Adventure Dominica
Responsible Diving
All texts on "Responsible Diving" were taken from the book "Diving
&
Snorkeling Dominica" by Michael Lawrence.
Dive sites tend to be located where the reefs and walls display the
most
beautiful corals and sponges. It only takes a moment - an
inadvertently placed hand or a careless brush or kick with a fan- to
destroy this fragile, living part of our delicate ecosystem.
Please consider the following suggestions when diving:
1.Never drop boat anchor onto a coral reef and take care not to
ground
boat on coral. Encourage dive operators and regulatory bodies in their
efforts to establish permanent moorings at dive sites.
2.Practice and maintain proper bouncy and avoid over weighting. Be
aware that buoyancy can change over the period of an extended trip:
initially you may breathe harder and need more weight; a few day
later
you may breath more easily and need less weight. Be careful about
buoyancy loss: As you go deeper your wetsuit compresses and you
lose
buoyancy.
3. Avoid touching living marine organisms with your body or
dragging
equipment across the reef. Polyps can be damaged by even the
gentlest
contact. Never stand on coral even if it looks solid and robust.
<br>The
use of gloves is no longer recommended: It just makes it to easy to
hold on to the reef than your hands are. If you must hold on to the
reef, touch only expose rock or dead coral.
4. Be conscious of your fins. Even without contact, the surge from
heavy fin strokes near the reef can do damage. Avoid full-leg kicks
when working close to the bottom and when leaving a photo scene.
When you inadvertently kick something, stop kicking! It seems
obvious, but some divers either panic or are completely oblivious
when they bump something. When treading water in shallow reef
areas, take care not to kick up clouds of sand. Settling sand can easily
smother the delicate organisms of the reef.
5. Attach all dangling gauges, computer consoles and octopus
regulators to your BC. These are like miniature wrecking balls to a
reef.
6. When swimming in strong currents, be especially careful about leg
kicks and handholds.
7. Photographers must be extra careful. Cameras and equipment affect
buoyancy. Changing t-stops, framing a subject and maintaining
position for a photo often conspire to prohibit the ideal "no-touch"
approach on the reef. When you must use "holdfast," choose them
intelligently (i.e., use only one finger for leverage off an area of dead
coral).
8. Resist the temptation to collect or buy corals or shells, Aside from
ecological damage, taking home marine souvenirs depletes the beauty
of a site and spoils the environment of others.
9. Be sure to take home all your trash and any litter you may find as
well. Plastics in particular are a serious threat to marine life.
10. Resist the temptation to feed fish, you may disturb their normal
eating habits, encourage aggressive behavior or feed them food that is
detrimental to their health.
Diving
History of Diving
Buoyancy Control