Karen Karen Dyer Contributing Writer Writer THE exploding popu- larity of sport diving is increasing pressure on beaches in West Vancouver and Howe Sound. Many of the beaches, pub- lic and privaic, are swarmi ng with divers that just weren’t there a few years ago. Whytccliff Park, the site of the only protected marine water park in Canada, is struggling with the influx of new divers. So are other pap- ular dive sites such as Porteau Cove Provincial Park and Kelvin Grove Beach in Lions Bay. More divers mean less parking for other park users, more litter on the beaches, noisy night dives, greater potential for accidents and higher concern for further depletion of marine species. An ‘unregulated — industry could spell disaster in a num- ber of ways. Fortunately, the diving industry has a means to police itself.. In B.C., the Underwater - Council of British Columbia (UCBC) is striving to open the lines of communication between divers and the rest of the public. The group acts as a uni- fied voice for underwater .safety, environmental aware- ness and conservation. Linda Stevens, UCBC director of Dive Safety said divers take their lives into “their own hands every time they. descend. Last year three divers diced * at Whytecliff Park when they : ascended too quickly. “Following the deaths a coroner recommended that . signage at popular dive sites be. improved. -Stevens, who works as 2 se at the hyperbolic chami- > at Vancouver General ‘ospital, said the UCBC is looking for improved signage all dive sites. - -“This is something that :- the people at Whytecliff Park ‘have agreed to implement,” she, said.’ ‘West Vancouver Park superintendent Glen Minaker agrees. Iving pressur es mount NEWS photo Paul McGrath SCUBA divers are put through their paces at Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver. Divers are taking to the water in increasing numbers locally. “We have had discussions with the UCBC since Oceans Day was held at Whytecliff Park in June. When the UCRC decides on the word- ing of the signs, we will be pleased to install them.” Minaker said he wants to keep an open dialogue with divers that frequent the waters at Whytecliff Park. He reports problems with late-night dives and inconsid- erate use of the public wash- rooms by divers. “The divers tend to wash off their suits in our public washrooms. This can leave drains and sinks clogged with sand and a big mess in gener- al that we have to deal with,” he said. It has been an ongoing problem at Porteau Cove Provincial Park, another pop- ular Howe Sound dive site. Park ranger Sean McCreanor said he has had trouble keeping divers our 0 campers’ washrooms. ++. though there are specia! faci? ities available for divers in the park. Late night dives are also a problem, McCreanor said. ’ Kelvin Grove Beach in Lions Bay has had similar encounters with divers. Divers’ safety concerns have also surfaced in Lions Divers often do not use dive flags to indicate their presence while diving in an area dangerously close to a marina. [ions Bay Village council has closed a parking lot near Kelvin Grove Beach. A popu- lar lor with divers, the traffic was often affecting residents’ ability to park near their own homes. UCBC directors Stevens and Roy Mulder admit that a few divers cause problems tor the majority. They insist that these con- cerns can be solved with open public dialogue. Mulder said that the strengths of his organization outweigh the weaknesses. A key concern of the group is the continued viabil- ity of ocean habitats for marine creatures. The organi- zation is getting involved with the monitoring of fish counts in various areas deemed to be at risk duc to over-fishing. The UCBC wants to open the lines of communication between divers and those who live near the most popu- lar dive sites. Beach and underwater clean-ups, educational tatks and field trips are all possible, Mulder said. The UCBC - recently embarked upon a program to mark off-shore reef dive sites with safety buoys to alert boaters to the presence of divers. Spearheaded by UCBC director Glen Dennison, the effort will help to increase the safety of divers and encour- age them to dive at sites accessible by boat. Stevens said user fees could be initiated to reduce crowding at a number of the more popular dive sites. Private dive shops usin, Porteau Cove Provincial Park as a teaching location are required to pay user fees, although individuals are not. Other UCBC suggestions include parking meters and the tagging and towing of irresponsibly parked vehicles in popular areas. Public officials and UCBC officials agree that problems decrease whei divers and res- idents treat cach other with respect. 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