As a diver how do you pick up trash? It seems like a fairly easy question. But that’s assuming that you bother to pick it up at all. For the vast majority of the population (of course it varies regionally), people don’t bother to pick it up. So why as a dive resort are we talking about trash? Simple really most of the trash that is discarded on the ground ends up in the ocean – which is where we tend to go diving every day!
As a diver it is part of our responsibility to protect the ocean environment, that can start on land with proper trash disposal. But also whilst diving. What do you do as a diver when you see trash? Do you ignore it and think it is not your problem or do you collect it and take it out of the ocean with you?
Being dive instructors unfortunately trash is part of many of our dives and normally while we are with students. Tim wrote a blog about how he addresses the trash problem when he is diving. Read on and let us know your thoughts on trash underwater!
Here is a snippet from Tims blog –
As a diver how do you pick up trash?
When you are diving along a reef and you spot some rubbish in the distance, what do you do? I know some people will cleverly steer their divers away from the refuse. Their hope is that they can divert attention away from the embarrassing mess that is ruining the reef. Others will try to covertly pick it up and secretively cart it away. We are all ashamed to have our premier dive spots cluttered up with garbage and don’t want people to see that there is trash on those sites. But what about taking a different approach? Personally I take trash underwater as a learning experience. If there are wrappers or refuse on my dive I make sure to take my divers right toward it. Then when I get to the offending piece of garbage I slowly and deliberately pick it up. Almost like I am demonstrating a skill, I pluck it up and brush off any sand and slowly and methodically fold it up or secure it into my pocket. Like a magician performing a trick, I want all eyes on me. Except I want people to see exactly how the trick is done. I am not ashamed. Rather I am proud. Yes there was crap on my reef. But I got rid of it.
