Diving community: PADI Women's Dive Day 2019
This year we wanted to celebrate PADI Women’s Dive Day by making a difference. That is why we dedicated this event to this very important woman. This woman that is not only important to us divers‚ but for every one of us‚ for all living species. This woman that we think hasn’t gotten a lot of respect from us human beings lately and that deserves to be treated far better than she is now. This woman that is our mother‚ the mother of everyone and everything: Mother Earth!
We decided to organize a Project AWARE Dive Against Debris Dive for PADI Women’s Dive Day‚ where divers could be involved and help a hand in removing marine debris from our Mediterranean sea and report data on the types and quantities of materials collected.
The morning started with a power point lesson of the Project AWARE Dive Against Debris Specialty in which the divers learned where marine debris comes from‚ how to safely remove it and our crucial role as scuba divers in these clean-up processes.
“It was an amazing experience for me. We all know about the problems of pollution at sea‚ we all talk about it‚ but when you actually can see it by yourself… Nothing to say… Just cry‚ like I do. I like diving‚ so I’m happy to be able to use my passion for a good action. We must protect the sea‚ mother earth‚ the mother of all. Thanks to the Team of Evasioni Blu Diving for this unforgettable experience!” Angie‚ PADI Open Water Diver‚ about her Dive Against Debris Specialty Course.
We went diivng for our Dive Against Debris Dive on our Adopted Dive Site in Isola delle Femmine. “Adopt a Dive Site” is the initiative from Project AWARE to “adopt” a dive site‚ and be commited by regularly performing a Dive Against Debris on the same dive spot. We have adopted a dive spot that lays just outside the port of Isola delle Femmine‚ inside the Marine Protected Area‚ a zone where both tourist waste and fisherman waste usually accumulate.
“Unforgettable experience with Evasioni Blu Diving! To be part of an amazing project such as the Project AWARE Dive Against Debris to help the planet and the ocean. I believe the Project AWARE Dive Against Debris program is a necessity for our ocean and the sea life and we should all take part in it as diver. Thanks to Evasioni Blu Diving for having me introduced to this fantastic initiative and life experience which from now on I hope to be able to repeat many times in the future.” Roberta‚ PADI Advanced Open Water Diver‚ about her Dive Against Debris Specialty Course.
During our 55 minute dive we removed with a group of 11 divers a total of 9.2 kg of waste‚ varying from smaller microplastics to a big entire beach umbrella. What amazed me most this time was finding a great amount of microplastics‚ which are one of the most damaging types of debris at sea and I perceived as an important warning sign. Even though a lot of policies on the abolishment of single use plastics are introduced in the surroundings of Palermo‚ the amount of single use plastic cups‚ plates‚ forks‚ bags was unfortunately still impressive.
I think we all did a great job in removing all this marine debris from the sea and I believe we all can make a change! Individually or as a group‚ from changing our daily habits‚ to teaching and making people aware about actual clean-up actions. But for us divers especially by “DON’T LET YOUR DIVES GO TO WASTE!”
