The last few weeks of the worldwide spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) have understandably made a lot of people nervous with the measures to avoid catching it. We have been asked a lot by divers and potential divers what precautions in scuba diving should be taken to counteract the spread of disease. Following advice from DAN we have put together a guide. Properly sanitised equipment is very important and the following steps can greatly reduce the risk of the disease transmission.
We as divers already take precautions against transmission of disease and keeping our equipment in good condition by washing it after every dive. It has been noted that “According to the CDC, household cleaners are as effective against COVID-19 as they are against the common cold and flu viruses”. Cleaning any equipment where transmission could take place including regulator second stages, alternate air sources, masks, snorkels and BCD oral inflators is paramount to making sure you are properly protected and should be adopted into your best diving practices as standard anyway.
Pre Dive Cleaning (Especially if you are using rental equipment)
- Wipe the following items with a disinfecting wipe. Mouthpieces for regulators and snorkels, BCD oral inflator, AIR 2 mouthpiece, and the inside of your mask.
- Rinse the equipment with fresh water.
Post Dive Cleaning- Effective Sanitisation
- Make a 10% bleach solution or a solution using a cleaning product such as “Steramine™ tablets or any other quaternary ammonium compound”.
- Make sure you are following the manufacturers recommend guidelines.
- Submerge the equipment in the solution.
- Rinse the equipment with fresh water
Post Dive Cleaning- Using Soapy Water
- Make a solution of hot soapy water
- Submerge the equipment in the water.
- Scrub the equipment with an item such as a soft toothbrush got be effective.
- Rinse the equipment with fresh water.
For more information on the subject then you might wish to look at the following resources.