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Help Dive Businesses Through COVID-19 With These Crowdfunding Campaigns

We only get through this together.
By Alexandra Gillespie | Published On April 7, 2020
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Help Dive Businesses Through COVID-19 With These Crowdfunding Campaigns

Dive businesses around the world are supplementing staff wages and operation costs through crowdfunding campaigns as distancing efforts to fight COVID-19 keep many customers at bay.

Here is a running list of dive operations you can help by contributing at the links below.


Are you a dive operation running a crowdfunding campaign to help your business during COVID-19? Let us know at edit@padi.com and we will add it to this list.


1. Anthony's Key Resort Staff

When Honduras’ borders suddenly closed, the staff helped all their guests get home safely. Patricia Stone, one of those divers, reports “that the staff will keep up the resort—cleaning, answering phones and anything else they can do—even with no paychecks, because they know it needs to be done or they will not have anything to come back to….” Stone said in an email to Scuba Diving magazine the Friends of Anthony's Key Resort staff are “hoping our great community of divers can help them during this extremely difficult time.” As of June 5th, the funds have provided 470 bags of groceries for the resort staff.

Support the staff of Anthony's Key Resort here. PLEASE NOTE: This donation platform will allow you to select the Anthony's Key Resort as the recipient once a donation amount is selected.

2. CocoView Dive Resort

CocoNuts (guests who have stayed at the resort five or more times), recently created a GoFundMe campaign to organize an emergency relief fund for the resort staff and their families. Support the staff of CocoView Dive Resort here.

3. Dive With Martin

An online auction will be held from April 20 to 30 to contribute to staff salaries and replace gratuities at Dive with Martin in Cozumel. "The goal of this online auction is to raise money to help keep each of our valuable staff employed with a minimum salary," said the shop in a press release. Join the "Dive with Martin Friends" Facebook group to access the auction.

4. Pro Dive International Dive Centers

Pro Dive International Dive Centers, which operates in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, launched a fundraiser to supplement the salaries of its more than 150 employees. “Please help us now, to support ourselves and our families through this rough patch," Pro Dive said in a press release. "We promise to be back, and ready to serve you again as soon as the COVID-19 crisis is over, hopefully very soon!” Support Pro Dive International Dive Centers here.

5. Dive Paradise

Dive Paradise, a Cozumel dive operator, is running a GoFundMe to supplement staff pay. "While the company has committed to continue paying all employee’s base salaries," Dive Paradise said in a press release, "the dedicated staff of divemasters, instructors, boat captains, mates and sales and support staff are all left without the trip-based wages and tips that they rely on to survive." Support Dive Paradise's staff here.

Two sea turtles hug.

Social distancing doesn't have to mean being socially distant. Divers are there for the ocean - and each other.

Montse Grillo

6. Support Utila - Vitamins, Medicine, and Supplies

Coral View Beach Resort Utila is collecting money to purchase vitamins, medicine and food for children, the elderly, and pets on the Honduran, tourism-driven island. Support Utila's residents on GoFundMe or Facebook.

7. Channel Islands Scuba Dive

Donations to this California dive shop will be used to pay employees and cover operational costs until doors can reopen, according to the GoFundME, which also indicates that donors “will be provided with an equivalent value in air fills, equipment service (labor), and / or rental equipment credit when we can re-open for business, so please include your name so we know who to thank when you can come in next! Support Channel Islands Scuba dive shop here.

8. Eco Divers Reef Foundation

A Cayman Islands nonprofit that works with local dive shops to propagate coral nurseries, Eco Divers has a GoFundMe to support their local partners. Donations "will go directly into helping the dive shops run their shore diving and help keep the coral nurseries thriving," said Brittany Balli, director of the Eco Divers Reef Foundation, in an email to Scuba Diving Magazine. Support Eco Divers Reef Foundation’s partners here.

9. Sea Save Foundation - dozens of operations

Divers can donate to dozens of dive operations through a crowdfunding campaign launched by the Sea Save Foundation on Giving Tuesday. "We believe that the people on the front lines of dive expeditions are critical ambassadors for ocean conservation. They show the world the beauty and challenges facing oceans" and will receive 100 percent of the donated funds, the Sea Save Foundation said in a press release. Donate at: seasave.org/scubaambassadors

10. Learn Scuba Chicago

This dive nonprofit runs youth classes with scholarships to make diving affordable no matter household income, as well as military and adaptive scuba classes. According to the GoFundMe, donations will be used for “discover dives, certification programs, summer camps, and scholarships for folks who would otherwise never get the chance to learn to dive.” Certain donation tiers will receive a thank you gift. Support Learn Scuba Chicago here.

11. Peri Peri Divers

This dive shop in northern England is looking for help paying staff to support them and their families. According to the GoFundMe, they will host a thank you raffle on their Facebook page for donations £50 or greater. Support Peri Peri Divers’ staff here.

12. Piranha Dive

This family-owned Florida dive shop is looking for help getting through COVID-19 after 12 years in business. Support Piranha Dive here.

13. Urban Diving

This Swedish dive shop is looking for support to replace their dive shop and training revenue. Support Urban Diving here.

14. Lost Winds Dive Shop

According to the GoFundMe, this California dive shop closed its doors due to COVID-19. Donations will be used for paying staff and “keeping our doors open.” Support Lost Winds Dive Shop here.

15. Diventures

Diventures, a multi-state dive operation, is raising money for the nearly 100 employees working for seven of their partner shops and resorts. According to a press release, donations can be directed to a specific dive operation or divemaster by "sending them a message using the 'Contact' button [on the GoFundMe page] or add it in your 'Comments' field after your donation is submitted." If $50,000 is donated by Friday, May 8, Diventures will match that with an additional $50,000 donation. Support Diventures' partners here.