ISE ECO-Diver

Garbage collection while diving - for environmental protection

The diving association ISE (Innerspace Explorers), founded as a training agency for technical and exploration divers, extended its activities a few years ago to the training of recreational divers. With the expansion of the target group, the environmental focus quickly became part of the training program and the ISE ECO-Diver was born as a new specialty program.

The program is free for all participants and each ISE centre offers the 1-day training several times a year. The training is also carried out on request and on preferred days (an average of 4 divers should be registered – talk to your local ISE centre).

The ECO program consists of a theoretical and a practical part. In the first part - the theory - the idea of environmental sensitive diving is explained. This also includes optimized equipment configuration, a perfect trim and fin techniques that do not stir up the ground. In principle, this is an intro to the BoE course (Basics of Exploration) in which these things are focused in a multi-day training. In addition, divers are also explained why certain things are important, such as the good trim to avoid heavy mud swirling, which, not only significantly obstructs the visibility of subsequent divers but, more importantly, the negative effect on e.g. Aquatic plants.

In the water, the previously learned is practically implemented. Under the supervision of the instructors, the new fin techniques are used. The trim and buoyancy is further optimized and divers learn to move through the water with less water resistance due to the  better-fitting equipment and new fin techniques and last not least the perfect trim.

At the end of the course, the practical exercises will be assessed again in a video review and further improvements will be made.

Garbage collection as a competition

Recently, ISE has launched a new idea: a competition to collect underwater waste. The competition runs until the 31st of December 2018 and every interested diver can join. Here, too, we are talking about the environment and, above all, about developing greater awareness on the pollution of our seas and inland waters. Divers are encouraged to remove garbage from the waters on each dive and to promote their awareness of the importance of clean waters also outside of the diving scene.

For this competition ISE has produced special bags which divers can get free of charge by the ISE headquarters (inquiries to eco@ise-expl.eu). As of today, nearly 500 bags have been shipped across the globe: from China to the Americas (North and South). Participants in the competition should take pictures of their collected UW garbage and post it on the specially created Facebook page (ISE ECO Page). The best garbage collectors will then be awarded at the end of the year. The winner will receive a Tecline R2 regulator, 2nd place will receive an ISE Alien lamp and the third place will receive a 10% voucher for all ISE training courses.

More information on ISE: is-expl.com / ECO Diver Facebook Page