Following Asia's tsunami tragedy, many dive centres in the region are working to help the dispossessed, while getting their own businesses back on track. But divers in Britain, too, have been inspired to support relief and recovery programmes.

Primary relief work continues in devastated areas but, inevitably, thought is turning to the medium-term challenges of rebuilding homes and businesses. A number of incentives have been created by divers who, after being caught up in the disaster, have returned home but want to help.

DiveAid, a fund set up by three divers who have worked in Thailand's decimated Kao Lak area, is administered from Britain. The aim is to support Thai colleagues and their families, and help replace lost equipment (link 'Divers set up direct assistance for dive community in Thailand', below).

In Sri Lanka, a group of holidaying Britons were hit by the tsunami and now want to help the community they met. "We were a mixed BSAC, PADI and SAA group of 20 divers holidaying in Hikkaduwa when the wave hit," Ian and Lynn Aston, of Bromsgrove near Birmingham, told Divernet.

"It completely destroyed the village sea front, fishing fleet, hotels and dive centres, but more importantly local people and their families." The Hikkaduwa Village Fund will "help these people who have lost everything".

The priority is shelter, then the rebuilding of fishing boats. "All monies will reach the people of Hikkaduwa and will be totally accountable for," said the Astons, of Millenium Dive Centre (tel. 01527 882220).

Sheffield's SDS Watersports and Tiger Diver, and Rotherham's Sub-Aqua Divers and South Yorkshire Dive Academy have raised money for, or made appeals on behalf of, DiveAid.

London's Diving Leisure and Lodge SCUBA centres are running a combined 24-hour sponsored dive over 5/6 February for DiveAid and the Disaster Emergency Committee. And London Scuba is planning a similar event.

In Jersey in the Channel Islands, St Helier's Apnea dive centre has already completed a fundraising pool try-dive day, which gathered a very reasonable £528 for tsunami relief efforts.

Among the dive training agencies, PADI has made a very substantial, $70,000 commitment in aid to South-east Asia. The money will be channelled through PADI Project AWARE's Tsunami Relief Fund, aimed primarily at supporting environmental clean-up and restoration projects.

Regional Asia offices of training agencies TDI, SDI and SSI have also provided support to diving communities.

For personal donations, a bewildering choice runs from the major organisations like the DEC to newer, smaller groups. If considering a lesser known name, beware; financial institutions have warned against scammers targetting donors, through bogus websites or unsolicited emails.

Photo: Andrea Muller

Related links
Diving Leisure London
Lodge SCUBA
London Scuba
PADI Project AWARE
Emergency Disasters Committee
DiveAid
Divers set up direct assistance for dive community in Thailand
Finnish diving community put government to shame
Tsunami disaster - dive centres report order in the chaos


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