Ocean Encounters

Ocean Encounters Diving Curacao
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Ocean Encounters Diving Curacao

Ocean Encounters Covid-19 Policy

Prior to arrival

1. If you have had Covid-19, we urge you to get doctor’s clearance and a medical certificate (and check your insurance requirements).

2. If your doctor needs to consult with a dive medicine specialist, DAN has a database of dive medicine doctors and can provide referral information. Call DAN at +1 (919) 684-2948, 9am-5pm ET, Monday thru Friday. For non-USA, consult the DAN website.

3. Pack Lysol/Clorox disinfectant wipes and sufficient hand sanitizer to ensure you always have these available when needed.

4. Complete the e-waiver so this does not have to be done at Ocean Encounters. If you have not received it, please email info@oceanencounters.com. The following waivers are applicable:

    • In case of diving -> a diver (air or nitrox) waiver
    • In case of snorkeling -> a non-diver waiver
    • In case of courses or specialties -> a diver (air) waiver and a hardcopy course waiver

At arrival

5. Don’t go diving if you have or may have symptoms.

6. Use disinfectant when entering the dive shop for your check-in.

7. Preferably pay with card; and operate the swipe machine yourself.

8. The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends unexpired household bleach and cold water:

  • 22 ml bleach to 1 liter water OR 1/3 cup (5 tbsp) bleach to 1 gallon water
  • Immerse in this solution for five minutes, then rinse thoroughly with uncontaminated water.

9. If you have requested our transportation service, please sit in the back of the vehicle only.

During your stay

10. Wash hands regularly for at least 20 seconds on a periodic basis; especially after a bathroom visit.

11. Social distance above water according to local guidelines (2m/6ft in Curaçao) incl. buddy check and getting onto boats and into the water.

12. Use disinfectant when entering the dive shop and boat.

13. Preferably pay with card; and operate the swipe machine yourself.

14. Recommended to not touch other people’s dive gear.

15. Use defog (not spit) to clean your mask.

16. Test your octopus by purging (not test breathing).

17. Put your regulator and mask on/in as soon as you are ready to walk to the back of the boat to enter the water & keep it on/in after the dive until you are seated again.

18. Remain seated as much as possible during the surface interval time.

19. Disinfect your dive gear each day in a designated sanitizing rinse tank that contains water and disinfectant (and is changed on a regular basis).

20. Standard snacks after the dive like oranges and pineapple are unfortunately no longer offered.

21. Additional PADI and SSI Covid-19 best practices [1] are implemented for all courses, specialties, etc.

What will Ocean Encounters do on-site

22. All areas of the dive school are sanitized regularly with water and disinfectant, incl.:

  • The bathrooms, guest seating areas, the counters, the classroom, the dive retail shop, rental area, fill station, the rinse tanks etc. etc. the boats, the vehicle etc.
  • The counters (in the rental area and dive retail shop), telephones, tablets and swipe machines etc.

23. All rental regulators & snorkels are disinfected twice, both prior to and immediately after use.

24. Rental gear incl. BCDs, wetsuits, dive lights etc. are disinfected after usage.

25. Staff are required to wash their hands on a strict periodic basis throughout the day, with fill station staff instructed to wash their hands even more frequently.

26. The raise in temperature when refilling tanks is sufficiently high to kill Covid-19 with regards to worries about drawing contaminated air into the compressor and spreading it, see DAN [2].

Insurance

27. Travel insurance incl. cancellation and medical costs is strongly advised by Ocean Encounters.

28. In case of a life threatening emergency, a CPR face shield, CPR face mask and gloves will be used (where applicable).

29. Ocean Encounters has an on call doctor should medical assistance be required.