How SALT Embodies Project AWARE's 10 Tips

SALT wants everyone to take a closer look at Project AWARE’s 10 tips for Divers to protect the ocean planet.

We believe every person, not just divers can take action for our ocean. If you aren’t a diver you will find that many of these tips apply to you to, because we are all connected to the ocean whether or not we scuba dive!

SALT Feels very passionately about embodying all of Project AWARE’s 10 tips for protecting the Ocean and here’s how:

we

create

buoyancy

experts

We believe that Peak Performance Buoyancy is a conservation tool in addition to being good diving practice so whenever possible we encourage our divers to take the Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty and even those that don’t will probably receive a lesson or two in streamlining & neutral buoyancy techniques! 

We ARE Role Models

And we create & certify them too!

All of our staff have been trained to always display role model behavior, by maintaining proper trim, showcasing exceptional neutral buoyancy, caring for the environment and their equipment. We create role models through our Divemaster Development Program - training divers starting at any level through to the PADI Divemaster program allows us to mold better divers, who are always conscious of putting their best fin forward! 

We take only pictures & leave only bubbles

We take photos and videos of our divers and students & their dives when possible, or requested but we never touch or take corals, shells or anything else that is naturally occurring (with the rare exception for teaching purposes). When we say we leave only bubbles we mean that we do not add trash to our dive sites nor do we damage the site with poor buoyancy control, dragging equipment or anchors.  (well we take rubbish too but we will get to that in a separate bullet point!) 

We

are

Debris

Activists

And we certify them too!

We clean the beach, we clean the ocean, we partner with the local Recycling Project to close the loop on Dominica’s marine debris. Our most popular specialty certification course this past year was the Dive Against Debris Specialty, where divers of all ages helped us tackle our Marine Debris problem which stems from Hurricane Maria, littering and poor waste management island wide. Our divers are just as committed as our crew in keeping the ocean clean! 

We Protect Underwater Life

With the exception of Lionfish we do not touch, tease, harass or hunt any underwater creature. We do not want to stress or disrupt the natural cycles of the reef, instead we must remember we are visitors in someone else’s home and we should look and not touch. If you are interested in specific animal behaviors (including stress reactions, aggression, fear, socialization, defense of territory) most of this can be taught anecdotally or by observing the reef in its natural state, just ask us for more information!

We make responsible seafood choices

WE MAKE RESPONSIBLE SEAFOOD CHOICES - Our general rule is not to eat anything we didn’t kill ourselves. I (Kayla) was a vegan for a long time, citing too many negative effects of factory farming & farmed fish, unsustainable industrial fishing practices, the cruel treatment of animals for food, and preference for a plant based diet however since living in Dominica I’ve come to enjoy lionfish as a way to help our reefs (they are invasive and can drastically reduce our local reef fish populations) and as a sustainable fish to hunt since we use pole spears not spear-guns it definitely takes more skill, patience, and we only kill what we will eat (or what our divers / neighbors will eat) Support local fisherman, sustainable fisheries & fishing practices and if you don’t know how - just ask us or your local dive operator!  

We ARE ECO-TOURISTS & ECO TOURISM - We have a very low carbon footprint as we do not have on grid electricity in our shop, we currently use solar power & battery bank to provide the power we need and most of our dives are shore dives which are EMISSION FREE! We use grid electricity on occasion to power our compressor (which is electric not gas), and do our part 

We OFFSET OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT - We don’t have a large carbon foot-print to begin with and we do everything we can to be as ‘green’ a business as we can, but we still go above and beyond to offset our carbon footprint. In honor of the biggest sponsors & backers to our Pay it Forward Program we plant a tree. We also plant fruit trees and shade trees around our community and shop in hopes to restore our lush landscape to pre-hurricane splendor. 

We

Give

Back

Our Pay it Forward Program is just one of the many ways we give back to our country, community and divers around the world. We create scuba, conservation and dive career opportunities that local youth & young adults can apply for using community service, volunteering or creating and completing other projects with positive social impact to ‘pay it forward’ instead of paying for their classes with money. You can learn more about joining or supporting the program through the buttons below.