What Do You Do to Help the Environment While Diving?

[Eric Sedletzky]

Speaking of lead, has anyone else ever noticed how much dust comes off those soft shot pouches in the water? Those things should be banned.

Yes!
I found an integrated BC pouch recently U/W at one of our local dive sites that was loaded with lead shot weights, and when I handled it a huge dust cloud of lead oxide came off of it. Toxic as hell!!

 

[Kharon]

Yes!
I found an integrated BC pouch recently U/W at one of our local dive sites that was loaded with lead shot weights, and when I handled it a huge dust cloud of lead oxide came off of it. Toxic as hell!!

YOu're sure it was lead oxide and not slit? How did you determine that?

 

[J-Vo]

YOu're sure it was lead oxide and not slit? How did you determine that?

I've seen it come off of dry pouches that where just put into the water.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

YOu're sure it was lead oxide and not slit? How did you determine that?

Yes I’m pretty sure it was not silt.
I found the pouch in a rocky area with no silt or mud. When I opened the pouch and dumped out the weights a huge plume of whitish oxide came out of the weight pouches. Pretty sure that would be oxidized lead from the shot.

 

[ofg-1]

To help the environment, I refrain from using the warhammer maneuver at all times.

 

[emoreira]

Something I do that hasn't been mentioned is try to educate others.

Coming out of the water with trash and dumping in a trash bin in the deck of a boat or in the beach is a way to educate others with your example. That worked for me.

 

[Steve_C]

I also recovered ~6 snorkels,

Being environmentally conscious I do not take a snorkel on most dives.

 

[CT-Rich]

keep my thermostat at 56F when I am not home........holy cow! Do you wear a dry suite in the house upon your return!?

My cats have fur and those fleece onesies are freakin' awesome on a cold night.

 

[CT-Rich]

Yes!
I found an integrated BC pouch recently U/W at one of our local dive sites that was loaded with lead shot weights, and when I handled it a huge dust cloud of lead oxide came off of it. Toxic as hell!!

I am not going to say you are wrong, the amount of lead leaching into the ocean from dive weights is approaching zero compared to the millions of fishing weights that are lost from every fishing pier every day. I take my weights in and out of the water on a regular basis and it probably totals forty or so hours a year. In ponds and lakes you have a similar disconnect of leaching from lost weights. There is a natural occurrence of lead at some level since it is a natural element in the environment. I wonder what the exposure for the diver is when he handles uncoated lead weights or the shot bags (I have picked up several of them from diving and tag sales). I also used to caste some of my own lead years ago.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

To help the environment, I refrain from using the warhammer maneuver at all times.

I think seals and sea lions would have you way beat on that!! Lol