September is Project AWARE's Debris Month of Action and divers everywhere are fighting back against marine debris – the ocean’s silent killer - one dive at a time.

With Project AWARE having launched the Dive Against Debris speciality - a great new way for PADI Instructors to teach divers to conduct their own clean-up actions - it was clearly time to support the cause by applying to teach this exciting new course.

Now divers of all experience levels can be equipped with better knowledge of debris issues and empowered with the skills to complete ongoing Dive Against Debris surveys. 

From planning the dive to reporting the debris data, the Dive Against Debris speciality prepares students to participate and support regular Dive Against Debris surveys, join other surveys or to start surveys of their own. The course:

• Educates divers about the messy problem of marine debris - the damage done, what it is, where it comes from, and how divers are part of the solution.
• Equips divers with the knowledge and skills needed to conduct a Dive Against Debris survey - considerations for creating a survey dive profile, use of photography, and decision making on what to remove and what to leave behind.
• Highlights the five steps needed to record and report findings from a Dive Against Debris dive - weigh, sort, record, dispose, and report.
• Explains how to join the global Project AWARE movement of scuba divers protecting our ocean planet.

I'm delighted to have this new instructor rating, with the added benefit of the application free having been generously donated to the charity by PADI.

Look out for some clean-up training and action with Dive Wimbledon very soon! PADI Instructors can find out more about the new speciality course here.