29/05/2020
Well compiled by our Dr Divers Club USM Advisor Assoc. Prof Dr Tuan Hairulnizam
RECREATIONAL SCUBA DIVING NEW NORM DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
This is my compilation of new norm of recreational scuba diving during COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the new `fun’ in fun-diving. It’s not meant to adding unnecessary restriction to your fun dive, but rather to ensure we can continue to enjoy scuba diving for many years to come safely.
As much as we are all conscious of protecting underwater environment, lets us all do the same with protecting our community above water from the spread of COVID-19.
1. First and foremost, scuba divers should develop good safety attitude in terms of preventing infectious diseases. This fails, don’t bother reading further. Watch out for the `tak apa’ attitude in yourself, your buddy or dive group members.
2. Always practice proper hygiene during travel including face mask, regular hand wash, keeping safe distance during transport etc.
3. Dive centres to screen divers with COVID-19 risk self declaration. Those with risk advised not to go for the dive.
4. Be self-conscious of being the source of virus spread. If feverish with respiratory symptoms, withdraw yourself from the planned dive.
5. Pre-dive briefing should include preventing COVID-19 cross-infections.
6. Always sanitize dive equipment with 10% bleach solution (DAN recommendation) after each dive.
7. No more spitting on mask to defog. Use defog solution.
8. Perform buddy check 2 metres apart.
9. Where possible, during water entry, exit and surface swimming divers to maintain 2 m distance.
10. When underwater with scuba regulator in mouth and mask, no need for the social distancing. Dive as usual.
11. Out-of-gas procedure: be self-sufficient as best as possible such as own alternative air canister. HOWEVER this does not remove the need to provide air to OOG buddy. [BSAC]. This need to be discussed thoroughly during pre-dive briefing
12. Do not use same mouthpieces with buddy (e.g. during buddy check) EXCEPT in emergency situation.
13. Use own equipment, esp those that go into your mouth and close contact with face/surrounding eye.
14. Do not purge your second stage regulator unnecessarily in open. This is high-risk aerosolized procedure.
15. Avoid using communal risk tanks that are not bleached or cleaned regularly. Rinse your gears separately.
Here's a practical example of how to dilute the product in water, to obtain 5 litres of solution containing 0.1% of active ingredient:
• 5% sodium hypochlorite bleach // 100 ml of product in 4900 ml of water, or
• 10% sodium hypochlorite bleach // 50 ml of product in 4950 ml of water
Precautions:
• Perform disinfection operations wearing gloves, mask and eye protection.
• Mix solutions in well ventilated areas
• Prepare solutions using cold water, as hot water damages the active ingredient
• Never mix bleach with other products and chemicals
• Avoid splashes during cleaning
• Rinse with fresh water and allow to dry before use
[DAN Europe]
16. If use soap and water for cleansing, must be accompanied by mechanical action. Soakin in water and soap only is NOT adequate. Also check-out EPA compilataion of products proven efficient against SARS-CoV-1 (https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2)
17. Avoid spitting unnecessarily esp during resurfing from a dive
18. If cardiopulmonary resuscitation is required, use chest compression-only-CPR without the manual mouth-to-mouth ventilation. This is proven as effective as the conventional CPR out-of-hospital
19. Reduce the need to give in-water rescue breath. However maintain open airway of victim until safely towed to boat/land. Then assess the need to deliver chest compression-only CPR. (depends on distance to boat/shore, availability of bag-valve-mask, defibrillator or advance care)
20. Always ensure availability of face shield/barrier in the first aid box on boat/dive centres.
21. Bring own refreshment on boats. Do not share from same water container.
22. Avoid touching/handling other divers equipments.
23. As best as possible divers should board boat unaided. If cannot, make sure mask is on all the time.
24. No night dive or overhead environments [BSAC]
Search EPA’s list of registered disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
