What's been going on?

 

I’m sure you’ve guessed that here at Waiheke Dive we are desperate to get back in the water, as I know a lot of you will be too. We are eagerly awaiting the news of when we can make this happen safely. 

So what have we been doing for the last couple of weeks?

 

 

Hopefully you noticed that as of Level 3 we have been back in the shop, unfortunately with the doors shut but sending out and delivering orders to our fabulous customers. But what else has been going on?  

We’ve tried to maximise this time as much as possible to get all of those jobs and plans that we don’t normally have time to put into place. 

We’ve been carrying out lots of maintenance to both our vehicles and our dive gear, making sure everything is in top shape ready for when we can start taking you out again. 

There have been, (and will still be coming) lots of upgrades to our website and social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, we are super excited to bring you lots more content. 

This blog is new! We will be updating with new blog posts regularly with all kinds of things. What’s been going on, exciting trips and stories, gear purchasing guides, dive trips reviews and many more. We are super keen for feedback so we can make sure we are including the content that you want to see so please let us know via our comments or social media. 

What have we got planned? 

We’ve also been working hard on making sure we have lots of exciting things happening for when we can get back in the water. We look forward to announcing soon some new trips and programs so keep following us to make sure you don’t miss out. 

But will diving be safe?

As you know here at Waiheke Dive our customers safety is our number one priority and this has not changed. We have lots of new procedures in place to ensure the safety of both our staff and customers, and ensuring that all of these follow government guidelines. 

Level 2

So once we hit level 2 we will be allowed to get back in the water! Something we have been eagerly waiting for, as well as being able to welcome customers into our shop. 

However some things will look a little different. 

Firstly, we please ask for you to not come to the shop if you are feeling unwell or showing any signs or symptoms of Covid-19. 

In the shop we need to ensure everyone is keeping at least 1m distance, as we only have a small shop we have introduced a one-way system, easy to follow with our floor markers. We ask for your patience if someone is in front of you chatting to a member of our team or paying for items. Also for the purpose of contact tracing we will need to take contact details for anyone who enters our shop, regardless as to whether you are actually making a purchase or not. If you wish to try on any items please discuss with a member of our team who will be happy to assist you. 

If you would prefer our contactless service this will stay in place as it is with the current level 3 restrictions, you will be able to drop off/collect tanks for filling from our side door - just give us a call on 09 217 4892 when you are outside in the gravel car park. We will also be continuing to make free contactless deliveries around the island. Exciting news - the postage reductions we brought in will also be remaining in place permanently! See here for full details as to what this looks like. 

With water activities we will also be adhering to guidelines around social distancing. Paperwork will be completed in the shop as usual and we will collect any gear required to take with us. We already have small group numbers for all of our dive activities with a maximum of 4 people per instructor, this will remain the same, although to allow social distancing we will be transporting people to our sites in two separate vehicles. Our group size for snorkel trips will now be reduced to a maximum of 4 so we can ensure this guidance is maintained. We always appreciate assistance with the loading/unloading of gear, but please follow staff instructions to ensure this is done safely. 

Prior to Level 4 lockdown we increased all of our already stringent cleaning processes. The gear is thoroughly cleaned between uses, including with medical grade sanitiser. We are also still offering the option to replace the mouthpiece on your snorkel or regulator with a brand new one at no cost. This will be yours to keep following the activity. Just let one of our team members know if this is something you would like. 

See here for full government updates. 

We will be updating all of our online availability to allow you to book activities as soon as we get confirmation for when we are heading into level 2. Or please feel free to get in touch with us to discuss your requirements. 

We’re really excited about all of this and can’t wait to start rolling out as soon as we can so make sure you like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to get all the news first. 

Lucy & The Waiheke Dive Team