The Fifth Point Diving Centre, based in Blyth, Northumberland, has been recognised as a leader in environmental protection with the prestigious PADI Green Star Award.

This celebrated accolade is granted to dive centres and resorts that demonstrate a dedication to conservation across a wide range of business functions, including water conservation, energy use, use of sustainable materials, and conservation leadership. The Green Star Award identifies dive businesses that care about the environment and are acting to protect it.

The Fifth Point is the first and only Green Star Dive Centre in the UK, and one of only nine in the world.

Their eco-conscious values permeate every activity in their company. Protecting the ocean is of upmost importance, and they share this passion with their fellow scuba divers.

Ocean protection is embedded in all The Fifth Point’s training. Even as a beginner, not only do participants learn how to dive during the PADI Open Water Course, but they also discover how their scuba diving skills can be used to protect fragile underwater environments. With their unique approach to diver training, The Fifth Point include the Project AWARE Specialty Course as standard in their Open Water Experience. This inaugurates new divers as ambassadors of the underwater world and sends them into the big blue as environmentally responsible divers.

Once divers progress onto their Advanced Course, they also get the opportunity to become a qualified citizen scientist with the PADI Dive Against Debris Specialty. The Fifth Point have seamlessly woven the course into their PADI Advanced Open Water Experiences. It teaches divers how to plan and conduct debris surveys at their local sites, removing trash from the ocean and reporting the data back to Project AWARE to fuel evidence for change.

In 2017, The Fifth Point founded their volunteer wing – Our Sea Trash Free. They organise regular beach and underwater clean ups. As a result of their hard work, the group was awarded “Volunteer Group of The Year” by EBPC in 2018. With the help of their volunteers, The Fifth Point has removed over 1,800kg of trash from their local coastline.

Most UK divers are renowned for filling their swag bags with lobsters and scallops. In contrast, The Fifth Point, with their “no touch, no take” philosophy, will never remove marine life or wreck artefacts from the water. In fact, they regularly assist the local lobster hatchery in Amble to release baby lobsters back into the wild – helping sustain local lobster populations.

With a busy year of environmental action planned for 2019, The Fifth Point is a dive centre with a purpose and are always looking for volunteers to help grow their army of eco-warriors.

Find out more at: www.fifthpointdiving.com.