PADI’s Advice as Local Diving Begins to Reemerge
Saturday 16th of May 2020
PADI’s Advice as Local Diving Begins to Reemerge
As local diving begins to reemerge region by region around the world, PADI® Dive Centers, Resorts and dive boats are preparing their operations to resume diving, training and business operations while responsibly reducing COVID-19 transmission risk. PADI has also introduced 8 simple COVID-19 risk reduction steps:
1. Don’t go diving if you have or may have symptoms, or have been exposed to any infectious disease. Isolate until healthy and clear according to medical advice.
2. Support the space program. On the surface and out of the water, apply social distancing and give each other the local minimum required separation.
3. Keep your dirty mitts off! Sanitize/wash your hands before and after touching any dive gear (including your own), even if touching was in/underwater. Don’t touch someone else’s gear unless absolutely necessary. It’s not clear that immersion reduces COVID-19 contact risk, so assume that it doesn’t. Note: Recommended hand sanitizers are 60%+ alcohol and highly flammable. Do not use hand sanitizer near oxygen nor a fire source. Be sure hands are fully dried before using either.
4. Don’t clam up: Medical mask etiquette. My mask helps protect you. Your mask helps protect me. Let’s follow local protocols and not be shellfish.
5. COVID-19 hates scuba. Your mask reduces eye and nose contact-risk, and keeping it on is the best habit whenever you’re in the water anyway. Breathing from a regulator reduces your respiration transmission risk.
6. Be a lean, clean, sanitary machine. Use defog. Disinfect masks, snorkels, regulators and BCDs before another person uses them, and before storing them. Don’t sling the … stuff … out of your mask after a dive. Rinse it somewhere appropriately. Avoid spitting/blowing your nose etc. into the water where others will be/are. Use tissues and discard them appropriately. Wash/sanitize your hands after touching high contact surfaces like railings, door pulls, safety handles, etc.
7. Sharing air is bad. At the surface. Diving, dive gear and wind affect the direction and distance out exhalations travel. Stay aware and avoid being on, and having someone on, the “receiving end” when clearing snorkels, breathing hard after freediving, etc. Regulator-breathing helps protect you, but your exhalations might affect someone who’s too close and not using a regulator.
8. But sharing air might be really important underwater. So, don’t test breathe your alternate second stage. Test purge it during checks, but leave it disinfected in case someone needs it. Or, test breath it, then redisinfect it.
PADI Dive Centers and Resorts around the world are known and trusted for their commitment to diver safety,” says Richardson. “By coming together to adopt best practices during these times and in the months to come, people will take notice that health and safety of staff and divers are the top priority across the dive industry, and develop confidence to dive in with their local dive shop.”