Medical form for dive op?

[Cthippo]

There are a couple of fundamental questions here that everyone is dancing around...

One is "Do you have a duty to not engage in an activity that is likely to kill me because of the effects of my death on others?"

The other is "How much additional risk is acceptable and who decided and enforces that risk?"

Turisops mentioned the monster under the bed that we are afraid of. That monster is that some day we will show up to go dive and someone will say "I don't think you are healthy enough to do this and so I am not going to allow you to do it". By the sound of it, if you are somewhere that requires a boat for most diving, you may be close to that being a reality.

 

[PirateFoxy]

A lot of young adults in the U.S. don't regularly see a physician. Whether their insurance covers it or not. Through most of my adult life, I didn't, until I got to an age where I needed occasional lab work, screening studies, etc...

The example he based that off of was one not expected to create substantial risk to others of what you describe; it'd just make him go get a form done.

Now if the example were a poorly controlled diabetic running blood sugars in the 300's lately, that'd be another story. Hence the shades of gray.

I've had autoimmune arthritis for quite a while, so having a couple of doctors I see regularly is really not optional if I want to get any sort of meaningful treatment. I kind of forget most people aren't in the same boat. In any event, if you do have a regular GP/PCP, an annual check in ("wellness visit") seems quite standard and is typically covered by insurance, so younger people shouldn't hesitate to get themselves set up with someone if they have the insurance to allow them to do so. You'll generally end up getting better care overall if you've been seen regularly enough to establish what your baseline values are for things, and of course it's a very good way to catch things like high blood pressure quite early.

And yes, I wasn't speaking to that example specifically, just saying that imo "what experience might I be inflicting on others?" should be a decision making factor, it shouldn't just be about personal risk alone. If the medical issue is quite minor then the odds are probably pretty good that you aren't going to put anyone in a traumatic situation due to your medical issues, so it's much less of a consideration than if you have a medical issue that you know is quite likely to cause problems. It's just not as simple as "well, I don't care if I die diving" - you may not care, but someone else may be paying for your choices, y'know? Just people should be aware of that.

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

I think that a lot of issues with this form would be resolved if they just simply removed six words from the final participant statement on the form......

Participant Statement: I have answered all questions honestly, and understand that I accept responsibility for any consequences resulting from any questions I may have answered inaccurately or for my failure to disclose any existing or past health conditions.

Kinda reminds me of the old "Gone With the Wind" movie where a Confederate officer is interrogating Rhett Butler and the officer says to Rhett...... "Do you give me your word, as a gentleman? "......... and Butlers response is....... "As a gentleman, yes!"

 

[mmerriman]

You already have that. Your captain must show their credentials if asked. If they have the book, they are up date on a VERY full medical workup. Just ask if you really care that much.

the USCG physical happens every 5 years, and is not that detailed.

 

[Tracy]

the USCG physical happens every 5 years, and is not that detailed.

not that detailed? It is a 7 page form. What do you consider detailed? DOT physical is every two years and is two pages.

 

[mmerriman]

not that detailed? It is a 7 page form. What do you consider detailed? DOT physical is every two years and is two pages.

here's the form - the physical itself is 2 pages. https://www.uscgexam.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/exam-step2-physical-exam-CG719K.pdf Vision test, Color blindness test, which has many ways to pass, hearing test, and a list of conditions with followups only required if there's a history. Plus a drug test.

 

[boat sju]

I have routine physicals and medical care as needed. My doctor also dives, but we've never discussed a release form. Who knows what would be acceptable to an operator in Bonaire if I ticked off that I have high cholesterol or I've had a hernia or vertigo. Why I mention Bonaire is because I overheard a "younger" woman saying she had to go in and get a physical because she checked yes to something benign and the shop wouldn't rent her gear. Who wants to deal with that while travelling?