DIVING OVER 50 YEARS OLD

[chillyinCanada]

If you click on the link that @DocVikingo originally posted, DAN notes that the report is free for anyone to download. As it states, if you're not a DAN member, all you have to do is type in a first name, last name, and an email address.

Based on what you said, it seems to me that a better procedure for a dive op would be to have each prospective diver fill out a medical history form, and then ask for a doctor's statement from only those whose completed forms indicate they have some known health risk. This is similar to what most dive training agencies require when registering to take a course. I wouldn't object to this requirement, so long as I had the form made available to me in advance of my trip.

There's no way I'm inclined to give out my personal medical history to a dive shop. The very idea of it . . .no no no, just no.

 

[tursiops]

There's no way I'm inclined to give out my personal medical history to a dive shop. The very idea of it . . .no no no, just no.

There is no need to give a dive shop any of your personal medical info. All they want is a doctor's ok.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I was taking exception to Lorenzoid's idea.

 

[BRT]

There is no need to give a dive shop any of your personal medical info. All they want is a doctor's ok.

So you have never filled out a form to boat dive?

 

[Viron]

This is an interesting thread and all parties seem to have best interest at heart. That is wonderful.

There are few anomalies like myself. I took up scuba January 2016 at age 53. Recently I've started spearfishing, a sport that tends to make you a solo diver. Also, hunting boats are usually a bit smaller than the cattle boats of South Florida where I dive. Therefore, some of the boats are a bit more work getting into and not crewed with extra hands.

I thinking reviewing medical liability forms and questioning divers that have flags is a good ideas. Also, being very open about the situation regarding medical assistance.

If I make it to 85-100 years and die on the reef, it would certainly be better than dying in the nursing home.

One operator of a shark dive in Jupiter, FL says, "We are all here today because we are not all there." For some that don't dive that is the view of all diving.

The bottom line is, some of us enjoy and revel in not being all there. Being there can pretty darn boring.

My advice is be up front, but don't stop the fun. If some old fat slob becomes chum because his carcas couldn't be pulled back in the boat, oh well. Hopefully he died happy as the Old Man "IN" the Sea.

 

[DocVikingo]

Rather, the OP made it clear that he is dealing with a particular environment, which is both remote and lacking in a well-developed medical infrastructure.

That is my take on it, too, Colliam.

Interestingly, "both remote and lacking in a well-developed medical infrastructure" applies to scores and scores of dive locations, some even more so than to Corn Island, including many liveaboards, almost all of Indonesia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Galapagos, Vanuatu, Myanmar, most of India, New Guinea, Madagascar, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Borneo, Lord Howe Island, Cook Islands, almost all of French Polynesia, St. Helena, Reunion Island, most of the Philippines, Kiribati, Easter Island, Tonga, most of the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Palau, Azores, Canary Islands, and the list goes on. I am not aware of any dive ops in these locations that require medical clearance to dive simply on the basis of age.

Cheers,

DocVikingo

 

[tursiops]

Of course I have. What is your point?

So you have never filled out a form to boat dive?

 

[BRT]

Of course I have. What is your point?

They want your medical history. Do you have this, do you suffer from that.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Yes, BRT, I have initialed pages of have you this or that. Those lists generally accompany the waiver. The waiver that says I'm assuming all liability (not them).

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

I guess I'm in the minority here. I would happily dive with this op. I'm in my late 40's and have hit the point in life that knees, hips, shoulders, etc. (not to mention blood pressure)require more than an Advil or 2. This policy tells me that the op is concerned about my health and safety in a remote location. It also tells me that I will hopefully not have to be one of the divers on the boat assisting with CPR, which due to the extreme distance to a trauma center, or even an AED, we are probably just abusing the corpse. Meanwhile the family and/or friends are having one of the worst days of their lives. My vacation is ruined, their lives are forever changed, and the guy is dead...with broken ribs to boot. The physical may or may not have caught the underlying problem, but no physical will definately not catch the problem.

I've seen people in their 20's that probably won't make 30. I dove with a man in his early 30's that easily weighed 400 pounds, puked on the dive boat after every dive, and was on the verge of panic anytime he could not see the Divemaster. There were 4 men and 3 women on the boat and I guarantee there would be no way to get him in the 6 pack boat if we had to. Age is certainly not the only criteria to be concerned about....but it's a damn good place to start. Weight, smoking, drinking, current medications, and other medical history should all be considered in the physical as well.

To the op, I would definately work with DAN to establish a set evacuation protocol. Maybe underwater recompressing would be an option instead of a chamber ride, an AED on the island (preferably on the boat as long as it was safe) and access to a DAN paid helicopter would all be good ideas.

We are all dying, I just don't want to be part of another divers death because they were offended at the requirement of a dive physical. Check your pride, eat your kelp, run your marathon, laugh at me at my funeral, I don't care. The op is trying to avoid a horrible situation, based on a doctors suggestion, that has been supported in this thread as being a reasonable place to start.

Googling corn Island now....

Jay