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Learn How to Scuba Dive Without Screwing Up the Ocean

Read these tips for eco-friendly scuba diving.

Sara Novak

By Sara Novak
Columbia, SC, USA | Sat May 16, 2009 04:00 AM ET

scuba diving photo


Miguel Angelo Silva/istockphoto

READ MORE ABOUT:
Eco-Friendly Travel | Nature | Outdoors

Scuba diving can be addictive for those that do it regularly. My former boss in Washington, DC used to love to travel to exotic locations just to go scuba diving. Getting a good "dive" in was a huge rush. But you don't need to travel all over the world searching out the best and brightest in scuba diving locations. It makes more sense for the planet if you pick places closer to home so that you don't have to waste tons of fossil fuels to get to your destinations. There are also some other really good tips that I recently read in ,Natural Health Magazine that make being an ecologically responsible scuba diver pretty simple.

Get certified consciously. If you get certified through the National Association of Underwater Instructors or the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, you'll be taught pretty important techniques for eco-friendly diving like maneuvering through delicate reef systems.

Volunteer while you're diving. Volunteer with Project AWARE Foundation and you can do your part by participating in a fish census or monitor the color of the coral.

As written above, don't touch anything when you're scuba diving. Make sure that you're extremely careful around delicate reef systems. But if you see any trash, such as plastic bags, bottles or cans, pick them up and throw in the garbage once you get back on the dive boat.

If you do have to fly, offset your flight. Unfortunately, there's not a solution to eliminating the carbon emissions from your flight to your diving destination. So, we recommend you utilize the services of a good carbon offset company like Carbonfund.

More on Outdoor Sports:
Eco-Tourism Takes Root in Lebanon
Adventure Sports How to Go Green: Outdoor Sports

 
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