Project AWARE update

Online   Feb 26, 2019

Scuba Shack Weekly – Volume 2, Number 9

This week I am dedicating Scuba Shack Weekly to our first and extremely successful Project AWARE specialty course. We held the course at Scuba Shack on Wednesday, Feb. 20. The weather report was somewhat ominous with snow, sleet and freezing rain forecasted. We forged ahead however and our turn out of nine ocean enthusiasts reinforced our commitment to ocean conservation.

The new Project AWARE course, released in September 2018 is a highly engaging session that takes everyone through 10 tips to protect the ocean planet. Scuba Shack PADI Assistant Instructor Deb Dauphinais led our group through the discussion with some great perspective and personal experience. Her passion and commitment are very apparent. Deb’s enthusiasm can’t help but rub off.

In addition to our local enthusiasts, we were extremely fortunate to have a family come all the way from Rochester, N.Y. (yes it is five hours from Scuba Shack) to participate and it was all because of Kaytlin, a young woman who lives in Rochester with a deep passion for ocean conservation. She has taken on plastic straws at her school and inspired a number of her classmates to switch to reusable straws. (Her father warned anyone going out to dinner with Kaytlin to avoid a plastic straw at all cost). Kaytlin also organized a fundraiser for Project AWARE and met her goals.

Kaytlin’s proud father wanted to do something special for Kaytlin. Here wish was to attend our Project AWARE specialty course. Wow! What dedication by Kaytlin, her father Jeremy and her brother Chase to come all the way from upstate New York to be a part of our class. Kaytlin will be joining her father and brother as a scuba diver later this year. Inspiring.

Thanks also go out to Dave, Dirk, Adrian, Irek, Tami, and Dave for coming out, sharing and helping us make the changes needed.

When Deb and I started planning this class we were uncertain about how it would go. There is always a little apprehension when trying new things. All of that apprehension and uncertainty is gone. People are committed to the environment and in protecting our planet. We are proud to have sponsored this event. Proud to be 100% AWARE and we are looking forward to doing it again, hopefully with some better weather.

Thanks for tuning in,

Jeff