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March 18, 2020

Coronavirus Update

As you can imagine, most divers who have booked an international trip for the coming months are do not wish to travel and are asking the operators either for refunds – few have travel insurance policies that cover these conditions -- or for an indefinite postponement until the virus threat is no more. Most resort and liveaboard operations we have contacted say “It’s business as usual” and are reluctant to offer refunds under such circumstances. If you are a resort or liveaboard operator that is prepared to offer refunds or rebooking at no charge, please contact us so that Undercurrent can compile a list for publication in the April newsletter. Write to: BenDDavison@undercurrent.org

Useful Travel Ban Info

For an up-to-date list of those countries applying travel bans, and details and conditions associated with those bans, go here.

Coronavirus in the Maldives

The Maldives government has built a coronavirus quarantine resort. Built in just 10 days on an island called Villivaru in Kaafu Atoll, the luxury resort has 30 air-conditioned rooms available for tourists who test positive for Covid-19. Medical care will be free-of-charge and includes three room-service meals, and a flat screen television. There are currently eight confirmed cases in the Indian Ocean island nation. We can’t think of a better place to sit it out.

Italy in Lock-Down

At the moment supplies of products from scuba brands with manufacturing based in and around Genoa, including Mares, Cressi, Scubapro, Ocean Reef and Seac Sub, appear unaffected despite the whole of Italy being put in Coronavirus lock-down until April 3, (and depending on the stocks held by your local distributor). However, the same cannot be said for those items from the Far East.

Helpful Airlines

The following airlines are offering flight booking changes without incurring charges during the approximate period until the end of March/beginning of April. For more details contact the particular airline:

Aer Lingus. Air France, Alitalia, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta Airlines, Emirates, Etihad, JetBlue, Qantas and Jetstar, Qatar Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Ryanair, SAS, Singapore Airlines and Silk Air, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines. Many scheduled services on American Airlines have been altered or canceled due to the reduction in demand thanks to Coronavirus. For full details go here.

Last Chance to Get Shark Bytes at Half-Price

A book beautifully illustrated with the author’s own photographs, it charts how direct experiences developed his own understanding of sharks and how he grew to love diving with them. Quote this promotional code SHARK50 to get Shark Bytes for only $15.30 plus postage. This offer ends March 31. www.tinyurl.com/t4lya2b

This Month in Undercurrent

Sorido Bay, a luxury dive resort on Kri Island in Raja Ampat . . . Jellyfish mucus has been found to be a cause of sea-itch . . . Is that aquarium coral farmed of taken from the wild? The problem is that you can’t tell . . . Socorro Aggressor: A luxury motor yacht retired from heavy duty in the Red Sea makes for a less than perfect vessel in an almost perfect dive spot . . . Those full-face snorkelling masks – more to the story . . . Goliath grouper – better in the water than on a plate . . . The excess weight we carry – should dive operations reject plus-size divers? . . . How much “fat shaming” is there in diving? . . . Why you need medical evacuation insurance . . . Two shark attacks on divers – you can be unlucky or very unlucky . . . Coronavirus – will it affect your dive travel plans? . . . The death of an insured diver and why his wife could not collect . . . and much, much more.

Too Fat to Dive?

The excess body weight we carry can sometimes mean that some diving conditions are unsuitable for us and wary dive operators become reluctant to take the responsibility. Some larger divers call this discriminatory while operators say they are defending their safety record. DAN says that those with a BMI in the 30-40 range are at greater risk of suffering a dive accident. What do you think? You can read-it-for-free here.

Ben Davison, editor/publisher
Contact Ben