Safety & Wellness Update
Ocean First May 24, 2021
Updates from Ocean First
Safe Scuba
Please call the shop at 303-444-7234 to schedule an appointment to use the pool.
Updated May 24, 2021
Safe Swimming
Our pool continues to be a safe place to learn and practice. Please view the swim school's Health & Wellness page for the most up to date information on our safety proceduces.
Updated May 24, 2021
On Friday, May 15th we welcome you back to Ocean First! Our shop hours will be Monday-Saturday 12pm-5pm. We have missed seeing your smiling faces and childlike enthusiasm around the shop and in the pool. Speaking of the pool, while it remains closed our new filtration system is working wonders and we can’t wait for you to enjoy the clear serenity of our balmy 90 degree indoor play space.
With reopening comes a new landscape of guidelines that we’ll have to navigate together. Our goal continues to be promoting a safe and fun learning environment that also serves as your much needed escape. We are happy to have you back in the store and appreciate you spending your newfound freedom with us.
Just like buddy diving, we have responsibilities towards each other that will help ensure we can provide the best possible experience to our entire community.
Our Responsibilities:
Protective Wear: All of our staff will be wearing masks so that we protect our most valuable assets...you! We will also have multiple hand sanitizer stations around the store.
Social Distancing: Please keep a 6 ft. distance whenever possible. If our occupancy becomes too high, we may ask that you wait a moment before entering the shop. We have our volleyball court and picnic tables available as a waiting area and we appreciate your patience. If you are interested in curbside pickup for any online purchases, just give us a call!
Occupancy: In order to ensure everyone’s safety, we have to keep the sales floor occupancy levels to code and may ask for anyone not directly shopping to wait outside.
Stay Home If You Feel Sick.
Cleaning Measures:
- We will be sanitizing and cleaning high traffic areas throughout the day on a regular schedule that follows the CDC’s recommendations.
- Any items tried on over the head will be taken off the sales floor for 24 hours.
- All masks will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between each use.
Listening to You:
If you have any suggestions that would make your experience more enjoyable, please let us know.
Your Responsibilities:
Protective Wear: Per City of Boulder regulations, all customers are required to wear a mask. Forgot yours? We have disposable masks available or you can purchase a washable, multi-fashion Ocean First Hoorag.
Social Distancing:
Please help us all stay healthy and be respectful of a 6 ft. social distance whenever possible.
Stay Home If You Are Feeling Sick: You are always welcome to visit our website to browse items and give us a call if we can answer questions or help complete your purchase.
Tell Us What You Think:
Your opinion matters! Please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your experience more enjoyable.
We appreciate all the love and support from the Ocean First community and look forward to swimming and diving again soon. We will be honoring the social distancing guidelines by continuing to host our socials virtually. We still plan to host our Summer Party in a reduced capacity and have some great plans in the works to keep our community thriving.
Thank you for your ongoing support, cooperation, and understanding!
With love,
Your Ocean First Family
Updated 5/13/20 at 1:30pm
To Our Ocean First Family,
We hope this finds everyone well and staying sane amidst the stay-at-home. In case you haven’t heard, there is a wonderful movement started here in Boulder by the Thorne Nature Experience called #outsideeveryday and we encourage all of our Ocean First community to participate and stay active during these challenging times.
Based on the latest information provided by Governor Polis, Ocean First will have a limited reopening on May 15th. As always, the safety and well-being of our staff and customers is our top priority, so we’ll be restarting operations a bit more conservatively.
Our retail store hours will be Monday thru Friday 12-5pm. We are adhering to the Governor's social distancing recommendations and will only permit 10 individuals in the store at any one time. The pool remains closed, but we are hopeful to schedule swimming lessons to begin on June 1st. More details to come.
Lastly, we kindly request all customers wear a face mask while inside the facility until further notice. This is for your safety, as well as the safety of our staff.
We are thrilled to be opening our doors once again and want to thank you for your continued support. We greatly appreciate your patience as we navigate this new environment together.
