Rancho Santa Margarita, California – PADI® and Project AWARE® announce the launch of the updated Project AWARE Specialty course to coincide with the first global AWARE Week, 15-23 September 2018. The newly revised course provides information and encouragement to help individuals take responsibility for ocean health.
Building on the success and popularity of the Project AWARE’s 10 Tips for Divers to Protect the Ocean Planet – the backbone of Project AWARE’s philosophy – the Project AWARE Specialty focuses on guiding participants toward personal commitments and actions they can take to help the environment. With a shared belief that no action is too small, PADI and Project AWARE collaborated to revise the specialty and shift its focus to encourage and increase to concrete actions (fins on and fins off) for ocean protection, specifically:
- Be a Buoyancy Expert
- Be a Role Model
- Take Only Photos – Leave Only Bubbles
- Protect Underwater Life
- Become a Debris Activist
- Make Responsible Seafood Choices
- Take Action
- Be an Eco-tourist
- Shrink Your Carbon Footprint
- Give Back
“Over the past quarter of a century, Project AWARE has been at the forefront of emerging ocean issues, amplified divers’ voices on the international stage and brought together a worldwide community tackling some of the most pressing ocean challenges,” says Danna Moore, Director of Global Operations for Project AWARE. “When updating the content of the Project AWARE Specialty as part of our new mission to connect the passion for adventure with the purpose of marine conservation, the focus was on understanding what inspires and motivates the dive community to take concrete actions that bring about positive change for the ocean.”
PADI and Project AWARE believe in the power of people to help address threats facing our ocean today, and that large-scale transformation starts with individuals acting locally for global impact. To this end, the Project AWARE Specialty course can be adapted to the local environment, including the integration of local conservation issues and solutions.
As a “fins off” course, meaning no dives required, participants need only have an interest in the aquatic environment or a desire to take action for a clean and healthy ocean – there is no minimum age or experience requirement. As such, scuba divers and nondivers taking the revised Project AWARE Specialty can become true agents of positive change for the ocean by not only pledging to follow the 10 Tips for Divers to Protect the Ocean Planet but also deepening their knowledge and understanding of how they can make a difference for ocean protection every time they dive and travel, and throughout daily life.
AWARE Week is an opportune time to get involved in the movement to be a voice for the ocean and act for change. The global dive community is rallying together to focus on making a difference in the health of the underwater environment. Contact your PADI Dive Center or Resort to take part in AWARE Week activities and sign up for the new Project AWARE Specialty course – or a number of other courses developed to help divers protect the ocean, such as the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy, Dive Against Debris®, AWARE Shark Conservation or Coral Reef Conservation specialty courses.
For PADI Professionals interested in teaching the revised Project AWARE Specialty, teaching status PADI Assistant Instructors and Open Water Scuba Instructors are automatically eligible to teach the course. PADI FreediverÔ Instructors may qualify by submitting a PADI Freediver Specialty Course Instructor Application. PADI Divemasters who have completed Specialty Instructor training with a PADI Course Director and had their applications verified at their PADI Regional Headquarters also qualify to teach this course.
About PADI
PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) is the world’s largest recreational diver training organization with nearly 6,500 dive centers and resorts and more than 135,000 professional members worldwide. Since 1966, PADI has remained dedicated to introducing new divers to the thrill of scuba diving and enhancing the skills of experienced divers. Issuing nearly one million certifications each year, PADI makes underwater exploration and adventure accessible to the public while maintaining the highest industry standards for dive training, safety and customer service. Committed to ocean conservation, with every diver certification issued PADI also creates a growing number of ocean ambassadors to help defend and preserve the marine environment for generations to come. For more information, visit www.padi.com.
About Project AWARE®
Project AWARE® is a global movement for ocean protection powered by a community of adventurers. With a mission to connect the passion for ocean adventure with the purpose of marine conservation, Project AWARE brings together a dedicated team of individuals around the world who share a passion for ocean protection and adventure to secure real and direct environmental victories. Project AWARE is a registered non-profit organization with offices in Australia, UK and USA.
Project AWARE and PADI share a rich partnership that has been critical to mobilizing the dive community to protect the ocean since Project AWARE was established as a non-profit organization in 1992. Learn more at www.projectaware.org.