News
BSAC urges all divers to help turn the plastic tide
As a diver, it sometimes seems there’s no getting away from plastic. Many components of our kit are plastic-based and essential to the job at hand, but we are also acutely aware of the impact plastic pollution – especially single-use plastic – is having on the marine environment.
According to the Marine Conservation Society, some areas of our ocean contains six times more microplastics than plankton. This is a frightening statistic but together we can turn the tide on the amount of plastic debris reaching our seas.
A DIVER’S GUIDE TO PLASTIC
Here are just a few simple ways as a diver you can help ‘sink’ the problem of single-use plastic….
On dive trips take only essential multi-use plastic (ie, your kit!) on to your RIB, hardboat or shore dive.
When it comes to single-use plastic on dive trips, adopt the ‘DIY, swap or ditch’ approach:
- Take a packed lunch in re-usable or recyclable packaging and swap that on-the-go latte for your own reusable coffee mug or flask.
- Keep hydrated with a reusable water bottle –ask the skipper if they provide water refills and try to avoid disposable plastic water bottles wherever you can. If it’s not possible, check the bottle before you buy to ensure it can be easily recycled…. but do try to re-use it for as long as you can.
- Try to avoid carton drinks and ditch the plastic straw altogether.
Don’t forget the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ mantra when it comes to your kit.
Every diver’s kit suffers from wear and tear and running repairs and replacements are the norm on any dive trip. Maintaining your equipment, repairing kit and recycling what you can will ensure that you still get your dive while helping to protect the environment.
- Look after your kit to prolong its shelf life. Kit maintenance is an essential part of every diver’s routine but don’t forget to pay attention to the perishable and throwaway parts such as neck and wrist seals, mask straps, fins straps, mouth pieces etc. Rinse them properly with fresh water after each use, keep lubricated (when needed) and dry (when storing) as well as out of direct sunlight and you should get plenty of good use out of them.
- Cable ties, o-rings, broken fin straps and on-board diver plastic waste can find their way into the sea – dispose of responsibly and check the deck before you leave the dive boat for any stragglers that may have been dropped (it doesn’t take much for them to be washed overboard).
- When the time eventually comes to replace, make sure you dispose of unfixable or no longer usable items or kit parts carefully. If you are upgrading and your old kit is still perfectly usable, pass it on – donate to your club or to new members who are looking to get going with their kit.
Working together as a club, pledge to reduce your collective use of single-use plastic, both on trips and socials.
- Simple changes such as switching to reusable water bottles, collectively ditching items such as plastic straws and recycling plastic water bottles and single-use plastics at the end of every dive trip can really add up.
- Add a ‘diving with a purpose’ twist to your dive plans – organise an underwater litterpick on a favourite dive site, plan a dive to retrieve discarded fishing gear from a wreck or encourage all members to ‘marine clean’ on every dive.
- Make the most of your diving ‘down time’ to clean up! Keep a look out on your surface interval and scoop up any surface litter you may see or get the whole club, family and friends active in a topside beach clean.
- For further guidance, check out our BSAC Marine Clean online resources, which includes information on how to organise an underwater litterpick and essential advice on lifting licence requirements and risk assessments.
Away from the water, wherever possible cut down single-use plastic in your everyday.
Just a few simple tweaks and you will be surprised how you can make a positive change.
- Shop local – if you can get your new kit items from your local dive shop, you can also cut down on unnecessary packaging and waste.
- Plastic bags – just say no! Save your 5p every time you reuse one of your own bags and see how much you have at the end of the year.
- Get creative – look for alternatives to packaging, cleaning materials, toiletries etc. For some great ideas on alternatives to single-use plastics, check out the Marine Conservation Society’s easy to use Living without Plastic
- Support marine environment charities by buying their plastic free products – Surfers Against Sewage, Bite-Back and the Marine Conservation Society to name just a few have some great ideas.
Join in the BSAC Marine Clean – collect, capture and upload your Marine Clean 2018 pictures and success stories.
From a photo of the litter you collect, to a pic of your Underwater Litterpick or Beach Clean team in action, share your Marine Clean efforts on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #bsacmarineclean OR enter your Marine Clean photos using this form www.bsac.com/entermarineclean to show your support and be entered into the prize draw.
If you’re not a BSAC member you can still enter but please use the form so BSAC can contact you if you win.
You’ll be in with a chance of winning an Apeks Regulator worth over £500! The winner will be selected at random after the 30th September 2018. View Marine Clean 2018 entries at www.bsac.com/bsacmarinecleanpictures
News
Dive Worldwide Announces Bite-Back as its Charity of the Year
Over the next 12 months, specialist scuba holiday company Dive Worldwide will be supporting Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation with donations collected from client bookings to any one of its stunning dive destinations around the world. The independently-owned operator expects to raise £3000 for the UK charity.
Manager at Dive Worldwide, Phil North, said: “We’re especially excited to work with Bite-Back and support its intelligent, creative and results-driven campaigns to end the UK trade in shark products and prompt a change in attitudes to the ocean’s most maligned inhabitant.”
Bite-Back is running campaigns to hold the media to account on the way it reports shark news along with a brand new nationwide education programme. Last year the charity was credited for spearheading a UK ban on the import and export of shark fins.
Campaign director at Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’re enormously grateful to Dive Worldwide for choosing to support Bite-Back. The company’s commitment to conservation helps set it apart from other tour operators and we’re certain its clients admire and respect that policy. For us, the affiliation is huge and helps us look to the future with confidence we can deliver against key conservation programmes.”
To launch the fundraising initiative, Phil North presented Graham Buckingham with a cheque for £1,000.
Visit Dive Worldwide to discover its diverse range of international scuba adventures and visit Bite-Back to learn more about the charity’s campaigns.
MORE INFORMATION
Call Graham Buckingham on 07810 454 266 or email graham@bite-back.com
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
-
News3 months ago
Hone your underwater photography skills with Alphamarine Photography at Red Sea Diving Safari in March
-
News3 months ago
Capturing Critters in Lembeh Underwater Photography Workshop 2024: Event Roundup
-
Marine Life & Conservation Blogs3 months ago
Creature Feature: Swell Sharks
-
Blogs2 months ago
Murex Resorts: Passport to Paradise!
-
Blogs2 months ago
Diver Discovering Whale Skeletons Beneath Ice Judged World’s Best Underwater Photograph
-
Gear Reviews2 weeks ago
GEAR REVIEW – Revolutionising Diving Comfort: The Sharkskin T2 Chillproof Suit
-
Marine Life & Conservation2 months ago
Save the Manatee Club launches brand new webcams at Silver Springs State Park, Florida
-
Gear Reviews3 months ago
Gear Review: Oceanic+ Dive Housing for iPhone