UNDERWATER CLEAN UPS
As divers, we’re incredibly lucky to see the magic that lies beneath the waves. However, that does come with a responsibility. Because we’re there and we can see what lies in the deep, it is our job to protect what we love. There are many ways we can do this; from simply telling others about all the amazing things we see, to taking this love to the next level and volunteering our time and resources to the protection of the ocean. I'm a huge advocate of all things ocean protection, but not everyone wants to spend all their spare time volunteering and I get that. One of the easiest ways any diver can help our oceans is by picking up trash.
By getting a small debris bag or making your own and keeping it in your drysuit or BCD pocket, every dive you go on you can help save the planet. Dive as usual, and if you see something that doesn’t belong, pull your debris bag out and throw that
something in it! It takes no extra time or effort to do so. I’m a big fan of the Fourth Element Ocean Debris Bag, as it rolls and Velcro's up nice and small, so it takes up almost no room. However, you can easily re-use an old onion bag, or the mesh bags that many brands pack their gloves or boots in for a cheaper even more environmentally friendly option.
If you want to take your trash collection to the next level, you can join an underwater clean up! Many dive shops and clubs organize a few clean ups a year, and anyone can join. When participating in a clean-up, there are a few key things you want to remember. The first is your personal safety is always first. It is quite easy to get caught up in the “underwater treasure hunt” that a clean-up can feel like and forget about things like keeping track of our buddies or air supply. We always want to ensure we’re keeping to our dive plan, including our depth and deco limits when we’re out there.
Another important consideration is that trash can be very heavy. While that sounds obvious, it is commonly overlooked. The general recommendation is that you only carry a max of 4 – 7 kg (10 – 15lbs) by hand or in a debris bag. This is because any more than that and you’d have to add too much air to your BCD or drysuit to compensate for the additional weight, creating the risk of a runaway ascent if you then became separated from the debris bag. The solution? A lift bag! You can use a lift bag to lift individual heavy objects, or clip multiple debris bags to the lift bag using a carabiner. Now, if you’re using a lift
bag, you do want to make sure you know how to use one, otherwise you could risk entangling yourself, or launching your bag up while dumping whatever you’re trying to lift back down. I highly recommend either taking a course or practicing with small light objects (or both) before you load up a heap of debris bags!
Along with the lifting issue of carrying debris bags, you also want to consider your air consumption. When we’re exerting ourselves, we breathe more. Dragging around a heavy bag results in exerting ourselves more. If we’re using a lift bag, you’re also using extra air to fill and adjust that. Don't let the lift bag make you think you’re not working though! Even though with the lift bag you are no longer lifting anything yourself, you’re still dragging a very un-aerodynamic object with you, and it creates a lot of drag, making swimming a lot more work. Always plan for using a lot more air than you normally would, and check up on it often.
The final thing we want to keep in mind is what we’re bringing up. Some objects like fishing line create entanglement hazards, and fishing hooks can rip gloves and skin, or puncture dive gear. If you’re in an area with lots of fishing line, I suggest making yourself a line collector. Get a piece of pool noodle, about 8 – 10 cm long and find a stick thick enough to wedge into the center of the noodle. Then drill a small hole at the end of the stick and thread a thin rope through and tie it up creating a small loop. The loop allows you to clip a bolt snap or carabiner to it, the stick works as a handle, and the pool noodle is perfect for sticking fishing
hooks in, then wrapping the line around it. The pool noodle does make this positively buoyant, so make sure you hang onto it!
If we’re bringing stuff up from the ocean, we also want to be especially considerate about bringing up marine life as well. If you’ve been diving on any wreck, you can see how quickly marine life takes over underwater, and the same is true with trash. Dark coloured bottles make great hiding places for small creatures. I've personally accidentally brought up a tiny octopus that was hiding in a bottle. Don’t worry though, I brought him back to the water and safely released him! Whenever we’re taking something from the ocean, make sure to thoroughly shake it out underwater first, then on land make sure you empty your bag and watch for any movement in the pile. If an
object has too much life on it, in some cases it may just be best to leave it behind.
Collecting trash alone is amazing for the environment and you’re doing a wonderful thing by doing so. However, if you want to take it one step further you can submit data from your trash collection to further citizen science efforts! All you have to do is count and weigh what you’ve brought up, then you can submit it to PADI Aware Foundation’s Dive Against Debris. By doing this, you’re adding to a global database of marine debris used by assorted NGOs, government, and local communities. There is even a Dive Against Debris app so you can quickly submit this data while at the dive site!
With all this talk of underwater clean ups, along with some inspiration from a local diver (@aquatic_monkey) I’ve decided to up my game this year. My 2023 goal is to pull 200 lbs of trash out of my local water ways, and I encourage all of you to set your own trash collection goals. Together we can make the ocean a cleaner place! You can check back here throughout the year to see how I’m doing with my goal.