Dive Shops are Going Green

Scuba Diving magazine recently featured a green dive shop in Boulder, CO. Ocean First Divers is incorporating sustainable practices into their operations, products and training. Most divers dive to experience the wonder of nature and are generally responsible when they are visiting beautiful reefs, springs or lakes. There is a natural connection between being a diver and understanding the importance of preserving dive spots. I am really impressed with what Ocean First Divers is doing with their shop and I hope more dive centers follow suit. In regards to operation, they have been able to reduce their trash by 90%, which is impressive. They have been able to offset their energy use by purchasing carbon offsets and are the only carbon neutral dive shop in the world. They have also been able to get their vendors to use less packaging. This is another great example of demanding green. Just because a vendor supplies a product one way ( i.e psycho packaging) doesn't mean that you have to accept it that way. So what can you do as a diver to be green?

1. You can purchase pre-owned equipment, which also has significant cost savings. I was able to get both my husband and my BC's and regulators for $650, which is insane for the quality and condition of the gear we received. Check out your dive shop's annual sale or swap meet. You'd be surprised how many people are willing to get rid of their gear for cheap.
*Before you go out and jump off a boat in the open ocean with pre-owned gear, make sure you test it in a safe place. We spent an hour in the pool checking for leaks before we did a shallow dive. There was no visibility, a super strong current and a fishermen kept trying to hook my husband but our gear functioned so we were still stoked.

2. When planning a dive trip, carpool with other divers. Don't have any diver friends? Stop by your local dive shop and set something up with them. My dive shop, Sea Dragons, is awesome. It is run by a great group of people who just want to help people get underwater as often as possible. You'll find that most dive shops are run by generally eco-consience people who love the ocean and want to protect it.

3. Bring a mesh bag with you on your dive. When you are exploring your dive destination, pick up any trash that you see. This is pretty common practice with most divers.

4. When you are topside, participate in a lake, river or beach cleanup in your area. Help keep the pollution out of your playground and keep Nemo's house nice and neat.

5. Join a local Surfrider chapter. When a group of ocean-minded individuals get together, real change can occur. Surfrider campaigns involve keeping our water clean, beach clean ups, beach preservation and protecting special places.