Have you damaged a dive site ?

[strfsh]

vicky once bubbled...
A few years ago we were diving in Ras Um Sid (Sinai) and we met a group of Italian divers who were diving from a boat. The guide provided the divers with gloves. Not neoprene gloves. He gave them rugged-canvas gloves, the type used for gardening, so they can hold the corals without damaging their delicate hands...

My friend just got back from diving in Roatan. They wouldn't let them use gloves at all and had to dive with their arems crossed across their chest to protect the reefs.

I'm sure damage was done on my OW class. At least 12 students went done with maybe 5 feet or less vis. They all clung to rocks and wouldn't move. I think they may have been scared or maybe thats what we were suppose to do. Anyway, they had knocked starfish off the rocks and made the vis. even worse. This is in Southern California. I haven't seen any "reefs" around here. Just lots of rocks and a couple of wrecks. I was very careful not to touch the wrecks. We did go inside one and I must have brushed against the opening going out, because I had some rust looking stuff on my wetsuit after the dive.

I've noticed on the dives I've been on here in California, the instructor liked to be right on the bottom. I perfer to hover off the bottom and he always told me to let the air out of my BC. I did because I was in the class, but I felt more in control being slightly off of the bottom......I know I damaged some kelp when I got stuck in it. I had to break it to get out. I'm sure there was other stuff I may have done, but generally I like to hover off of the bottom, I don't like to touch everything, and I really enjoy taking pictues and just leaving bubbles behind.

 

[fergyjohn]

I try to be as careful as I can, but yes I will raise my hand and say "Guilty".
But what erks me is you will arrive at a dive location (on Boat) and receive the site brief from the D.M. or trip director and part of that brief will include, be aware of the damage that your fins can do to the reef and watch your bouyancy etc etc.
Into the water you jump down to the bottom follow the anchor chain and low and behold, it has carved a sway through 3 large bombies and has done more damage than 10,000 fins would do in 10,000 years. :upset:

Fergy (Australia)

 

[dkerr]

caymaniac once bubbled...
[One of the reasons that I have an A.I. computer, and my octo is a AirII type, is because when I might come back to this dive site, I want it to look as good as when I first came to it.
[/B]

I dont understand how having an AI computer and a AirII will keep a reef undisturbed. IMO if your backup reg and computer are properly stored (no matter what configuration you are diving), this should have no impact on the enviroment.
I am sure I have damaged reefs before. I think most of us have at one point. Unfortunately some people just don't learn to avoid making the same mistakes over and over.

 

[otter-cat]

I've done some damage accidentally, but try very hard not to.

I wish that there was more emphasis on OW classes about this stuff. While I remember that it was mentioned at least once or twice in my OW class, I don't think it usually gets driven home just how sensitive some of these aquatic environments, (especially, but not only, coral reefs) can be.

 

[MSilvia]

I've kicked up my fair share of sand and silt, but less by far than even a mild storm would. I've also bumped into a few reefs, but all we have around here is rock reef, and I think the rocks are still okay. Maybe it comes from growing up on beaches littered with seaweed of various sorts, but I don't feel particularly bad about brushing it aside in order to see what crtters might be hiding in it.

I guess it's a different set of concerns diving up here, when the site itself isn't typically a living structure. The worst site damage I've seen is the temporary result of someone roto-tilling the bottom into a zero-vis situation for lack of technique. Unless you count wreck salvage, which I don't in this area.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Hmmm... when I checked the poll, it was 3 who admitted doing damage (2 plus me) and 15 who said no. sorta made me wonder - do we have 15 responders who've never been on a reef at all, or 15 who are unaware of their trail (however slight?)
Rick

 

[MSilvia]

I didn't respond to the poll. Last time I dove, and almost every time I've been diving, I wasn't on a reef.

Last time I was on a reef, I didn't do any damage I'm aware of to it, but did get a small scrape from making contact with a coral (which fortunately didn't seem any worse off for it), so being careful didn't seem like the right answer. I didn't bring back any trash, as there wasn't much of it 100 miles of the coast of Texas.

 

[o2 clean]

During my first dive, I was standing on the sandy bottom (yes, I know it's what you're not supposed to do) and I accidently stepped back and clipped off a piece of coral. I felt so bad, and I was extra careful afterwards.

*Note: I don't stand on the bottom any longer.

 

[MuddyFox]

Last dive I was on I saw a sea turtle laying on the coral. Well I wasn't going to stand for that so I swam up, put my regulator up against his head Navy-Seal style, and shouted "get your stinking flippers of the coral you jerk!"

Then we sped off in our gasoline-outboard.

 

[david.tolan]

vicky once bubbled...
A few years ago we were diving in Ras Um Sid (Sinai) and we met a group of Italian divers who were diving from a boat. The guide provided the divers with gloves. Not neoprene gloves. He gave them rugged-canvas gloves, the type used for gardening, so they can hold the corals without damaging their delicate hands...

While diving in the Red Sea (with Tony Backhurst scuba) the dive guides actively discouraged wearing gloves except on the wreck dives. They constantly remind all the divers not to touch anything and when one diver repeatedly used the reef as a grab rail :fury:, the guide warned him that if he didn't stop he would not be allowed to dive anymore. I was VERY impressed by their attitude.