What began as a simple Thanksgiving tradition between a father and son on California’s coastline has grown into an international celebration of diving, ocean conservation and the idea that experiences can be more rewarding than shopping.
On Friday, 27 November 2026, divers, dive centres and ocean enthusiasts around the world are being encouraged to exchange Black Friday’s shopping frenzy for something rather different: Blue Friday, an opportunity to explore, appreciate and help protect the underwater world.
Now in its sixth year, the grassroots initiative organised through California’s Marin Scuba Club has expanded far beyond its original home at Point Lobos, with participants preparing activities across North America, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Asia.
But behind its international growth is a much more personal story.
How a Family Dive Started Blue Friday
Blue Friday began in 2021 when Marin Scuba Club member Kenneth Carter took his newly certified son, Jaydon, diving at Point Lobos State Marine Reserve near Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.
They were joined by approximately a dozen friends and fellow divers, creating an alternative to the traditional Black Friday shopping experience.
For Kenneth, the original motivation was straightforward: spend time with his son, enjoy the ocean and encourage friends to come diving.
The event’s original slogan, “Don’t Shop! Dive!”, captured that uncomplicated approach.
Six years later, however, Kenneth says his understanding of Blue Friday has changed considerably.
“The holiday was originally just an excuse for me to get out of the house with my son during the Thanksgiving week,” he told The Scuba News.
His son has now participated in four of the six Blue Fridays, with school commitments occasionally preventing him from taking part.
Kenneth explained that the event’s original environmental significance was something he had not fully appreciated at the beginning.
“I think its deeper meaning as a battle cry for conservation and environmental protection was originally lost on me.”
Today, he sees the initiative as much more than an annual excuse to get underwater.
“I am delighted that others are starting to see that Blue Friday is not just an excuse to go diving.”
From California to Four Continents
That change in perspective has been accompanied by significant international growth.
According to Marin Scuba Club, more than 75 divers participated in Blue Friday 2025, with activities spanning four continents.
The club’s Blue Friday 5.0 recap documents participation ranging from California and Honduras to Australia, Palau, Indonesia, Thailand and beyond.
Activities have extended beyond recreational diving to include marine debris removal, environmental education and public awareness.
In Roatan, Honduras, Sun Divers combined a PADI Dive Against Debris activity with a beach cleanup during the 2025 celebration, reportedly collecting more than 94 pounds of rubbish.
The involvement of businesses associated with Green Fins, the marine tourism sustainability initiative implemented by The Reef-World Foundation, has also helped the idea reach diving communities internationally.
For Marin Scuba Club member Gil Zeimer, participation does not necessarily require a major expedition.
During last year’s celebration, Gil joined the initiative by taking a symbolic dive in the heated pool at his local dive centre.
It was a small gesture, but one that illustrated an important principle: Blue Friday can be celebrated wherever people find an opportunity to connect with the aquatic environment.
Blue Friday 2026: An International Celebration
Organisers are now preparing another geographically diverse programme for Friday, 27 November.
In Roatan, Honduras, Sun Divers plans to continue its involvement with a Dive Against Debris activity, beach cleanup and gathering at The Beach House Roatan.
In Palau, Marin Scuba Club member Julie Finley and Melanie McDonald are planning to dive Blue Channel.
Australian participation is expected to include Terry and Cathie Cummins of Dive Queensland, who are planning another Great Barrier Reef outing, while DivePlanit will help promote the initiative.
Elsewhere, the proposed programme includes activities in California, Colorado and Illinois, alongside international participation in the Philippines, Bonaire, Fiji and Thailand.
Among those expected to join for the first time are underwater photographer Marty Snyderman in the Philippines, family diving advocate Margo Peyton in Bonaire and Diving With a Purpose instructor Kramer Wimberly.
In Fiji, Dive Academy Fiji is planning diving and a beach cleanup, while an environmental education activity is planned on Koh Tao in Thailand.
These activities reflect Blue Friday’s increasingly broad appeal, bringing together recreational divers, photographers, conservation groups, educators and businesses.
The programme remains subject to individual organisers’ plans and local conditions.
A Different Kind of Blue Friday for Its Founder
For Kenneth and Jaydon, the 2026 celebration has already included something special.
Following another chilly California diving experience in 2025, Jaydon had asked his father whether they could visit somewhere warmer the following year.
With school commitments limiting their Thanksgiving travel plans, the pair celebrated early with a manta ray night dive with Puako Dive Adventures on Hawaii’s Big Island.
Kenneth’s plans for 27 November itself are different again.
This year he expects to spend the day with his daughter, who is not yet a scuba diver.
Rather than organising a traditional scuba outing, they may go snorkelling or simply spend time beside the ocean.
It is a fitting reflection of how the occasion has evolved.
Blue Friday is no longer exclusively about putting on a wetsuit and heading underwater. It can also mean introducing somebody to marine life, spending time outdoors or making a personal commitment to protecting the seas.
As Kenneth explained to The Scuba News, Blue Friday is becoming an opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to protecting the ocean world on which everyone depends.
How Divers Can Take Part on 27 November
Participation does not require membership of Marin Scuba Club or involvement in an organised international event.
Divers and ocean enthusiasts can create their own Blue Friday activities, whether through a local dive club, dive centre, conservation organisation or simply with friends and family.
That might involve a recreational dive, a beach cleanup, an educational activity, a snorkelling excursion or introducing somebody new to the marine environment.
The broader message is to make room for the ocean at a time of year normally dominated by consumer spending.
Although the original slogan encourages people to dive rather than shop, the organisers also recognise that responsible purchasing can support conservation. They point to businesses participating in Blue Friday’s separate conservation-linked retail initiative, which directs a portion of participating sales towards marine environmental projects.
For updates and further information about the diving celebration, visit Marin Scuba Club.
What started with one father, one son and a group of friends diving off California has become an invitation to ocean enthusiasts worldwide.
And six years after that first chilly dive at Point Lobos, the message remains remarkably simple.
Don’t Shop! Dive!
