How to be an Eco diver?

Become An environmental Diver

Introduction
The good news is that globally the number of active divers is up, the bad news is without proper training and education these divers although armed with the best of intentions will ultimately have a negative impact on the environment they love so much. If you have ever thought that you will enjoy diving for the rest of your life, or that one day you may want to share your favourite dive sites with your children, then you better become and eco-friendly diver. If not most sites we dive today will either be dead or nearly destroyed within a generation or two.

Be proactive

The bottom line is that nature as a whole and the marine environment especially needs ambassadors. This is where you step in, be positive and proactive, be a role model to other divers with your actions in the water and your words out of the water. Be sensitive and try and help other divers grasp the benefits of being Eco-friendlier divers. Participate in local Eco-friendly programs and beach clean up.

Khao Lak Explorer participate actively in these programs.

Buoyancy

Buoyancy control is probably the single most important skill that will make you an Eco-friendly diver. The old axiom in diving is “take nothing but photos/memories and leave nothing but bubbles.” To be able to do this you need near perfect buoyancy. If every diver on average broke 1 gram of coral per dive the result of the losses globally is in the tons of coral destroyed by divers. The simplest way to avoid this is by being spot on with your buoyancy, since if you are you in control, you will not accidentally bump a piece of the reef, you won’t lose control and descend onto a reef like a rock breaking off chunks of coral.
The easiest way to perfect your buoyancy is in a controlled environment where you can fine tune your skills. Talk to other divers especially experienced divers, ask them for tips or tricks about buoyancy. Ask your instructor about any tips to help you they may have, finally you may even opt to take a buoyancy course to help improve and sharpen your skills. The important thing to remember is that with time you will improve, and you will be the experienced diver, pass your knowledge down to those who ask you. Participate in our PADI Advanced Open Water course to improve your buoyancy.

Additional training

“A little Knowledge goes a long way” or so the saying goes. Take some more courses tailored for divers protecting the marine environment. There are many options out there from Training agency provided courses, such as the PADI Aware program, and independent programs such as reef check. Most of these programs while being relatively easy to take will give you a wealth of information about how to help the marine environment.
Greens fins programs provide great information and projects worldwide.

Eating habits

This can be a tricky one, most of us do like to eat some type of sea food. Whilst complete abstinence from seafood is commendable, this may not be completely necessary. Educate yourself about the fish species and other products available in your area. Ensure that everything on your plate is sustainable and produced ethically. The classic example of this was canned Tuna, during the 1980’s there was an abundance of Tuna, however the production resulted in an enormous by catch of dolphins. As a result, from increased pressure from consumes, producers had to switch to a dolphin friendly method of production.
Great documentary about this : Sushi: The Global Catch

Choose who you patron

Most of us choose a dive center/live aboard based on two basic criteria price and quality of service. We are prepared to pay more for a higher quality of service. On the other hand, we could be very driven by price chasing the lowest possible at all times. Well it is time that you add another criterion to your selection process, “how Eco-friendly is the operator”. Research the operator and their policies make sure that they prioritize an environmentally friendly agenda and are active in encouraging divers to be so.

I have tried many tips but my buoyancy still is not perfect?

Congratulations on trying to improve your buoyancy, you are on the right path. What most novice divers sometimes fail to grasp is that buoyancy is not a muscle memory skill, like replacing a regulator, or removing and replacing your mask. Buoyancy is a tactile skill, it requires the development of a feel or sense, and as such takes a bit longer to master. Think about it like driving a car the basics of operating a car are simple enough to learn, but developing a road sense to be able to drive on the road safely and pass your test requires much more practice.

I like eating fish is there an eco-friendly alternative to traditional fish species?

This is quite difficult to really pin down, one of the most widely available options in Europe and USA is a species of fresh water fish from south east Asia called Pangasisus or Basa fish. While this fish is farmed in Vietnam, Thailand and other countries, it is not endangered and seems sustainable. However, the saying goes that “there is no such thing as a free lunch”, and some concerns have been raised about the impact of intensive open cage farming on the rivers and estuaries of south east Asia. It is thought that the sheer number of fish is having a detrimental impact on the rest of the ecosystem in those areas. Ultimately research the species in your area and choose those with the least impact or preferably those that are sustainable.

All the operators seem Eco-friendly how do I choose?

This is can be tricky since over the years as divers have become more environmentally aware and demand the same from operators, most have begun to emphasize this aspect of their business in their advertising. In this case what you need to do is dig a little deeper, ask them what environmental programs or courses they run, how often do they conduct beach clean ups and clean-up dives. You will soon be able to separate those operators who are genuinely proactive in protecting the environment and those that are merely paying lip service to it to gain clients.

Are there any specific courses I can take?

Yes, the selection is actually enormous, from very basic courses that take a day or two, to intensive courses that take several months it really is up to you to determine how much time and money you want to spend your Eco-diver education. Some programs even offer you the opportunity to work for several months as a volunteer in marine conservation, this can give you great hands on experience about the practical aspects of being an Eco-friendly diver.

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source https://www.khaolakexplorer.com/scuba-tips/how-to-be-an-eco-diver/