Dive komodo Dive centre in Labuan Bajo

Following are based on regulations from local government, PADI, DAN and Green Fins. We will keep our website updated with any changes and display a copy outside our office.

We ask all visitors to understand that although we have taken appropriate steps to reduce the risk of Covid-19 virus spread; it is not possible to guarantee a completely risk free environment.

General

  1. If experiencing any symptoms related to Covid-19 such as fever, cough or respiratory issues; please do not enter our office. If symptoms start during the trip please inform our staff immediately and stop any diving or snorkeling activities.
  2. Wash hands frequently for minimum 20 seconds with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer. This is especially important when: arriving at office & boats, before putting on mask, after touching face or front of mask, before & after eating, after using toilet and after touching any surfaces that others may have touched.
  3. Please use lower arm to touch pump of hand sanitizer instead of fingers.
  4. Keep a physical distance of 1.5m from other guests and staff. Guests that come in a group and are already socially exposed to each other do not need to follow physical distancing rules.
  5. Do not shake hands and avoid direct contact with people.
  6. Wear mask at all times incl. between dives.
  7. Masks with valve not to be used as they so not protect others.
  8. Avoid touching own eyes, nose and mouth.
  9. Sneeze and cough into your bent elbow.
  10. Avoid touching surfaces and objects unless necessary.
  11. Do not touch other guests dive equipment or belongings.
  12. Gloves are not to be worn by staff, note that gloves only protect the wearer. Gloves also give the wearer a false sense of security and often mean those people wash their hands less often.
  13. Staff will regularly disinfect areas that are likely to be touched by several people including light switches, door handles, water taps, water refill station, toilet flush & water gun, computer keyboards, office phone, sofa arm rests, table surfaces. On the boat also ladders, railings and starter handle on machinery.

Booking Procedure

Avoid unnecessary visits to our office by booking online or calling our landline/Whatsapp. From outside the office you can use our WiFi to call us. Before the trip guests and staff to test for Covid-19 virus. You can use the rapid test document used for flying here, it is valid for 14 days.

Online payments are preferred (bank transfer / PayPal), second choice is card payment in the office and the last option is cash. Note that Park Fees are still needed in cash.

Once you decide to confirm the booking we will send you:

  1. Invoice
  2. Registration form
  3. Medical form

Each guest need to fill in the registration form and medical declaration then sign them digitally. Please send it back to us together with a photo/screenshot of dive certification and passport.

Office

Max amount of guests inside the office is six; four on ground floor and two downstairs. Max amount of staff in office is three.

The day before the trip come to the office, please bring:

  1. Komodo National Park fees in cash
  2. Any outstanding payment with card or cash

Use hand washing station in front of our office and let us open the door for you. Please note that we may need to finish with other guests first and disinfect before inviting you in. So please take a seat outside the office and we will be with you as soon as we can.

The staff will let you know where to sit inside the office. For payments the staff will ask guests to come and sit in front of the desk. We ask groups to pay together if possible; otherwise the staff will call you over one at a time to the desk to pay. After handling money both guests and staff should use the hand sanitizers provided.

Equipment

We recommend that you bring your own dive equipment if you can, or at least your own mask. But no worries if you do not have own equipment.

If bringing own equipment: bring your gear in the morning of the trip inside a bag that can be closed properly. If possible carry it yourself to the boat (3min walk) but if it is too heavy then put it on our vehicle outside the office.

If using our equipment: We will take max two guests at a time downstairs to try the dive equipment. Please stand in the allocated area. A gear bag will be placed next to the guest, please take note of the bag number. Our staff will estimate your size and select your gear.

BCD & wetsuit: the staff will only touch the hangers and hold these out to the guest. The guest should take the gear from the hanger without touching the hanger.

Boots, fins, reg, mask: the staff will point which piece of equipment to try. Please avoid touching any other gear.

Try the equipment, if the size is not right the piece of equipment should be put in allocated area to be washed by staff. If the gear fits then the guest should show the number written on every piece of equipment so that the staff can record it on the Paxlist together with the gear number. The guests should then place all gear in their bag and close it.

Staff will not touch the guests dive gear or personal belongings with exception of transporting dive gear bags between office and boat. The staff will then only touch the handles of the bag and disinfect handles after.

On the Boat

Max amount of guests on the day boat is reduced to eight.

