Medical questionaire

[Divingdon]

...I think they actually have more liabilty once it becomes "standard" for them to be diciphering information they have no understanding of....

We don't have to have an understanding of it. The medical forms redflag potential problems for instructors, precisely because we have no understanding. Then we send you to a doctor for them to assess whether you are fit to dive. Thus we have been reasonably prudent should it end up in a court of law.

 

[Cacia]

so....don't you get in cabs and go on the freeway? What do you know about their health?
In the scope of life, this just is not on the radar.
Yes, I would tell a close partner. But usually they hit you with these questionaires, on
the boat, after you have spent thousands to travel somewhere. At least be honest
and put it on your website. Operators spring this stuff on you last minute and expect
full compliance?

Just because someone asks me something does not mean I
need to tell them. Look, if 20% of the people out there are smokers...you cannot tell me the dive staffs are all capable of passing these profiles. Say you had a cardiac
repair as an infant...you are going to discuss all this with some scuba instructor?
and go to their doctor in Indonesia?...not me, but thanks for asking. Honestly, I
know a lot of dive travelers, and what I see is that the smart people don't even
consider being "honest" on those things.

Assumably, you have seen a specialist if you have diabetes or asthma and they have run labs, familiarized themselves with your history, etc. Sending someone off for a "village" doc-in-the box clearance is insulting to the process of sophisticated medical practice.

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

A correction to my original post... family history would only disqualify a diver over 45. i rechecked PADI's form and it says that clearance is needed if a student is over 45 and has a family history of stroke or heart attack. This still seems too vague to me... does a heart attack in a grandmother require a medical clearance from a 45 year old non-smoking marathoner? does any one know if NAUI, YMCA or ther agencies require clearance for a family history of illness even if the student/diver is free of disease????

 

[fisherdvm]

I don't know about how you feel, but my gut feeling is, the medical questionaires were put together by lawyers, to protect the diving schools, diving facilities, diving instructors, and the dive boats.

These were not made to solely protect the diver from harm.

They can help a diver in recognising the risk he faces, but their main function is to make it harder for you to sue these organisations.

 

[Cacia]

yes

I don't know the answer to these questions, but food for thought:

Who has the most at stake for diving with a condition? i.e., incentive not to die...

Who has the most education...the average scuba operator, or the average dive client?

Who has the best access to health care..the average dive guide or the average dive client?

Who has the most first hand knowledge of the condition and circumstances, the diver or the operator?

I see why operators want to ask, I am not sure why you would want to include them in the loop.

Absolutely, if you are traveling and diving and feel the need, it is certainly your right to tell them whatever you like.

Having said all this, I respect their right to say "you know, we are just not comfortable with you doing this strenuous of a dive..."

 

[TexasZR2]

Hmmmm....this topic sounds familiar......

Any one else ever had a dive operator "hint" that they need to see all of the boxes checked "No"? I've had a couple that did everything but the "wink wink - nudge nudge" routine while telling us about the form.

 

[Cacia]

yes,

and then some poor guy writes down that he had a hernia once.

 

[redrover]

I wonder if maybe there is somewhat of a subterfuge intent that is happening. It was rather alarming for me when I read my form mostly because I didn’t feel old enough to need permission to do anything. Or maybe old enough to not need permission. Anyway… could it be a way to get people to investigate the potential risks and make a more informed decision to be diving?

 

[Scuba Do]

I don't know about how you feel, but my gut feeling is, the medical questionaires were put together by lawyers, to protect the diving schools, diving facilities, diving instructors, and the dive boats.

These were not made to solely protect the diver from harm.

These are absolutely for liability reasons. The dive outfits generally don't care about the health of the customers and to a large extent do not care if you answer truthfully or not. The sole reason for the questionaires is so that if some medical mishap befalls a customer, the outfit can pull the questionaire and say he/she (the customer)denied the pre-existing problem. The dive outfit is completely off the hook. The reason that it is so prevalent in diving and not in other endeavors is that diving is considered an ultra-hazordous activity. And before we skewer the dive outfits or the lawyers, these are the result of our litigious society. We sue for almost anything - I spilled a steaming cup of coffee on myself because I am clumsy. It must be the fault of the store that sold me what I wanted - hot coffee.

 

[Cacia]

to a large extent do not care if you answer truthfully or not.

thank-you.

So...you book an dive trip. You pay. You fly there, and then you get handed this list of questions. Can you imagine if you turned the tables, showed up and ask to see the updated physicals for the boat captain, the dive guide, etc?....or you were not going to pay for the space they held for you? Wonder how that would fly?

How many consumers get on a dive boat and ask the captain for his liscense?... the results of his last urine test...or you are not holding up your side of the contract?

I am surprised so many people comply with this. You, the consumer and the dive operator, in a legal situation are on opposite sides. They are not your partners. You advocate for you, they advocate for them. To call people liers or dishonest for not gobbling this medical questionaire stuff when the whole thing is completely unilateral, seems very unsophisticated to me, from a consumer standpoint.

Now..if they want to make this very plain in nice big readable print on their website, BEFORE you book, so you can know what they demand, then they have that right, and you have the right to book someplace else if you want.

(I love talking to myself in here)