For the past 12 months most divers have not been able to dive as much as they would like, and many haven’t dived at all. Now that the rollout of the Coronavirus vaccine program has commenced, and the weather improving, it seems that various COVID-19 regional lockdowns are beginning to ease, and scuba diving activities should begin to resume in several Northern Hemisphere countries.

If you’ve been out of the water for a while, it’s essential to take time planning your safe return to diving. DAN

A BDSG spokesman states "Although we are currently in lockdown, it is time to start preparing to scuba dive UK sites and seas. We are all very keen to get back in the water again.

We understand that everyone is heartily sick of COVID-19 rules, hence this is an appeal for divers to do the right thing, and behave accordingly. Please take into consideration the following guidelines as you get set to scuba."

Medical Fitness

Divers need to comply with relevant medical requirements, and medicals may have lapsed, so check your dates. There is now the added complication of any impact COVID-19 may have created. Your respiratory system can be affected by the Coronavirus and can have long term effects that could impact on your ability to dive safely. If you have any doubts, seek professional medical advice from a diving doctor.

The working group has cautiously welcomed a mindful, progressive return to shore diving, because it naturally lends itself to social distancing above the surface. It is worth noting that below the surface divers routinely dive in full personal protective equipment (PPE).