Scuba Diving Volunteer Programs for Highschoolers

[TheDuffmaster]

My school requires we do some sort of community service (aka a job without pay), and I really want to do some sort of community service through scuba diving, since I would like to give back to the community that has given me so much. I live in New York City, but am willing to travel anywhere (preferably during the month of August in 2015) in order to use my Scuba skills to do some volunteer work. I've already looked into the New York aquarium, but they only take people 21 and over. So does anybody know any good volunteer programs I could do, that are scuba diving related?

Some info: I'm a junior in highschool, and will (hopefully) be a certified NAUI Master Diver by the end of July. I already have my Rescue Diver certification and my Advanced diver certification.

 

[Wookie]

Almost everyplace I know requires their volunteers to be 18. There must be a Venture Crew in NYC that dives? In Tampa is the TRUE (Teen Research Underwater Explorers), and Key West has SCUBAnauts, both programs for teenage volunteers involving scuba. Have you attended a Sea Gypsies meeting and asked around?

 

[TheDuffmaster]

Almost everyplace I know requires their volunteers to be 18. There must be a Venture Crew in NYC that dives? In Tampa is the TRUE (Teen Research Underwater Explorers), and Key West has SCUBAnauts, both programs for teenage volunteers involving scuba. Have you attended a Sea Gypsies meeting and asked around?

Thanks for the feedback, no I haven't looked into any of these groups since I didn't know about them, but I will look into the now! Also, yeah I've found that most places require you to be 18 or 21, I'm guessing it's a legal matter.

 

[diversteve]

How old will you be by then? If 18 here's some paid (you pay them...) volunteer programs in Belize.

Caribbean Reef Conservation - Belize | Conservation | Type of Volunteering
Belize: Coral Reef Monitoring (Scuba) | Oceanic Society
http://www.blueventures.org/belize/volunteer-expeditions-in-belize.html

Maybe you can find something here also: SEEtheWILD Wildlife Conservation Travel

 

[knotical]

You might also contact local dive stores to see if there any "beach" cleanups planned for your time frame.

 

[EastEndDiver]

Contact the "Sea Gypsies" they are a club which meets in NYC.

New York City Sea Gypsies

Hers are some other orginazations which might need help

Ocean Conservancy: Sign Up to Clean Up

NYS Beach Cleanup

International Coastal Cleanup Day

Here are some scuba cleanup groups in NY

Northeast Divers Unite 2014 Rye Playland Beach Cleanup

Orchard Beach Cleanup and Clam Bake 2013

5th Annual Beach Clean-up (underwater and surface) - Pristine Azul Diving (Wayne, NJ) - Meetup

Archive of Past Events, Long Island Divers Association, LIDA

Google is your friend.........I am surprised you didn't have this info.

 

[TheDuffmaster]

Wow, thanks for all the helpful replies. I googled looking for volunteer programs that had to do with diving for teens, but only some certification camps came up. Thanks for all the help.

 

[Kharon]

Do you have any nearby lakes? Maybe on LI. My scuba club does at least one "clean the lake" dive every year. Also check with lake associations. I volunteer at Brant Lake for milfoil remediation diving (too far for you to travel but maybe you can find something reasonably close). Also, there is nothing to prevent you from getting a buddy and doing a clean the lake or shore or beach on your own. It's still comunity service even if it's not under some official organization.

 

[TheDuffmaster]

Do you have any nearby lakes? Maybe on LI. My scuba club does at least one "clean the lake" dive every year. Also check with lake associations. I volunteer at Brant Lake for milfoil remediation diving (too far for you to travel but maybe you can find something reasonably close). Also, there is nothing to prevent you from getting a buddy and doing a clean the lake or shore or beach on your own. It's still comunity service even if it's not under some official organization.

Good idea

 

[Becky Pod]

Hi DiverSteve, Thanks so much for these resources. Just to let you know Pod Volunteer (the link added above) have two diving conservation projects - Belize and Thailand: Conservation volunteer projects
Hope you find something that works for you!