Covid's impact on your diving ...

[KathyV]

My husband and I retired in late February and we had big plans for travel and for enjoying the summer activities, and then we got hit with the shutdown like everyone else.

I didn't think we were going to manage any vacation or diving this year until the US Virgin Islands opened to tourists in September. You need documentation of a negative Covid test that was taken within 5 days of travel for admission to the USVI.

We've just returned from 2 weeks on St. Croix and we had a great trip, and diving the Fredricksted Pier is still one of the best dives ever.

On top of Covid, this has been a bad year in the Caribbean for tropical storms but we were lucky and had gorgeous weather during our trip. The only issue was strong winds on the north side. We only did one dive on the north side and spent the rest of the time diving the west side - which was very calm - but we didn't get to dive Cane Bay Wall.

I am thrilled that we have finally started our retirement!

 

[Esprise Me]

I didn't dive at all from mid-March until early May, during which time I probably would have averaged at least 3 dives a week. I didn't get on any dive boats or take the ferry to Catalina until late June. I didn't get to go to Cozumel in June, and I didn't get to do the LA County Underwater Unit's Advanced Diver Program this past summer. It's looking like I won't be able to do Raja Ampat in January.

But I've been far luckier than most. In the six months since the restrictions started easing up, I've squeezed in 59 dives, and I'm going out again today. I've been able to do lots of beach dives with a buddy who helps me gradually expand my comfort envelope with surf entries, one of my biggest weaknesses. I've also been checking the forecasts and actively planning dives with him (picking a west-facing beach when the south swell is up, for example), instead of just waiting to see what the group is planning to do. I've also been to several new dive sites. I learned how to gather scallops from the oil rigs. I got my solo certification. I got some fish ID books and found some online resources and am learning more about the critters. My SAC rate, back kick, and pictures are improving.

Those few weeks when the beaches were closed were really hard on me. But even though I miss traveling and am eager to get back to it, I feel like my current status quo is sustainable for a long time. I can wear this annoying mask and shop online and not go to bars or parties for a while longer if necessary. Just let me keep diving here.

 

[Scott]

Easy to count the number of dives on one hand.
Helped a friend with a DSD.
Assisted my wife with two pool sessions
Taught a SM class
Made one cave dive.
Saving grace will be two weeks after Christmas diving in Florida....fingers crossed.

April, July and September trips cancelled and rebooked starting September 2021 to 2022. That is the sucky part, these are what makes the day to day grind tolerable.

Besides COVID and the economic impact it has had, we endured an earthquake and severe windstorm, plus the protests.
With all that going on and the nature of work, it put a number of things on hold.
To top it off I had a cycling accident that injured my shoulder, so there was a number of weeks.

I’m thinking we should just delete the 2020 calendar and call it a leap year.

 

[Damselfish]

Haven't dove since an April 2019 Cayman trip, had other things get in the way even pre-Covid, so it's been awhile. Cancelled an Aug 2019 Little Cayman trip due to a family issue. Was planning a Jan-Feb 2020 trip but it didn't jell due to work schedules. Apr-May 2020 Indo trip got cancelled. And of course various non-diving trips. Sigh.
But we're moving, so that's keeping us more than busy. Between moving, Covid, and whatever, I've got nothing on the radar screen but vague ideas. We quit local diving many years ago, and I'm guessing we won't do a dive trip till at least late 2021.

 

[boulderjohn]

After returning to Colorado from Florida in March, I have done nearly no diving. A May trip to the Caymans was cancelled. Most importantly, during the rest of the year, the State of New Mexico has only allowed people from Colorado to enter without quarantining for two short windows of time. I have dived there in both brief windows.

I can only teach tech diving in New Mexico, as it has the only suitable site in the entire region. I have a group of very frustrated students who cannot complete their trimix classes, and the ones who live in New Mexico are the most frustrated, since the fact that I cannot enter the state is the only reason they can't dive. The last time they closed the state was the day before I was planning to get there, so I have a van full of expensive helium and oxygen supply bottles ready to go but unusable.

 

[Neilwood]

Zero diving this year. Too cold prior to COVID and then restrictions in place.

A lot of the time we have had travel restrictions in place to prevent transmission between areas so getting to good dives sites is a problem ( the good ones are about 1-2 hrs away). A lot of buddies have been in similar circumstances.

Tempted to do a solo certificate to allow me to go and dive some of the more local mud holes (quarries etc) on my own.

 

[Marie13]

Zero diving this year. Too cold prior to COVID and then restrictions in place.

A lot of the time we have had travel restrictions in place to prevent transmission between areas so getting to good dives sites is a problem ( the good ones are about 1-2 hrs away). A lot of buddies have been in similar circumstances.

Tempted to do a solo certificate to allow me to go and dive some of the more local mud holes (quarries etc) on my own.

Do it!

 

[Neilwood]

Do it!

A problem at the moment as we are back under travel restrictions so even if I can find an instructor I can't get to them.

This year sucks!

 

[Marie13]

A problem at the moment as we are back under travel restrictions so even if I can find an instructor I can't get to them.

This year sucks!

 

[BlueTrin]

A problem at the moment as we are back under travel restrictions so even if I can find an instructor I can't get to them.

This year sucks!

I find it practical for my own training to have done the SDI solo. It means that I can train in the lake whenever I want.

Hope you can get your issues sorted soon.

Edit: solo is SDI, not TDI