Diving health

[wolf eel]

Do we need more laws to protect people from themselves ?

Should you have to take a heart stress test before being allowed to enter the water ?

As we hear more and more death by heart attacks should we as the diving community do something ? Or is diving just so safe that there is only a few people that are having health issues ?

Derek

 

[ShakaZulu]

Prudent diet and regular exercise should be habitual for divers. Older individuals and divers who have a family history of heart problems, especially at an early age, should receive appropriate evaluations to detect early signs of coronary artery disease.

Maybe this should be in another location...........

 

[Snowbear]

Do we need more laws to protect people from themselves ?

No

Should you have to take a heart stress test before being allowed to enter the water ?

No.

As we hear more and more death by heart attacks should we as the diving community do something ? Or is diving just so safe that there is only a few people that are having health issues ?

Personally, I think it should be up to an individual, not the government. I don't think it's that diving is so safe anyone can do it. AFAIK - all of the OW certifying agencies have a health questionaire that asks about medical history as well as risk fators. If a yes box is checked, the student may not participate until an MD has cleared them to dive. In my OW class, the instructor pointed out why some of these things made diving riskier. Obviously, the person filling out the form can bypass this process by not checking the "yes" box. But back to personal responsibility - I don't think it should be up to the government to legislate who can and cannot dive.

 

[wolf eel]

[ShakaZulu Prudent diet and regular exercise should be habitual for divers.]

I agree but that does not seem like the case.

[Older individuals and divers who have a family history of heart problems, especially at an early age, should receive appropriate evaluations to detect early signs of coronary artery disease.]

I also agree but with out the standards saying so who cares is what is happening. The fear of laws is also stopping people from being completley honest about what can happen to you while diving.

[Maybe this should be in another location....]

This seems like the proper place as it is about diver accidents and near misses.

Derek

 

[ScubaFreak]

Theres a thread going in the I2I forum for those of you with access.

Click Here

 

[Cudabait]

Do we need more laws to protect people from themselves ?

Should you have to take a heart stress test before being allowed to enter the water ?

As we hear more and more death by heart attacks should we as the diving community do something ? Or is diving just so safe that there is only a few people that are having health issues ?

Derek

Where are you coming from, Wolfeel? This is a recreational sport...When was the last time you heard of a diver killing his/her buddy because of health related issues, or for that matter, any other issue? You damn sure didn't have to take a stress test to keep or obtain your drivers license. The driver of a motor vehicle runs a much higher risk of taking out a third party because of coronary issues, and it does happen!!

Vessel operators (in the US) have to have physicals, be licensed by USCG, and pass drug tests. They have insurance if they are smart. Most of your dive boat operators in foreign countries are persons whose dive certification levels are lower than the divers on the boat itself.

We don't need any more administrivia in this sport than we already have.

Regards,

 

[wolf eel]

[Snowbear
I don't think it should be up to the government to legislate who can and cannot dive.]

That is why I am asking does most of the dive community agree with you ? I do. I feel we all have to be more responsibility to ourselves. But that brings up the point why have any thing about health at all. All one has to do is say no to all and thats it.

I fear because of all the heart attacks and such it may cost us our freedom to dive how we see fit. Look already you have to take an occupantional dive course which here is just a joke. The accidents always involve crappy divers that do not know how to dive in a net. I dove nets for years and had not one accident in the net. not to say I never got trapped or had to remove everything just to get unstuck but never a real accident as in medical personial was needed. But when you look at what is happening now after the mandatory course we have loads of accidents. We just had a near drowning because the Diver went down to remove a anchor line with 500 psi and passed out after pulling on his line. ( no suited tender) even when it is law. The company should be sued as they failed to make it happen.

Cheers
Derek

 

[wolf eel]

[Cudabait
Where are you coming from, Wolfeel? This is a recreational sport...When was the last time you heard of a diver killing his/her buddy because of health related issues, or for that matter, any other issue?]

Read the post the rescue diver had to hit the chamber for a ride.

I am coming from the idea that if we do not do something are they ? Like drug testing before an accident. That may be OK for you but it violates my rights. Thinking I am doing something before I do anything. If you have to take a test to see if you can pilot a vessel should you not have to have atest to dive from it ?

I am opposed to all intervention of govering bodies doing what they do but it all happened because others did not care.
Derek

 

[texdiveguy]

I am very pro active on this topic of good health practices and SCUBA diving.....I am really surprized by all the over weight divers I know and see,,,,,really a problem,,,,and the diving community is aging as a whole. I worry about some of my dive buddies cause they are great divers and wonderful folks!! I have even as a Rescue Diver gone to carring in a small H20 proof bottle tied to my BC with 4-325mg Asprins,,,,just in case a diver suffers symptoms either at the surface or ashore I can sugg. they chew one with a bit of water,,,,proven to help,,,of course call 911/EMS and other first aid.

 

[DeepSeaDan]

The death of a 51 year old diver in Brockville Ontario this weekend ( who, at this time it is believed, died of heart failiure - still to be confirmed ), raises an important issue in my mind, that being our collective ability, as active divers, to handle the occassional physical stresses of diving. It is an important consideration for we diving leaders personally, as we must be concerned for our own health, not only for our own good, but for the safety of those in our charge.

As a Firefighter / Medic, it is a reality that in my profession, the leading cause of work-related death is cardiac arrest on the fireground. Knowing this, I have convinced my G.P. to allow me a full cardiac workup every 3 years ( I'm 45 ), with a stress test being the focal point of the review. Additionally, for my own health responsibility, I do all that I can to protect my C.V. system ( exercise, diet, b.p. monitoring etc., etc. ).
This regimen leaves me personally satisfied that I am doing all I can to avoid being yet another u/w c.v. fatality statistic.

Having looked after my personal needs, I now turn my attention to my students; specifically, what are my responsibilities to them with respect to their health & their desire to dive? The agency I teach for ( N.A.U.I. ) sets out a minimum standard health questionaire that must be completed by the applicant, but does my responsibility to the student end there? I think not.

I spend considerable time discussing health & fitness issues as they relate to diving. At the risk of getting preachy, I extoll the importance of exercise & diet at every opportunity. Question is - is this enough? The fact that I continue to respond to patients in cardiac arrest who are mid-30's to mid-40's all too frequently makes me wonder if more stringent agency requirements are necessary to help protect student health, particularly in the area of C.V. fitness. While lacking statistical data to back up my hunch, it seems to me the average age for advanced coronary disease is decreasing - an issue we must address, to try & prevent future tragic events like that which may have transpired in Brockville.

Regards,
D.S.D.

( Dragged this over from I2I - looks like a few of us are like-minded today! )