Tips for green-aware diving

15 Jan 2020No Comments

Usually when we finish the dives of first day at sea, in our diving certification, we give a talk to our students about ecological awareness. Then we proceed to give them a garbage bag so that, together, we do a beach cleanup.

However, as divers, we must not only take care of the beach but also of the underwater environment.

Today we will talk a little about general care and tips that will be of great help to preserve the underwater environment, while we are enjoying the scuba diving.

Protecting the underwater environment while enjoying scuba diving

1. A good way to know that you have the right amount of lead is to remove all air from the BCD and hold the air in your lungs, while being inside the surface water. If the water level is at the level of your eyes, it means that your amount of lead is the right one. Let’s remember that a diver who carries a lot of lead could break corals as it touches the ground while he passes by. To avoid this, always try to remember the amount of lead you require, and inform so to the dive center, in order to have your lead sash prepared. One thing to keep in mind is that you can inflate your BCD a little bit more if you feel like you’re a little overstretched. Your breathing plays an important role in flotation. A person who dives quietly will have a cyclic breath that will allow him to remain neutral. In addition, we should mention that its correct kick will prevent damage to the seabed. In order to improve both the kicking and the breathing, to practice snorkeling is highly recommended, either in a pool or at sea. Do not drag your equipment while diving. Apart from being a practice that negatively affects your instruments, it can mistreat the underwater flora and fauna.

1. There are many NGO institutions that receive volunteers all year round to clean the beaches, the seabed, the estuaries, among others. We can easily sign up in one of those programs. It should be emphasized that we do not have to travel to the beach to offer this help. In the metropolitan area there are too many rivers that are heavily contaminated with garbage and, as is well known, the problem will go directly to the sea. Helping in one of these programs will fill us with satisfaction, will give an excellent example to those around us and we will give our grain of sand to the planet!
2. Don’t take anything out of the water. We must leave the seabed as we found it. Do not lean on the coral. You shouldn’t touch anything. Your eyes will be the big winners, as it will be the sense of sight that benefits with all the wonders that await us. Corals and shells are ecosystems and are part of the underwater They should be at the bottom of the sea. There’s an old saying that says, “Only leave bubbles in the sea and only take away pictures from it”.
3. Let’s not throw garbage into the sea. That action alone is not compatible with the good manners of a citizen. We’ve all seen a lot of photos coming to us from different places emphasizing how plastic has affected marine life. . . Do we want the new generations to enjoy the beauties we can see every time we dive? Then let’s help the planet and put a good end to non-organic garbage. It should be noted that it is not enough, not avoid throwing the garbage into the sea. The whole process starts in the city, because if we throw garbage in our sewers, aqueducts and rivers, the result is going to be equally catastrophic.
4. Do not drag the anchor. Many years ago, the anchor was used to reach a desired point in the ocean. The dynamic was to pull the anchor with a few meters of rope and accelerate the engine of the boat until it grabbed a stone. The big problem with this activity is that the anchor breaks everything in its path until it finds a stone to stop it. Currently this practice is not used anymore, since large concrete blocks have been built an have been thrown to the bottom of the sea, and by means of a thick rope that reaches the surface, a floating object is tied to them. This serves as a guide for people who want to get to that specific point to For different reasons, not all dive sites have this mark, but it is important to assure that the boat has a way to find the dive site without having to drag the anchor.

• Let’s use products that don’t harm corals. Chemicals that are in sunscreens like oxybenzone and octinoxate are affecting and killing marine These chemicals get in contact with water by converting ultraviolet rays to harmless heat on the skin, damaging the DNA of the reefs and impairing their development. We recommend using 100% natural sunscreens, such as New Body Costa Rica, which you can find in our diving store in San Pedro. Same protection without damaging the environment.

When we go diving let’s do it with a dive center that is friendly with our principles and environmental awareness.

Let’s try to create that ecological awareness and pass it on to our fellow divers. We’re still in time to get back everything we’ve lost. There are many species that are being protected, but individual effort is also required to preserve them. The good news is that we can be the leaders in this effort!

If you are interested in knowing more about diving, we invite you to learn about our diving courses here: Mundo Acuático Diving School