It's always been $15 at the gate after 10 p.m. but starting this week - all ladies are admitted free although you need to be 18 years or older," he said.

The park has also been honing their events calendar, selecting the right mix of events to attract a variety of event goers.

"This year we have been a little bit more selective about the events that we do," added Mr. Lambert. "We've worked more closely with our promotional partners in the industry to concentrate on premier events that we want on the calendar like the Pink Party, the Shurwayne Winchester party, the swim suit contest, the foam party, Movies on the Beach and a couple other surprises for the season."

In conjunction with the Department of Tourism, Snorkel Park is one of the venues for the Movie on the Beach events, the next being held at the park on Saturday, August 2.

"We had a fantastic Movie on the Beach event a couple weeks ago. So this (August 2) will be the second one and while they have the similar components in each one, we had a children's fun park on one side of the park and movies on the other side and it all came together really well. People came to the park and brought their chairs and the setting was just absolutely fantastic. We're hoping to even better our last performance, which was two weeks ago," he said.

Snorkel Park has a full line up of activities planned for Cup Match weekend, including what Mr. Lambert described as their biggest concert of the year.

"On Wednesday, July 30, we are hosting the live music event 'Best of Both Worlds' featuring Beenie Man and Shurwayne Winchester. We think this is going to be the biggest concert of the year. It's going to be great and we will see a good cross section of people from young to old, visitors and locals and crossing all racial boundaries. It's going to be a great concert to come out and enjoy," he said.

While visitors and locals alike enjoy all the activities and events Snorkel Park has to offer, Mr. Lambert is and his crew are continually looking to enhance the facility for future seasons.

"As I said, it's a work in progress. Behind the scenes we are steadily chipping away at new areas and looking into new ideas to develop the facility to its full potential," he said.

For more information about activities and events happening at Snorkel Park call 234-6989.