Why We Went Eco!
We’re incredibly proud to share that PADI is officially recognizing Sun Divers as Roatan’s first-ever PADI Eco Center. This achievement marks both a dream realized and a deep commitment to the reef we love. It also inspires us to look back with gratitude on the journey that brought us here and to share that story with you.
Becoming a PADI Eco Center as a Commitment to Roatan’s Future
The first day of our big dream, January 2021
“A dive shop is not an NGO.” That was the response I got from my industry peers when sharing our vision of how we’d shape Sun Divers – the dive shop that my husband Shannon and I had just moved to Roatan to take ownership of. Instead of letting those words discourage, we doubled down on the belief that we could create a dive center that was as much about making waves of impact, as it was about creating epic adventures on Roatan’s reef.
We chased the dream of owning a dive shop on a little slide of paradise for years. (Read this Forbes profile on how we made it happen). We knew from the beginning we would build our dream dive shop around a core value: being always eco-active. To us, that means going beyond simply caring about ocean protection. It means that we take meaningful action, and we create opportunities for others to get involved and become part of the movement.
We began by looking inward, identifying ways to reduce our carbon footprint as a business. That meant moving to online waivers to cut paper waste and offering reef-safe sunscreen, defog, and shampoo at our facilities. From there, we partnered with the Roatan Marine Park and the Bay Islands Conservation Association—two local NGOs that co-manage the Bay Islands National Marine Park.
Our commitment continued to grow as we joined conservation advocacy groups and even launched our own scuba scholarship program with local partners Roatan Peer Health Exchange. This scuba scholarship program is designed to empower local girls to become conservation-minded divers.
Just four years after those discouraging words, we’ve watched our vision grow from a small hope into a big reality. Consequently, being named Roatan’s first-ever PADI Eco Center is a reminder that when you lead with heart, purpose, and unwavering belief, you can turn doubt into impact and dreams into something that matters.
Why Become a PADI Eco Center?
PADI Eco Center is a special designation that PADI gives to dive centers who demonstrate a high level of commitment to conservation and dive industry sustainability.
There are two core focuses of PADI Eco Centers: The first is creating opportunities for divers to participate in direct conservation. This is including citizen science, policy advocacy and education. PADI Eco Centers meet these criteria specifically by participating in the PADI AWARE’s Adopt the Blue program. Of course, we like to take it a few steps further supporting local conservation efforts as well.
The second core focus of PADI Eco Dive Centers is to embed sustainability as a core value of their business. This means acting to reduce their environmental footprint.
At Sun Divers, we knew that becoming a PADI Eco Center was the natural next step in our journey. It aligned with our mission to be more than just a dive shop—to be a hub for positive change in marine conservation. So, what does that look like in practice?
Our Commitment to Conservation
Team Sun Divers showing off their big pick up from a PADI Aware Week Dive Against Debris
From the beginning, we’ve been committed to making conservation a seamless part of the diving experience. Through the PADI AWARE Adopt the Blue program, we’ve officially adopted Candela’s Zen, a dive site that is sponsored by one of our customers through the Roatan Marine Park Name-A-Dive-Site program. While we’re very fortunate that trash pollution does not impact the majority of dive sites in Roatan, Candela’s Zen is a beautiful site that unfortunately finds itself in the path of runoff from local communities and currents that carry waste from other countries.
We conduct routine Dives Against Debris at the site and make that a focal point of how we celebrate Blue Friday, MesoAmerican Reef Day and Earth Day.
Every month you can also catch a Half Moon Beach & Bay cleanup. Volunteers help remove trash pollution from the beach, and also conduct snorkels against debris in the bay. Our partners (and neighbors) Sundowners Beach Bar & Grill award all volunteers with happy hour pricing all night. So, once the work is done, it’s off to watch the sunset with your toes in the sand and a happy hour cocktail in hand.
Get involved in Conservation in Roatan
Here’s a few other ways we’re staying eco-active in our community and how you can get involved:
A diver cleans the RMP Coral Nursery as part of the Coral Ambassador program training.
Coral Restoration: Healthy reefs are vital to marine ecosystems which is why we love training divers to help to grow and transplant resilient coral species through the Roatan Marine Park Coral Ambassador certification. Our divers get hands-on experience assisting with these restoration projects, giving them a deeper connection to the reef and its recovery. Become a RMP Coral Ambassador!
Coral Spawning Monitoring: Coral spawning is one of nature’s most magical events, and monitoring it is crucial for understanding reef health. Sun Divers donates boats, captain time and volunteer time to collect valuable data on coral reproduction cycles, as well as to assist in sexual coral restoration efforts. Join the next Roatan Marine Park Coral Spawn Watch!
Petrochemical Sunscreen Ban: Sunscreen chemicals like oxybenzone and octinoxate are harmful to coral reefs, contributing to bleaching and reef degradation. That’s why we helped found the EcoSafe Sunscreen Coalition, an advocacy group working to make Roatan a petrochemical sunscreen-free destination. Sign the petition to help our efforts!
Sustainability as a Core Value
Becoming a PADI Eco Center isn’t just about conservation—it’s also about sustainability. We’ve taken steps to reduce our environmental footprint by:
- Eliminating paper waste with digital forms
- Using Stream2Sea reef-safe defog and shampoo/bodywash in our facilities
- Designating our dive center as a Petrochemical Sunscreen Free Zone.
Our dive shop operations minimize waste and energy use where possible. We also love partnering with businesses that share our values.
Every year, we conduct a sustainability self-audit through GreenFins, an internationally recognized initiative that promotes sustainable diving practices. This helps us assess our environmental impact and identify areas for improvement. By following GreenFins’ guidelines, we ensure that our operations align with best practices in eco-friendly dive tourism. Our commitment to GreenFins standards reinforces our dedication to responsible diving and continuous improvement in sustainability.
What’s Next for Sun Divers as a PADI Eco Center
Earning the PADI Eco Center designation is just the beginning. We’re constantly looking for ways to innovate and expand our conservation efforts. From hosting more citizen science projects to pioneering sustainable dive tourism practices, we’re excited to lead by example. Furthermore, we hope we inspire others to do the same.
While a dive shop may not be an NGO, it can absolutely be a force for good. At Sun Divers, we’re proving that diving and conservation go hand in hand. And we invite every diver to join us in making waves of change. Contact us for more information on how you can add impact to your next dive trip!
