helping conserve and restore the sea one diver at a time
DIVE AGAINST DEBRIS®
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ride the oceans and lakes of debris.
In 2025, an estimated 11 to 23 million metric tons of plastic waste entered aquatic ecosystems, including lakes, rivers, and oceans. This volume is equivalent to dumping approximately 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic into these water bodies every single day.
PADI AWARE’s flagship program, Dive Against Debris®, improves the health of water ecosystems through local action while providing valuable information about underwater debris to help inform policy change for global impact.
JOIN US
SATURDAY MAY 16 @ 11 AM
GREENWOOD BEACH, EVANSTON, IL
In collaboration with Loves Park Scuba and City of Evanston
🐠 Let's clean up around the George Morley Wreck (450 ft from shore at 15 ft deep)
🐠 Let's weigh in our debris and submit our data to PADI AWARE's flagship program
🐠 Tanks provided by Kung Fu Divers and Loves Park Scuba
🐠 All participants receive a mesh bag to use during the event and to take home
🐠 YOUR EFFORTS MATTER 🐠
The dive community is in a unique position to drive forward essential conservation measures to help rid the ocean and lakes of marine debris. Since the program launched in 2011, divers have aided over 35,000 entangled marine animals and reported more than 2.4 million pieces of marine debris to inform groundbreaking research and policy that is helping to create healthier oceans.
By submitting Dive Against Debris® surveys, you contribute to critical scientific research that advances the PADI Blueprint for Ocean Action by directly addressing the marine debris problem. Specifically, for marine debris, the target is a 50 percent reduction in specified countries.
Partners and supporters
helping conserve and restore the sea one diver at a time
Conservation Partnership with REEF
Kung Fu Divers goal of supporting students to become competent scuba divers is expanding in 2026 with their Conservation Partnership with REEF.
We are the first and only scuba school in Chicago teaching REEF Fish ID classes, organizing REEF survey dives for groups and having a Level 2 TWA Fish ID Experience staff member.
Learn who fish are, who we are to them, and how to coexist, get your PADI Fish ID Certification with us, submit your fish surveys to REEF, become an Ecology Master Scuba Diver with Maca, protect the world we love!
REEF's mission is to conserve marine ecosystems by educating, enlisting and enabling divers and other marine enthusiasts to become active stewards and citizen scientists.
REEF links the diving community with scientists, resource managers and conservationists through marine-life data collection and related activities.
helping conserve and restore the sea one diver at a time
Our Marine Life Specialties
🐠 Fish Identification
🐠 Underwater Naturalist
🐠 PADI AWARE
🐠 AWARE Coral Reef Conservation
🐠 AWARE Shark Conservation
🐠 Dive Against Debris
🐠 Kung Fu Divers' own Ecology Class