Blue Friday : Don’t Shop. Dive!

Blue Friday : Don’t Shop. Dive!, by a group of California divers, is an alternative to the Black Friday Holiday Shopping, writes Alliance member Gil Zeimer. 

Blue Friday is geared to ‘turning the tide against the wanton consumerism of Black Friday, which falls on the day after Thanksgiving in the USA. 

Since 2021, Northern California’s Marin Scuba Club and the Dive Club of Silicon Valley have celebrated a new healthy holiday. 

They go scuba diving on Blue Friday at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Carmel-by-the-Sea proclaiming : Don’t Shop. Dive. 

The initiative was started by Ken Carter of Mill Valley, CA, who was inspired by REI. 

The Seattle-based outdoor clothing and gear retailer now closes all of its 178 stores, distribution locations, call centres and headquarters on Black Friday, and gives staff the day off. 

Marin Scuba Club and Dive Club members now go shore diving on Blue Friday and to an extended Bluer Saturday with a boat dive on Bluest Sunday. 

They are also suggesting other divers anywhere in the world organise their own Blue Friday events and help make it an ‘evergreen holiday’ weekend. 

https://marinscubaclub.org/blogs-announcing-blue-friday-2023/ 

24 to 26 November 2023

* www.marinscubaclub.org and http://www.dcosv.org/ 

* Gil Zeimer at gil@zeimer.com