On Saturday, January 13th, Nudi Wear joined forces with Aaron’s Dive Shop and Hawaii Marine Animal Response (HMAR) for a remarkable cleanup dive at Point Panic Beach Park on Oahu. This event marked a significant milestone for Nudi Wear – our 4-year anniversary of actively preserving this beloved dive site and beach park.

Adopting the site through PADI Aware’s Adopt The Blue program, Nudi Wear has been at the forefront, orchestrating monthly cleanup dives at Point Panic for the past four years. In this time, Nudi Wear, alongside their devoted volunteers and partnering organizations, such as Aaron’s and HMAR, has achieved a remarkable feat of removing an astounding 7,848 pounds of trash from the ocean in this specific location alone.

For this cleanup, the collaboration of all three organizations drew a diverse group of participants. There were SCUBA divers, freedivers, and dedicated individuals who cleaned the surrounding park and provided land support. Nudi Wear and Aaron’s team of volunteers consisted mainly of SCUBA divers and land support while HMAR’s team consisted of freedivers who are part of their Marine Debris Program (MDP). The MDP, led by Jace Reinken, consists of volunteer who meet several times a month to dive the near-shore coastal waters of Oahu to remove hazardous threats to marine animals and proactively minimize impacts to marine life. To learn more about HMAR and their MDP, visit their website at Https://h-mar.org.

HMAR volunteers at Point Panic

Before the dive, a thorough safety briefing and dive site overview were conducted, emphasizing the importance of safe diving and responsible cleaning practices. Divers, both SCUBA and freedivers, submerged into the “chilly” waters for approximately an hour. It is winter here in Hawaii and our waters feel cold compared to our warm summer waters, requiring wetsuits for most instead of the usual rashguards and dive leggings.

Jace Reinken, HMAR's Marine Debris Program led holding a clipboard with an image of the dive site at Point Panic while providing a briefing
Nudi Wear co-owner, Ryan Scalf, holding an Point Panic dive site map while providing a briefing to divers

The underwater visibility, though slightly diminished, did not deter the team from their mission. A remarkable 237 pounds of oceanic debris were successfully removed, ranging from unusual finds like a pacifier, a rolling suitcase, and a wedding band to more common items such as food wrappers, aluminum cans, and single-use plastics.

Volunteer divers sorting through trash in mesh bags during a Nudi Wear cleanup at Point Panic
A large pile of trash on a tarp that was removed from the ocean during a Nudi Wear cleanup dive at Point Panic
A rolling suitcase, aluminum cans, glass bottles, and more in a pile that were removed from the ocean during a Nudi Wear cleanup dive at Point Panic

Land volunteers, spanning various age groups, diligently combed the park, extracting 12 pounds of trash. These findings, both on land and underwater, underline the persistent issue of marine debris, emphasizing the need for continued community-led efforts.

With over 30 volunteers actively participating, this cleanup showcased the power of collective action and is an inspiring example of how dedicated individuals can make a substantial difference in preserving our precious marine ecosystems.

Volunteers from Nudi Wear, Aaron's Dive Shop, and HMAR posing behind 237 pounds of trash removed from the ocean during a cleanup at Point Panic Beach Park January 13th, 2024

If you live on Oahu or are planning to visit, we hope you will join us at an upcoming cleanup! Our next cleanup is scheduled for February 24th at Point Panic with Trident Adventures. Visit our events page for more information!