Best wishes,
Your Ocean First Family
Updated 4/28/20 4:30pM
“My barn having burned down, I can now see the moon.”
American poet, singer, and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou, bravely stated, “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refused to be reduced by it.” It is in this spirit that Ocean First forges ahead during these surreal and difficult times. In just a matter of weeks, our world has been changed forever.
But despite the ongoing challenges surrounding this pandemic, some incredibly strong and powerful things remain. One such force is the passionate and supportive community at Ocean First. For over 13 years, Ocean First has been synonymous with adventure, respect, and discovery, and we want our beloved community to know that those same B Corp values ring true inthe face of adversity.
This is in part why I decided to continue paying all Ocean First staff through this challenging period. While this was certainly not an easy- or financially sound- decision, we’re first and foremost a family and I’m confident this adversity will only serve to make us a stronger, more united, and adaptable community.
As we navigate the challenges of the next few weeks, we ask for your patience and understanding as this is unchartered territory for us all. As you have probably heard, Governor Polis has ordered all pools to be closed through April 30th. As such, we are now taking enrollments for swim lessons beginning May 1st. However, we are still offering online scuba training and pickup and drop-off for gear servicing, so please feel free to contact the shop between 12-5pm M-F for more information.
In the words of Ernest Hemingway, “The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice.”
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to reopening our doors soon and welcoming back our passionate and committed community.
Yours truly,
Graham Casden
Updated 3/24/20 1:30pm
Ocean First Swim School is closed effective March 15th through March 29th, including all lessons, swim clubs, and spring break camps. We will be updating our website periodically during this time. We value your commitment to Ocean First, which is why we are taking proactive measures to ensure all lessons missed during this time will be credited and applied to the next billing cycle. If you have any questions please reach out via email at swim@oceanfirst.blue
Our retail shop is closed through Sun. 3/29. We are taking phone calls between the hours of 12-5pm Mon - Fri. If you have serviced gear to pick up, need to purchase a quick item, have questions on scuba lessons, or questions in general there will be a staff member answering calls during these hours. Alternatively you can contact Ocean First at info@oceanfirst.blue and one of our team members will get back to you as quickly as possible. We can register you for online scuba classes as well as upcoming dive adventures to keep your scuba dreams alive!
All training courses and trips originally scheduled from March 17th - March 29th have been cancelled. Classes will be rescheduled to a later date to be determined. We will do whatever we can to accommodate your needs and schedules once we re-open our doors. In addition, all rescheduling fees and penalties have been waived during this time. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email our training director at Danny.Knoll@oceanfirst.blue. In the meantime stay safe and we look forward to diving with you soon.
Ocean First Travel Recommendations
Ocean First is closely monitoring the rapidly changing travel environment during this challenging time. We understand that our travelers have made a significant investment in their vacation plans and that there may be uncertainty surrounding your upcoming trip. Each airline, resort, and liveaboard have different policies and our travel team is available to help navigate these uncharted waters.Upcoming Group and Individual Travel (through April 2020): We are monitoring the regulations and advisories for our group adventures with departure dates through the end of April. Most of our operators are allowing us to move these dates to a later time without penalties. We ask that all travelers with trips booked through Ocean First during these travel dates contact Amy Christopher (amy@oceanfirst.blue) for additional information.
Future Group and Individual Travel (after April 2020): We will continue to monitor the regulations and advisories as more information becomes available. At this time, it is too early to have any visibility for travel past April.
Travel Insurance: As with all trips, Ocean First strongly advises securing travel insurance to protect your investment. If you choose to secure insurance for a trip that is imminent, canceling due to coronavirus will not be covered. If you become ill and cannot travel, this will likely be covered. Each policy is unique and we urge all travelers to read through their policy to fully understand the stipulations. Here are some recommendations for travel insurance:
Divers Alert Network
Travel Guard
Dive Assure
International Country Advisories: Please click on this link for a full list of individual country travel advisories: IATA Travel Advisories
Updated 3/17/20 10am