I'm an ophthalmic photographer, not a doctor. So far as lattice degeneration is concerned, you should not have a significantly greater risk of eye problems, which is what your doctor said according to your post.
Two circumstances where you could suffer ophthalmic barotrauma are if you had a pneumatic procedure performed on your eye or if you were to use swim goggles which, unlike a diving mask, can't be pressure equalized.
The pnueumatic procedure is where a gas/fluid exchange introduces a bubble into the vitreous chamber of the eye. The bubble floats up to where a retinal detachment or macular hole has formed and presses the retina back into place. You may be more prone to retinal detachment if you are highly myopic (nearsighted, say greater than -3 diopter correction), or if you have thinning lattice, the structural component of your retina. Lattice degeneration usually affects the periphery of the retina.
Things to watch for include: flashes of light, especially if they appear in well lighted environments, shadows or the sudden onset of floaters in your vision.
Everybody should periodicaly check their vision in each eye separately. If you notice any of the above clues or if you see distortions, like a cabinet door frame with a wave in it, or if you can't read a newspaper today, which you could read yesterday, get an eye exam.
Many times eye problems go unnoticed because the fellow eye simply takes over for the eye with a problem.
