How many of you make a habit of picking up trash when diving?

[SeaHorse81]

How many of you have a habit or routine of picking up trash when out on your dive?

Do you think its worth mentioning?

Definitely worth mentioning. I'll generally try to pick up stuff when diving or paddling locally, for the simple reason that trash attracts more trash. Some people will toss garbage no matter what, but there are many who would be a lot less likely to throw the first piece of trash in an otherwise pristine setting then they would be to add to a mess that was already there. It's like the broken window theory of keeping neighborhoods in nice shape: take care of the little problems as they first occur, and you're a lot less likely to ever have to contend with the big ones.

 

[Zieg]

I seem to only pick up trash when I get wasted in a sleazy bar.

 

[ibj40]

I always pick up anything fresh, especially free-floating things like plastic trash bags. On a dive about a year ago, dive guide and I spotted a bunch of deflated party balloons on strings, attached via plastic tie-wraps around an arm of coral. I used my dive shears to clip the tie-wraps so we could remove the entire lot. Was one of the weirdest forms of "trash" I had ever experienced. Can't imagine what they were for, or who would do something like that.

 

[mdb]

I always pick up anything fresh, especially free-floating things like plastic trash bags. On a dive about a year ago, dive guide and I spotted a bunch of deflated party balloons on strings, attached via plastic tie-wraps around an arm of coral. I used my dive shears to clip the tie-wraps so we could remove the entire lot. Was one of the weirdest forms of "trash" I had ever experienced. Can't imagine what they were for, or who would do something like that.

Don't always do it but you have a nice post. Try to do better next dive.

 

[RJP]

My wife and try to take the opportunity to pick up trash when ever we come across that stuff while out on the water or even on the shore.
It is a good habit to have and pass on to my kids. Our oceans need as much help as possible and I believe this is a move in the right direction.

How many of you have a habit or routine of picking up trash when out on your dive?

Do you think its worth mentioning?


Frank G
Z GEAR - Z Gear

Whenever I have pockets.

 

[Yoda-X]

I always pick up trash when I see it. I can't swim past any and not pick it up. Just pisses me off to see garbage on the ocean floor.

 

[Nemrod]

I pick up trash if I can and cut monofilament off of coral or animals whenever possible. N

 

[pjhansman]

I pick up trash on surface or under water. Sadly, in some areas it could be a full time job.

 

[dshorwich]

I always pick up trash underwater unless, as others have noted, it's become habitat, in which case I leave it be.

I've found all manner of things in addition to straight-up trash: weights, masks, a 5-lb anchor, etc. On my last dive I came across one of those orange two-gallon buckets they sell at Home Depot; it was clean, so it must have been recently lost. Kind of a pain to drag around for the last 40 minutes of the dive, I have to admit.

 

[Bill Parker]

I do it almost every time. I call it treasure hunting. Usually it's nothing but beer cans but sometimes I find something good. Sometimes I find crayfish inside a bottle or can and I toss the aninal back in the lake but the can goes to the dump. I won't tolerate trash if it's not too big for me to get it out of there.