Kata Clean Up - free diving!

[stevenl]

Don't know yet what we'll do, the boat or the beach. Would like to keep some connection to diving, so am leaning towards the boat at the moment.

 

[orangelemon]

James
Unlike Oceanic, PSC and Calypso divers are not actually planning on diving. It would make no sense now as more rubbish will come in with the surge until it is actually high season. We are planning on a beach clean up for the 16th (to co incide with the rest of the world) and then later a clean up along the reefs. Also we do try and do regular beach and reef clean ups. Obviously when we do reef clean ups we use gloves and knives, we have been doing this for years! Just thought to point this out to you since you are so new in the area.

Otherwise Stevenl - are you joining or are you going to the daytrip sites? Let me know since I am organising the drinks and snacks and need to know how many to cater for. At this stage it looks around 30 people. James also let me know if you are joining.

Didnt want to point out the obvious to yourselves but as the thread was titled 'kata clean up - free diving' thought it would be good to point out the obvious safety concerns as the promise of free diving will possibly attract a variety of people, im not that new or green to diving or the area, but always have safety at the forefront of my mind.

Dive Community has three groups going out on Project Aware's beach cleanup day, one group on the beach with Sea Bees, one on the Beach at Kata and one to one of the smaller / more neglected beaches like nai harn / friendship beach / Laem Ka (to be decided).

We have been cleaning the reefs of nets and line on the smaller beach since the low season began (when we get chance to do fun dives and when we can actually get off the beach on the west coast) and can safely say we have a lot of work to do to keep these corals free of monofilament line and nets as well as the normal trash. I am getting more involved with the enviromental situation here in Phuket and have recently voiced concerns to the TDA (Thailand Dive Association) / DOCT (Dive operators Club of Thailand) and some of the Larger Kata / Karon Hotels about a region beach cleanup program and re-education programs (locals / divers and boat operators). As this one day a year cleanup has always been an enviromental improvement day as well as an excellent awareness improvement tool and PR tool but I get annoyed as I have seen locals ask tourists for money when they pick up rubbish from the beach and attempt to put it in their bins and seen the beaches and reefs deteriorate slowly but surely from the high season in to the green season, as situation I have seen repeated in 3 or 4 main dive locations around the world (Egypt, Mexico, Cuba, Cyprus to name a few). Lets hope we can make a difference.

Hope to see some friendly faces on Saturday

 

[Ringo]

Now that we have clarified that we all know exactly what we are doing, let's just get on with it!

Otherwise anybody else joining in on the Kata Beach clean up and want to join afterwards for drinks and snacks please let Calypso, Oceanic or PSC know. Dont want to undercater or appear kinjao. All welcome!!!

 

[Quarrior]

Count me in. Hat and all.

 

[Ringo]

Count me in. Hat and all.

Excellent Brian - we will see you at 3:30 on Kata Beach and snacks and drinks will be ready at Pens restaurant at 6:30pm.

 

[orangelemon]

Well done to all that cleaned the dive sites and west coast beaches on Phuket, we had an amazing amount of rubbish from nai harn, kata and and leam ka beaches, lets just hope it makes a difference. If anyone is interested I will keep this clean up thread updated with any news from local government about a regional organised and regular beach cleanup program as and when the details come.

 

[Ringo]

For those who attended the clean up's it was great to see you all and thanks for your efforts (especially to Steffen and Rhona from Calypso divers). It was also great to see quite a few SB members from the USA!!! Hope to see you all again for the reef clean up's off the westcoast next month? Of course we will have the post clean up drinks and snacks at Pen's Restaurant again. Mona and the girls some more red wine?

 

[Quarrior]

Hmm, are the reef clean ups zero vis like they are in the lakes back hokme.

 

[orangelemon]

When you can dive the beach reefs, when there is low surf / surge during green season there is reasonable visibility (3-5m) Our beach cleanup day coincided with a high tide and strong surge so no diving could safely be completed off the beach But during high season the beach dives are nearly aways fantastic vis and next to no surf / surge. One advantage of this is that in Green season you can surf !