Infrequent Blackouts, still scuba?

[24940]

Whether or not she could be certified aside, I wouldn't want the responsibility of being her buddy.

 

[Otter]

Only if she is my ex-wife! (j/k, I don't have an ex-wife)

 

[Charlie99]

I assume she is an adult. It's her right to knowingly take risks. It's the right of her potential buddies to know about the risk. Provided she and her buddies are OK with the increased risk, then there's no reason she couldn't/shouldn't dive.

I think cave divers are unecessarily and unduly risking their lives, but I doubt that anyone agrees that just because I think they are crazy that they should be prohibited from risking their lives cave diving. I feel the same way about her diving.

A full face mask and a buddy pair dedicated to watching her would minimize the risk.

 

[Nemrod]

Charlie 99 hits on something I was thinking about, a full face mask and a partner (husband/bf) that holds her hand every--EVERY--inch of the way and of course limiting the dives to shallow snoozer pretty fish dives. No doubles at 165 feet inside a wreck.

The driiving question is important because the danger to the public is far greater with such a defect while driving that diving. If a medical doctor has felt good enough about her that he/she has cleared her to drive on public roads that is one thing and if not that is another.

Hope she is OK, good luck to her.

N

 

[DandyDon]

if you post some pivtures we may better be able to dtermine if she is fit for diving...

I assume she is an adult. It's her right to knowingly take risks. It's the right of her potential buddies to know about the risk. Provided she and her buddies are OK with the increased risk, then there's no reason she couldn't/shouldn't dive.

I think cave divers are unecessarily and unduly risking their lives, but I doubt that anyone agrees that just because I think they are crazy that they should be prohibited from risking their lives cave diving. I feel the same way about her diving.

A full face mask and a buddy pair dedicated to watching her would minimize the risk.

Maybe so, but if this had been a poll, I'd still be in the NO WAY camp. Same answer to cliff climbing, sky diving, any other life threatening activity - and scuba is still that.

 

[vladimir]

it is still a risk which would probably disqualify her during the dive medical. Would she be able to get an approval if her equipment mitigated the risks during such a blackout? ie: full face mask.

Let's recall the original question, which was, "would she get a [medical] approval" to dive? The answer seems to be an unequivocal "no."

Should she be allowed to dive? Sure, who's going to stop her? She can buy gear from Leisurepro, learn to dive on Scubaboard (with help from her good friend the OP), and fill her tanks with the compressor in her garage. I am all for letting adults make their own choices (hopefully informed) in life--and in death.

 

[MichiganScott]

As a fairly new diver I'm probobly not qualified to respond but...
I've wanted to dive ever since I was a young boy, making equipment list as Christmas approached etc. Not being allowed to I was a fairly avid snorkler even thru my Marine Corps years, not being certified untll my late 30's.
Setting aside the Dr. thing which is critical, Iwant to dive bad enough I like many people who participate in varius sports etc. might be willing to assume the risks to my own life, but have NO RIGHT to put someone else's life in danger for my own selfish desires.

I know some have said well if the dive buddy is well informed... But has any one considerd those possabilities? I realize the unlikely-hood of the following happening but people do hit the lottery every week somewhere, say for example your friend has a black out, if the buddy knew the circumstances, bla bla,. but what if the buddy at the same time was having a problem... What if the buddys problem triggered her black out?

Then we'd have 2 more for the passings board... Not worth it.

 

[MichiganScott]

Sorry if I seemed a bit harsh, I didn't mean to. I'm at work and have distractions...

I was only trying to point out that we as humans have the right to control our own life risks... but not that of others.

And if this seems harsh, sorry in advance but... just like in the gun issue, any accident or incident casts a shadow over the whole. So this question has the possibility of very deep ramifications, not just to (2) lives; but also to our (diving) way of life.

Don't mean to sound so melodramatic but unfortunately that's the way it is, and everyone who is honest knows I'm right.

 

[knotical]

I'm an HSA instructor- Seizure disorder (Or something producing similar results as in this case) is a contraindication even for them.

HSA opens doors for as many folks as they possibly can- by training both the diver and their buddy how to adapt and overcome. But a situation like this has no safe adaptation- it's putting the persons life at risk.

Unless a way can be found to RELIABLY control the condition it's simply to great of a risk.

I am also HSA trained, and believe the contraindication for seizure disorders is because of the risk of lung expansion during ascent if the airway is closed. If the potential diver simply falls asleep, that risk is absent.

I stand by my earlier post. While a narcoleptic (or similar) person would not be a reliable buddy, and not likely to be accepted into a standard scuba class, I see no reason why she couldn’t dive with properly trained buddies (perhaps two HSA-trained buddies) and a full face mask.

 

[DandyDon]

Sorry if I seemed a bit harsh, I didn't mean to. I'm at work and have distractions...

I was only trying to point out that we as humans have the right to control our own life risks... but not that of others.

And if this seems harsh, sorry in advance but... just like in the gun issue, any accident or incident casts a shadow over the whole. So this question has the possibility of very deep ramifications, not just to (2) lives; but also to our (diving) way of life.

Don't mean to sound so melodramatic but unfortunately that's the way it is, and everyone who is honest knows I'm right.

Nah, you're fine. For many dive situations, the possibility of also undo risk to others is certainly there - just as it would be if she was driving. We have stiff drunk driver laws not because of the drunks who kill themselves so much as their dangers to others.

I am also HSA trained, and believe the contraindication for seizure disorders is because of the risk of lung expansion during ascent if the airway is closed. If the potential diver simply falls asleep, that risk is absent.

I stand by my earlier post. While a narcoleptic (or similar) person would not be a reliable buddy, and not likely to be accepted into a standard scuba class, I see no reason why she couldn’t dive with properly trained buddies (perhaps two HSA-trained buddies) and a full face mask.

Ok, fine - but to the original question....?

A great friend of mine wants to learn scuba but she has an occasional medical problem in which once every 1-3 months she will black out for about 30 seconds.

Although the chances of it happening while diving are very slim, it is still a risk which would probably disqualify her during the dive medical. Would she be able to get an approval if her equipment mitigated the risks during such a blackout? ie: full face mask

She doesn't have fits or seizures or stop breathing and just goes limp during the blackouts.

No way...!