News

As the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak continues to wreak havoc around the world—shutting down business, travel, and large events—the Divers Alert Network (DAN) has issued some advice regarding protecting divers when they travel—and especially with respect to renting gear.

DAN’s advisory states: “Equipment can be effectively sanitized by submerging it in a 10% bleach solution or using a cleaning product such as Steramine tablets or any other quaternary ammonium compound. Be sure to use these products according to the manufacturer’s directions and then rinse the gear with fresh water.

“Products that are commonly used to clean dive gear but are ineffective against coronavirus include antibacterial and chlorhexidine mouthwashes or sprays. Hot soapy water must be paired with mechanical action such as scrubbing with a soft toothbrush to be effective.”

If you’re traveling and using rental gear, DAN suggests using a “household disinfecting wipe” to clean your regulator mouthpiece, snorkel, BCD oral inflator and the inside of your mask, and then rinsing with fresh water before use. DAN advises you to ask your operator to sanitize the equipment you’re renting—if you don’t have access to wipes to do it yourself.

For additional information, check out the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)’s coronavirus page as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s diving safety manual (PDF) for guidelines on decontaminating scuba gear.