NAUI and Diabetics

[Shangrl]

Question for NAUI ITs...can you be an insulin dependent diabetic and be allowed to take the NAUI OW class? What if you have a release from a Dr and you have your insulin pump with you? If not, what is PADI's stance? I read what DAN had to say about the issue but was unsure about each agency's stance. Please advise as I have a brother who would like to get his OW and has signed up at a NAUI dive shop but he was reading about their policies and was unsure. Thanks for any and all advice.

 

[300bar]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/q-scuba-certification-agencies/237775-why-does-dan-say.html

 

[Shangrl]

DAN sums it up in a PDF from 2007 Guidelines basically listing certain criteria must be met, glucose management day of diving, dive buddy cannot be a diabetic..diving not to exceed 100FSW
DAN Divers Alert Network : DAN and UHMS Publish Guidelines for Recreational Diving With Diabetes

On the NAUI release form, it lists insulin diabetics as an absolute contraindiction and that is why I pose the question.

 

[Blackwood]

Yes, NAUI considers diabetes (like other conditions such as asthma) to be an 'absolute contraindication' relative to diving.

Whether they'll turn down your brother's money because of it is a different question, as is whether him diving is a good idea.

 

[Shangrl]

Whoops sorry....didn't see the link I thought you said WHAT does DAN say, sorry hon

 

[Shangrl]

Seems like there are quite a few diabetics who are insulin dependent who enjoy diving recreationally if they get the green light from a MD. Like anything, it is another aspect that the diver must take responsibility for a judge if he or she is fit to dive, glucose is normal etc before taking the plunge. My brother is a person who is trained to make sound judgement calls. He's a Air Force Academy grad plus an Air Force Captain and used to fly C5s and C141s before diabetes cause him to take an early retirement. He's looking for another hobby and is very interested in diving.

 

[MeiLing]

Seems like there are quite a few diabetics who are insulin dependent who enjoy diving recreationally if they get the green light from a MD. Like anything, it is another aspect that the diver must take responsibility for a judge if he or she is fit to dive, glucose is normal etc before taking the plunge. My brother is a person who is trained to make sound judgement calls. He's a Air Force Academy grad plus an Air Force Captain and used to fly C5s and C141s before diabetes cause him to take an early retirement. He's looking for another hobby and is very interested in diving.

I don't think it is the case that they've actually gotten a written green light from their doctor. No Dr. in his right mind is going to risk setting himself up for that kind of liability. And that what it is all about - liability.

DAN is not a company that is in a great position of liability. They're only providing insurance with pre-determined limits. The certification agencies, on the other hand, are in a position of possibly huge liability.

DAN isn't telling a group of diabetic divers that they should dive, they're doing studies on those who've chosen to do it anyway. Once you've achieved your certification, there are way fewer barriers as nobody's really checking anything more than a cert card.

 

[cerich]

Yes, NAUI considers diabetes (like other conditions such as asthma) to be an 'absolute contraindication' relative to diving.

Whether they'll turn down your brother's money because of it is a different question, as is whether him diving is a good idea.

Not all diabetes is considered an absolute contraindication, only insulin. That being said as a instructor I wouldn't take on as a student a type 2 unless they have a good history of control that included sport type activity.

I'm a NAUI course director.

 

[MeiLing]

Not all diabetes is considered an absolute contraindication, only insulin. That being said as a instructor I wouldn't take on as a student a type 2 unless they have a good history of control that included sport type activity.

I'm a NAUI course director.

It's becoming more an more a standard protocol to put all diabetics on some amount of injected insulin.

 

[300bar]

Not all diabetes is considered an absolute contraindication, only insulin. That being said as a instructor I wouldn't take on as a student a type 2 unless they have a good history of control that included sport type activity.

I'm a NAUI course director.

I do follow your line of thingking but, what,when the medics say "cleared for diving".
Would NAUI still object,or follow the opinion of the Dr. as PADI does.