So you’ve decided to throw yourself into the ultimate Gili experience and do the best thing there is to do on the paradisiacal isle of Gili Trawangan… diving! Maybe you’re diving and staying with us at Pesona Beach Resort & Spa? Well firstly, we can’t wait to welcome you aboard with us in 2020! We’ve already had so much fun blowing bubbles with faces new and old this year!

The time is now. 2020 is a big year, if not THE biggest year for implementing environmental lifestyle changes that will contribute toward reducing our carbon footprint on the world. Already this year we’ve witnessed the catastrophic Australian bushfires which are no doubt a result of climate change. Whilst many believe that trees and forests are the biggest contributors towards the oxygen we breathe, many are surprised to learn that it is actually coral reefs and the ocean that are the lungs of the Earth. If you are a certified diver already, we have even more of a duty to spread and raise awareness of our human impact on our oceans and the marine life which inhabit them.

If you haven’t thought of any new years resolutions yet for this year, here are 5 ways that we as divers can be more responsible in 2020 without even having to break a sweat at the gym!

1: Spring Clean

We’re all looking for an excuse to purchase new gear and equipment for the year ahead right? A small investment that could make a huge difference is a mesh trash bag. It can be stored in a pocket or even clipped externally to your BCD, making it easy to clean our reefs when you see any debris trashing our oceans during a dive. Did you know that a new hand sign has also recently been introduced to the diving world? Spot some plastic on a dive and make a ‘P’ sign to your buddy and point to where it is. Let your trash bag do the rest!

Dive master trainee Charlotte uses her trash bag during a ‘dive for debris’ at our Biorocks house reef

2: Ditch the plastic and upgrade to a refillable water bottle

Did you know there are islands of trash the size of Texas littering our oceans. Say what? Yes, you read that correctly. Here on The Gili Islands we make it as easy as ABC to ensure you stay hydrated wherever and whenever you need through making use of the handy ‘Refill My Bottle’ App. You’re always within walking distance to your nearest refill station and its cheaper than buying bottled water too! Lets face it, plastic is ugly, do yourself and our oceans a favour and upgrade to a refillable water bottle!

Upgrade your ugly plastic bottle to a robust and smartly branded re-usable bottle here at Dive Central Gili and enjoy free refills at our shop for life!

3: Substitute the washing up liquid for saliva or Stream2sea reef safe mask cleaner

Exactly what it says on the tin! There are already unimaginable gallons of washing up liquid and detergents entering our oceans via rivers after we have washed the dishes or had a shower. In fact, a recent study found that due to the tonnes of cleaning products we pour down the drain each year, bacteria is actually mutating into other forms as a result. Eww. Enough said right? Do the world a favour and just spit or consider using products that contain all natural ingredients with biodegradable packaging too!

Azure spa has also stocked up on Surf Naked by Sensatia, water resistant, all natural ingredient suncream. No excuse now hey guys!

4. Clean for coffee or on a Friday, a Bintang!

Imagine if every single one of us made the tiny commitment to picking up three pieces of litter every time we visited a beach? It’s not about one person doing one big thing, it’s about a lot of people doing lots of small things that really makes a difference! We are proud of our island and being only 6.5km in circumference, it is crucial we minimise the amount of plastic finding its way onto our island home through the Pacific. If you are diving and staying with us at Pesona Beach Resort & Spa, grab a bucket from reception, fill it with trash from our beach and earn yourself a free coffee in the lounge! If you’ve got that Friday feeling, attend a Gili Eco Trust beach clean up at 5.00pm and have a complimentary beer in your hand at 6.00pm for your efforts. What better way to begin your Friday night!?

5: What does our instructor Roos Michels do to be a more sustainable diver?

“We are always thinking of ways to reduce our plastic use. Aside from using reef safe suncream, spitting in our masks, and drinking more Bintangs than water to reduce our plastic waste, I use my mask container as a re-usable lunch box and encourage all frequent divers to do the same!”

Roos is also both advocator & designer of one of our newest Dive Central Gili T-shirts which we absolutely love! Our “Keep The Sea Plastic Free” design is a firm favourite amongst divers and visitors alike and is available in store in both charcoal black & fresh white!

Dive and design pro! Just some of instructor Roos’ many talents

The time is now. There has never been more of a need to take action and 2020 represents a year where we don’t just all understand the need to change, but instead we take action! These 5 tips may seem small, but small lifestyle changes are not only achievable and realistic, but imagine if every single one of us adopted them? That’s where the real change takes shape.

Happy bubbles all for the year 2020.

We’d love to hear your top tips or what you do to be a more responsible diver in the comments below. Sharing is caring.