DIVE AGAINST DEBRIS SPECIALTY

Make Every Dive Count – Join the Movement for Cleaner Oceans

Are you ready to do more than just blow bubbles? With the PADI Dive Against Debris® Specialty, you’ll become a citizen scientist and ocean advocate—all while doing what you love: scuba diving!

Right here at YAY Scuba, we’re helping divers turn passion into action by cleaning up our local dive sites and reporting what we find to the global PADI AWARE Foundation. This isn’t just a feel-good course — it’s a real chance to protect the ocean and be part of something bigger than yourself.

Dive Against Debris Dive

Want to make a difference without taking the full course? Join us for a Dive Against Debris® cleanup dive and help protect our local waterways! This one-day event is perfect for certified divers who want to lend a hand (and a fin) by removing trash from the water and contributing to a cleaner, healthier Chesapeake Bay. It's a fun, meaningful way to dive with purpose—no classroom required! Reserve your spot at the bottom of the page.

What You’ll Learn

What’s trash and what’s treasure – Learn what to remove and what to leave behind
How to conduct a Dive Against Debris® survey – Sort, weigh, record, dispose of, and report your findings
How to contribute to real science – Your data helps inform global conservation efforts and shape marine policy

The Fun Part

We head to a site that needs our help, make a plan, and then dive in—literally! Using special tools and teamwork, we remove debris and see the immediate impact of our efforts. It's hands-on, impactful, and incredibly satisfying.

💡 Course Details

📍 Location: Our local cleanup sites (often Hammerman Beach or other Chesapeake-area dive sites)
🤿 Open Water Dive: You’ll put your new knowledge to the test in a real cleanup dive
📷 Tools & Tech: Use cameras, sorting bins, and more—this is scuba with purpose

Why It Matters

Every piece of debris we remove helps protect marine life, restore habitats, and keep our dive sites beautiful and safe. Your data feeds into a global system used by scientists, policymakers, and organizations working to tackle the marine debris crisis at its roots.

So go ahead—pay the ocean forward on your next dive.

💙 Ready to Make a Difference?

📅 Sign up now to reserve your spot in the Dive Against Debris® course or join one of our scheduled cleanup dives. Let’s leave the ocean better than we found it — one dive at a time.

This course includes:

A classroom session to cover debris sources and best practices
One open water dive to conduct your cleanup survey
Online paperwork
The option to count this dive as an Adventure Dive toward your Advanced Open Water certification

Prerequisites

PADI Open Water Diver (or Junior OWD), or equivalent
Minimum age: 10 years
Basic scuba gear + safety gear for removing debris

Cost & Booking

Cost: $185 per diver, including tank and weights for the specialty course
Cost: $50 per diver for just Dive Against Debris dive, which includes tank and weights.
We provide the tools, instruction, and guidance—you bring the passion and your scuba gear!
Join one of our upcoming dates or schedule your private class today.