There have been so many threads and deleted posts about covid and travel that I thought I would start a thread devoted to safe(er) travel. And yes, I have a Florida trip and 2 Liveaboards planned so far for this year.
Yes. I have 1 resort & 9 liveaboard trips this year (4 of them are from cancelled trips from last year and 3 were made prior to the pandemic). I have been careful to follow the CDC protocols (wearing masks when I’m inside a building, like grocery store, always meet face-to-face with a few friends & family that I know them to be free of COVID-19, hand washing as often as possible, wearing mask when meeting with stranger, etc.) since March last year.
After 9 months of living with this new lifestyle without contracting the virus, I decided to resume my dive traveling activities. My thought is if I am COVID-19 free, know how to prevent the spreading of the virus to others and vice versa, I would be ready to venture outside.
I PCR tested negative before I travel (costing me $130/swab) and others would be in the same boat with me. So we all would be in a bubble of COVID-19 free environment. I just came back from Cocos in last December and Socorro last week. All is well. I just followed the COVID-19 protocols. No biggy. Treated everyone in the boat as if they had the virus in the first few days, i.e., wear mask, social distancing, wash hands often, etc.
I have 9 more trips lined up for this year due to rescheduling of the cancelled trips from last year and those that I already booked prior to the pandemic mess. Now I just need to manage these trips carefully, like walking across land mines. As I said above, if I have been tested to be COVID-19 free, know how to prevent the spreading, and after January 26 we will be tested again on the way home, why should I be penalized and confined myself at home?
Here’s my 2021 dive trips:
1. Socorro in Jan - just finished
2. Belize in Feb - booked in Jan 2020
3. Maldives in Mar - booked in Jan 2021
4. Tiger Beach in Apr - 11/19 rescheduled
5. Socorro in May - booked in Sep 2019
6. Malpelo in July - booked in Jan 2020
7. Sangalaki in Aug - booked in Aug 2019
8. Cocos in Sep - 9/20 rescheduled
9. Guadalupe in Oct - 7/20 rescheduled
10. Galápagos in Nov - 5/20 rescheduled
After the Cocos trip in December 2020 and Socorro trip last week, I self quarantine myself for 2 weeks (i.e., not having dinner with family or friends). I do cycling everyday for 30-60 miles/day with my cycling buddies after the trips. However they are outside activities, I told them that I just came back from travel and I keep social distancing from them. So far, so good. Fingers crossed.