Max amount of guests on the liveaboard is reduced to six.

Crew to keep the boat clean and organized. Any unnecessary items are removed or stored away.

Bring

  • A personal pen with you for filling your dive logbook.
  • A refillable drinking bottle. You can refill at our office and onboard the boats.
  • A sealable bag that is big enough to fit all your personal belongings incl. clothes, hat, towel, shoes, etc.
  • An old plastic bag to put your shoes in before putting into your sealable bag.

Boarding

One guest at a time to board the boat, if the guest need help to board a crew member will try to help by holding the guest’s arm instead of hand. If any difficulties to board then the crew may need to hold your hand, both should then sanitize their hands after.

Once on the boat take a seat where the staff instructs you. If it is your first day on the boat we will start with briefing you about safety and our program.

We ask all guests to keep all their belongings in their personal bag and not let any items lay around the boat. The staff will show you where you can store your bag.

Dive Preparation

The staff will take max four guests at the time to the gear preparation area. Guests to take their bags and set up their own gear, roll the bag and put under their tank rack. Take note of your tank rack position and use the same place the whole day.

After the site briefing it is time to put on the equipment. Maximum four guests should be in the gear preparation area at the same time so the trip leader may ask one group at a time to go and gear up.

Use the provided sanitizer spray to clean your mask, do not use saliva.

Buddy checks: Avoid touching your buddy’s gear unless your buddy is a family member. Go through the BWRAF steps together whilst checking your own gear and watching your buddy cheking their gear.

Once the mask is on keep it on! Avoid taking it off on the surface before or after the dive.

Remember that having your second stage in your mouth will protect your airway but it will not protect others when you exhale into the second stage.

During Dive

The physical distance is not required under water since everyone’s airways are protected. However there is no evidence that salt water prevents contamination (experts are still debating this) so avoid personal contact with another diver unless there is an emergency. During courses it may be necessary for personal contact, ensure risk is minimized by sanitizing hands as soon as possible whilst avoiding touching own face.

For courses our instructor will follow PADI’s official guidelines for minimizing virus spread during required dive skills.

After Diving

Hold on to the rope along the hull whilst waiting to board the boat. When it is your turn hand him your weight belt followed by your fins. Climb the ladder with your scuba gear on your back, once on the boat find your tank rack and plonk back your tank in it. Clip your mask to your BCD, weight belt on the floor straight under your tank, boots inside fins and on top of your weight belt. Either keep your wetsuit on halfway or tuck it inside your BCD belly strap. Close your tank and release pressure from regulator. There is no need to completely disconnect the regulator from the BCD; just open the 1st stage and let it hang so that the crew can fill it without touching your gear. Before next dive re-attach the regulator to your tank and turn the tank on, check your gauge is showing 200bar.

Air Filling

Only one crew member should operate the compressor and touch the filling hose. After filling each tank they will disinfect the tank handle. After each filling session they will disinfect the filling hose attachment and the starter handle of compressor. Crew will also sanitize their hands before changing any tank o-rings.

Gear Wash

The staff will wash the dive equipment after the last dive. If the guests is diving the following day then the gear will be hung back on the tank, otherwise the staff will pack it. Guests with personal gear are asked to wash their own gear under supervision of a staff member.

All gear is sterilized as per DAN / PADI standards and will be strictly controlled by staff from start to finish. Finally the gear is rinsed with running fresh water, air-dried and packed.

Kitchen

Only the chef is allowed to enter the kitchen area. He will take care to keep kitchen area and equipment clean using soap and disinfectant spray with clean tissue. He will wash his hands frequently including any time leaving and re-entering the kitchen.

The guests are served separate portions, a member of staff will be on stand-by to top up plates for those with a healthy appetite.

You will have a glass with your name to use whole day for hot drinks and refill water. Use hand sanitizer before touching items in the self service area. On the day boat the crew eats in the captain’s cabin and on the liveaboard they eat upstairs in the crew area.

Toilets

Use a sheet of tissue when touching door handles, flush button and spray gun. Please do not use excessive amounts of tissue and dispose them in the bin provided.

Day Boat: the sliding door should be left open when nobody is inside the toilet.

Liveaboard: the door is closed even when bathroom is empty; to enter the bathroom take a sheet of tissue from the dispenser in the equipment set up area.