Most Americans can’t wait to crawl out of bed extremely early on the day after Thanksgiving and maul the malls in search of the year’s best bargains.
But what if there were a healthy alternative to Black Friday shopping insanity? There is — it’s called Blue Friday, it’s now in its fourth year, and its slogan is “Don’t Shop. Dive.”
The Beginning of a New Holiday Tradition
Since 2021, the Marin Scuba Club and the Dive Club of Silicon Valley, both in Northern California, have been embracing Blue Friday.
It’s the brainchild of Ken Carter of Mill Valley, CA, who says, “I was inspired by REI closing its stores the day after Thanksgiving. That’s why the members of both of these clubs have been giving back to the Earth by skipping plastic consumerism and going diving at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Carmel-by-the-Sea, within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.”
Ken Carter and his son, Blue Friday 2021. Photo by Terry Rowe.
How Blue Friday Began
“It started as an excuse to take my son, who had just gotten his Open Water certification, diving in California waters throughout the year,” adds Ken. “I woke up one morning and booked all of the reservations at Point Lobos in 2021. Because we had such a great time with excellent visibility and virtually no other divers, we decided to launch a second annual trip in 2022.”
Blue Friday 2022
Ten divers from the two dive clubs braved the cold Point Lobos waters, rough seas, and varying visibility for the second annual Blue Friday.
They were treated to rockfish, kelpfish, and a small herd of sheepshead. However, sadly, the urchins have found the preserve, and there are small urchin barrens in the deeper water.
Point Lobos, King Tides. Blue Friday 2022. Photo by Ken Carter.
Year 3: Three Diving Sites in Two Countries
Last year, we promoted Blue Friday in California Diving News, Undercurrent, the Marin Independent Journal, a ScubaRadio.com interview, and other media outlets.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature was having a bad day on the Monterey Peninsula in 2023, so Blue Friday became No-Go Friday. Jim Van Gogh, a member of Dive Club of Silicon Valley, reports: “My buddy and I ascertained that the conditions were less than stellar. The tide was very high tide, with a big swell. The water was very churned up, aerated, and dirty. So, we bailed on the dive and just hiked.”
Ken Carter even tried to re-schedule the event for December 23, but local dive shops reported crappy viz and a strong surge down to 70 feet, while NOAA showed a 4-5 foot swell, so those dive plans were shelved, too.
Jim Van Gogh and Dan Mills. Blue Friday 2023. Photo by Jim Van Gogh.
Blue Friday’s Reputation Went Global
However, news of Blue Friday 2023 spread to other parts of the globe. Kerwin Lewis, a Marin Scuba Club member who lives on the Big Island of Hawaii’ chartered a boat with Kohala Divers out of Kawaihae Harbor.