It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it.
About a dozen hardy female scuba divers scoured the depths of Atton’s Lake during a Women’s Dive Day in mid-July.
They pulled up nearly 100 pounds of trash and debris from the lake bottom, including dozens of golf balls, numerous tin cans, beer and pop bottles, part of a decomposing 45-gallon steel drum, and even a pair of sadly-deteriorated socks.
“Every lake has junk in it,” said Tracy Wilson-Gerwing of Martensville, a member of the dive team and secretary of the Saskatchewan Underwater Council (SUC). “We chose Atton’s Lake because that’s where the Battlefords diving club does most of their dives. We divided into teams, and people picked up stuff throughout the day.”
Wilson-Gerwing said divers in Saskatchewan invariably do their bit to keep lakes and rivers clean throughout the year.
“Every time we go out we usually come across something,” she said.
In addition to helping the environment, the sixth annual Women’s Dive Day was also a social event to celebrate women’s involvement in a sport that has traditionally been a male preserve.
“Diving in Saskatchewan is not glamorous,” she said. “But there are a growing number of female divers. There’s a facebook group that refers to themselves as ‘mermaids’; but honestly, when you come out of the water and you take off your hood and your hair is a mess, you look like the furthest thing from a mermaid – more like a swamp hag.”
But while diving may not be a draw for fashion plates, it appeals to those with a taste for adventure.
“I just started diving a few years ago,” said Wilson-Gerwing. “I tried it and the bug just bit me hard. I quite enjoy diving in Saskatchewan lakes, even though some are very dark and cold.
“It’s definitely not the crystal-clear, warm waters of the Caribbean. But that’s okay, this is a lot more challenging and more rewarding.”
The SUC is a non-profit organization that promotes diving across the province, and serves as a link between divers, clubs, dive shops, the provincial government and the federal diving authority.
SUC President Brad Nelson said the organization is an umbrella group not just for diving, but for all underwater sports, including Underwater Hockey.
“We facilitate funding to dive clubs and sports teams for safety equipment and training,” said Nelson.
While diving may not be a mass sport, there is a dedicated diving community made up of clubs across the province, said Nelson.
“Diving was a little more popular about ten years ago than it is right now,” he said. “But every sport goes through cycles, and those people who are diving now are certainly a dedicated bunch.
“Events like the Women’s Dive Day are partly social, partly environmental, and all-around fun.”
The SUC website is www.saskuc.com.