IslandDiversHI
Contributor
We've got a great opportunity to dive for cheap and help the local environment here on Oahu. For over a year now we have been partnered with Ocean Defenders Alliance doing once a month clean up off Portlock (China Walls). As some of the locals here may know, this is also a popular fishing spot, and since one of the preferred methods of fishing is to cast a lead weight with hooks as far as you can into the ocean to "set" a line, that leaves a lot of lead and fishing weight on the reef. Meaning, you really get to do some serious cleanup EVERY time you go on this dive.
Here is a recent article.
How does it work? Well Ocean Defenders Alliance pays for the boat (we give this NGO a very good rate) and we collect a minimum $10 donation when you book this dive. We give this back to them with a participation list to document the NGO/small business/private citizen partnership. This helps them raise more money to keep the project going.
So mostly our club members have been doing this, but it occurred to me that their may be quite a number of dive professionals and others on this list that would like to get involved. The truth is that except for spots with heavy fishing, most of our dive sites don't need clean up.
We do require that participants be at least Rescue certified. We've long since got all the lift bags and buckets with holes drilled in them that we need. You just need to have a good cutting tool. You need to be okay with showing up in Island Divers and Ocean Defenders Alliance online promotions as well. However, this is the kind of thing that raises everyone up, so if you are working for another dive shop or organization you are certainly welcome to promote your own participation.
If you are interested participating, you can find the online sign up under our special events section:
Booking powered by FareHarbor
Here is a recent article.
How does it work? Well Ocean Defenders Alliance pays for the boat (we give this NGO a very good rate) and we collect a minimum $10 donation when you book this dive. We give this back to them with a participation list to document the NGO/small business/private citizen partnership. This helps them raise more money to keep the project going.
So mostly our club members have been doing this, but it occurred to me that their may be quite a number of dive professionals and others on this list that would like to get involved. The truth is that except for spots with heavy fishing, most of our dive sites don't need clean up.
We do require that participants be at least Rescue certified. We've long since got all the lift bags and buckets with holes drilled in them that we need. You just need to have a good cutting tool. You need to be okay with showing up in Island Divers and Ocean Defenders Alliance online promotions as well. However, this is the kind of thing that raises everyone up, so if you are working for another dive shop or organization you are certainly welcome to promote your own participation.
If you are interested participating, you can find the online sign up under our special events section:
Booking powered by FareHarbor
