Why not take advantage of the lockdown to maintain your diving equipment (regulators, computers, vests…) and be ready to dive in when the confinement is lifted?
Since the magazine’s journalists are confined at home, we asked Claire Arfeuillère and David Coublant, who run the company Atelier Plongée in Hyères in the Var, to send us photos of the steps of this maintenance during this period of forced immobilization, and to explain the new organization they had to put in place in their workshop to accommodate the new constraints of COVID-19.At the bottom of this article, find the measures implemented by dive shops. Are you a shop manager? Indicate in the comments the measures you’ve put in place, and we will add it to the article.
Reception of equipment
The equipment now arrives by mail. Services like La Poste (with direct collection of parcels from individual mailboxes) or carriers like Chronopost or GLS are still functioning and deliver different equipment to the workshop every day.
Upon unpacking, protective measures are implemented to protect David, who is in charge of maintenance. The packages are carefully unpacked, packaging set aside, and the equipment is handled with gloves.
Maintenance procedures for regulators
Then, the traditional maintenance procedures, which are already very thorough from a sanitary point of view, are followed to the letter.
- Disassembly.
- Cleaning in an ultrasonic bath with water and disinfectant solution (biodegradable over 95%) from the brand Abyssnaut, a specialist in disinfection.
- Replacement of all the kit parts (supplied in individual bags by manufacturers).
- Reassembly.
- Adjustment on the ANSTI bench according to each manufacturer’s standards.
However, a new step has been added at the end of this process: the complete regulator is cleaned with EcoSterix, a disinfectant (hydrogen peroxide) that is sprayed, doesn’t require rinsing, and destroys viruses and bacteria. It is then individually packed.
Maintenance procedures for dive computers
For computers, handling is done with gloves. David changes the battery, and the equipment is then placed in a hyperbaric chamber with water (simulation of a 30-meter dive) to verify its operation and watertightness.
Disinfection after handling and packaging are the same as for regulators.
For more information on this equipment maintenance, find David Coublant’s explanations in the following video:
Note: no dive shop in France can welcome the public anymore. If your activity is by drive, if your website is operational, and you still ensure shipments, let us know, we will update this article regularly.
- Fadis Diving is in reduced operation but ensures deliveries via their website: « we offer appointments only (at Wissous only) and manage after-sales service for our customers« .
- Sub’Ouest in Gradignan (near Bordeaux): Franck Guillout and his team are preparing for the end of the lockdown! The workshop offers to maintain your equipment under the strictest hygiene standards and in compliance with governmental precautionary measures. « For this, we have implemented a no-contact drop-off procedure while adhering to sanitary rules, » explains Franck. « You can drop off your equipment (regulator, BC, computer) at the La Bovida store (our neighbor) from Monday to Friday between 7 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in a designated box, which will notify us upon receipt of it. We will ask you to fill out a service form (to obtain it, send an email to contact@sub-ouest.fr) per equipment and pack them individually. Once the requested interventions are completed, we will send you a link on our site allowing you to settle the repair costs and arrange an appointment for equipment retrieval. You can also collect and pay for the intervention after the lockdown is lifted. »
- La Palanquée New’s (Palavas-les-Flots) continues to handle home deliveries only (relay point deliveries are suspended).
- Sports Med in La Garde (Var) has implemented a drive-through system to collect purchases.
- Subea/Decathlon continues to handle online orders and ensures home delivery.
- Cabesto (vieuxplongeur.com) no longer delivers to relay points but still ensures home delivery.