Safety Diving Tips In The Middle of the COVID19 Pandemic

COVID19 pandemic forced people to be confined at home due to imposed social isolation. After almost two years of health and physical restrictions, most people are eager to go out including divers to get back in the water.

Scuba diving activities have resumed in some parts of the world that are less affected. 

If you are in one of the lucky locations where diving is permitted or planning to visit soon, here are helpful safety precautions to consider in minimizing your exposure to the virus and keeping you safe.

• 1.Do not dive if you are not feeling well; fever, COVID19-like symptoms, or other communicable diseases.

• 2.Stay at least 6 feet away from other divers on the site, when riding the boat to the drop, or when checking dive buddy’s equipment (make sure to wash hands with clean water and soap before and after or use alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol).

• 3.Wash hands regularly or before touching your equipment, or use hand sanitizer before riding the boat, after using the restroom, or when exiting the water.

• 4.Sanitize all equipment according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. Use 1/3 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water to clean BCD oral inflators, masks, whistles, snorkels, and orally inflated surface marker buoy (SMB). Do the same with rental equipment.

• 5.Do not use someone else’s mouthpiece during air sharing training or buddy checks unless it is an emergency.

• 6.Use a defog solution instead of saliva. Spitting could increase the risk of spreading the COVID19 virus.

• 7.As much as possible, limit the use of rental equipment. Even if the operator is strictly sanitizing the equipment, it is better to be safe than sorry.

• 8.Be mindful of where you are pointing your snorkel. Do not point where other divers are breathing. And when at the surface, always wear your mask to alleviate the spread of the virus.

• 9.Keep your regulator prior, before, and during the dive.

• 10.Always follow the health and safety guidelines of the country, city, dive shop, or dive resort to protect yourself, staff, other customers, and the rest of the community.