Divers are at the forefront of the fight for marine conservation, and Fathoms Free are leading the charge in Cornwall – find out more on the UK Stage at the GO Diving Show in March when Diving Officer and trustee Luke Bullus will be giving a presentation.
Fathoms Free is a group of experienced volunteer divers and skippers committed to protecting marine wildlife and the environment. They focus on removing ALDFG (abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear) and other marine debris from the coastal waters of Cornwall and Devon. ALDFG, often referred to as ‘ghost gear’, continues to ‘fish’ by entangling, trapping, and killing wildlife indiscriminately.
Since its inception in 2014, Fathoms Free has led initiatives to remove these hazardous materials from the ocean, preventing further damage to the marine environment. The charity also collaborates with and supports other organisations by using its boats and experienced skippers to assist with conservation efforts that contribute to a cleaner, safer ocean for everyone.
Over the past decade, Fathoms Free has become a leading advocate for healthier oceans, inspiring collective action to protect marine ecosystems for future generations.
Ghost gear recovery
Passionate about marine conservation, Luke dedicates most of his free time to ghost gear recovery operations and ocean conservation. His talk will cover the founding and evolution of Fathoms Free, and the enduring problem of ghost gear, including key facts and figures, and what they are doing about it.
The GO Diving Show
The GO Diving Show – the only consumer dive and travel show in the UK – returns to the NAEC Stoneleigh on 1-2 March 2025, just in time to kick off the new season, and promises a weekend full of interactive, educational, inspirational and fun content.
As well as the Main Stage – this time headlined by TV star, author and adventurer Steve Backshall, making a welcome return to the GO Diving Show after a few years away, along with NASA-trained NEEMO Aquanaut and Head of Scientific Research at DEEP Dawn Kernagis, fellow TV presenter, author and perennial favourite Monty Halls, and the dynamic duo of explorers Rannva Joermundsson and Maria Bollerup, who will be talking about their recent Expedition Buteng in Indonesia – there are again dedicated stages for UK diving, technical diving, underwater photography and inspirational tales.
Along with the stages, there are a host of interactive elements – the ever-popular Cave, the giant trydive pool, the immersive virtual reality tech-wreck dive, breath-hold workshops and lining-out drills and, new for 2025, your chance to try your hand at wreck mapping with the Nautical Archaeology Society and their ‘shipwreck’ – all scattered among an ever-increasing array of stands from tourist boards, manufacturers, training agencies, resorts, liveaboards, dive centres, retailers and much more.
This year also sees the NoTanx Zero2Hero competition taking centre-stage. This competition, aimed at newbie freedivers, will see an initial 12 candidates undergo training with Marcus Greatwood and the NoTanx team in London in late-February. Then five selected finalists will compete at the GO Diving Show over the March weekend, including static apnea sessions in the pool, to find the overall winner, who will get a week-long trip to Marsa Shagra Eco-Village, courtest of Oonasdivers. Click here to register for your chance to compete.
2-for-1 tickets now available!
Grab a bargain now – early bird 2-for-1 tickets are now available, representing fantastic value for money.
Buy your ticket before 31 January 2025 for £17.50, and get your buddy, your spouse or your best friend in with you absolutely free! Or why not bring that non-diving mate along so they can see all of the wonders of the underwater world they are missing out on!
Effectively, the 2-for-1 offer equates to each ticket being just £8.75. And as always, this includes complimentary parking. And under-16s go free of charge, so bring the kids along for a fabulous family day out!
