Physical fitness ___Yearly medicals ??

[Irobot]

Diving being an extreem sport , should part of the requiremnets to dive be a yearly complete medical ?

I,ve seen plenty of overweight , heavy smoking & aged divers .

Each to their own , but if your not fit & more prone to DCI doesnt that mean your a danger not only to yourself but others around you ?

Solo Divers exepmt

 

[drm]

I don't know if a medical checkup is the answer. Many people continue to do detrimental things to their body even after a doctor recommends stopping, such as smoking.

I wish scuba diving was viewed more as a "sport" as opposed to just a hobby. The perception of "sports" is generally viewed with higher fitness levels, where as a hobby may not. If scuba diving was perceived more as a sport, I think people would look at it differently and try to get into good shape for diving and take it more seriously. The more fit you are, the better your breathing rate, the better you'll be in the water, you'll be less susceptible to decompression illness, and you'll just plain feel better before, during, and after a dive or dives.

And YES, an unfit diver puts him/her self at higher risks as well as everyone on the dive team. A team is only as strong as its weakest member.

Dave
www.divingindepth.com

 

[Irobot]

I totally agree

I,ve not been diving long & have seen many instructors running for thei cigs as soon they get out the water ??????

I,ve also seen extreemly overweight people struggling with equipement & breaking into a complete sweat before they even hit the water ? It just makes you think doesnt it ? It may well even bring down the number of DRI !!!

 

[RumBum]

Dude, diving is EXTREME? Far out.

 

[miketsp]

Diving is only an extreme sport if you want to make it so.
For me it's a relaxing hobby.
Fitness tests should only be for those responsible for others - DMs & Instructors.

As for those that think it's a "team" sport where you depend on team members to achieve an objective - that concept rarely applies to the recreational diving I do.

 

[TheRedHead]

Why do we need behavior police to regulate a recreational past time where a lot of us don't dive in teams and really don't care how other people dive? What is with this need to make everyone behave themselves?

 

[String]

Certainly wouldnt class it as an extreme sport (and neither do insurance companies).

As for medicals some countries still do have the requirement for a yearly medical. Britain used to but unfortunately it was axed a few years ago in favour of "self certification" medicals. The problem with these are people arent entirely honest on the forms yet still go diving. Ive seen plenty of divers physically huge,unfit and so on that would never pass a medical that just ticked the correct box on the form.

My issue with these people are not so much what they do to themselves but would they place a buddy or rescuer at risk if they had a problem.

 

[Irobot]

String I agree !

I,m not trying to upset anyone here but if you are diving with a duve buddy who is clearly not fit ( But that I mean a danger ) Then he a danger to his buddy also & as you rightly said a rescuer.

I,m not saying that we shave have the SCUBA police or anything like that but i think that a yaerly or 2 yaerly medical would be benificial to bring down the incidents of well....diving incidents

 

[dkktsunami]

Why do we need behavior police to regulate a recreational past time where a lot of us don't dive in teams and really don't care how other people dive? What is with this need to make everyone behave themselves?

Group approval is the latest rage in America. Independent thinking is discouraged. MOFer.

 

[Irobot]

Im independantly thinking that Medicals sould be part of a requirment for Diving