What is your personal diving health limit?

[boulderjohn]

I recently came upon details of a dive incident in which a diver had a close call but survived. I will omit the full details for privacy reasons, but I think part of it is worthy of discussion. The diver fell unconscious just after surfacing at the end of the dive, and he was rescued when someone on the nearby shore saw that he was floating face down, jumped in, and pulled him out. After being treated by EMTs, he explained that he knew the reason that he had lost consciousness, and he said that it had happened before. He refused further medical treatment.

Although some of us dive with no health issues whatsoever, many of us do have some sort of continuing medical issue, and we have to decide if that issue is serious enough to impact our diving. In this case, I find it hard to believe that anyone would dive knowing that he could lapse into unconsciousness without warning at any time. He has apparently decided it is a risk he is willing to take.

I wonder what thoughts others may have. How far are you willing to go to continue to pursue an activity you love knowing that you have some personal medical risk?

 

[BRT]

If I knew I had an issue that could leave me unconscious I would only dive if I was sure it was under control.

If I knew I had an issue that could leave me unconscious I would only drive if I was sure it was under control.

If I were diabetic and quite sure I wouldn't go into a coma I'd dive, and drive.

 

[pauldewitt]

Yes. The trick is remaining responsible. This includes taking precautionary measures and knowing when to exit. In scuba, I get nauseated easily. So I take medicine and dive in a conservative manner. I have stopped dives even before descent because waves are causing nausea. I don't want to proceed with symptoms and be down at depth dealing with an issue only to get overloaded by the nausea. Plus it is simply an unpleasant experience. The medicine usually eliminates all nausea symptoms but sometimes no. It's not fun for the buddy, but they have their days with issues too and understand. I suppose my relative ease of diving makes it easier to say quits for the day - four great shore dive spots are within 15 minutes of my home.

 

[freewillie]

Well controlled and medically managed conditions like hypertension and high cholesterol have very few if any medical contraindications to diving.

Heart disease is the leading non-diving cause of death. The official listed cause of death for divers will be drowning, but the cardiac arrest is the precipitating event. If patients have had a history of heart disease they need specific medical clearance by their primary care doctor or cardiologist. Usually as simple as a yearly cardiac stress test.

Other conditions like diabetes and asthma have relative contraindications. If they are well controlled you may still be able to dive but do have a higher risk of diving accident. In those situations it is up to the individual diver what would be the acceptable risk. I was diving in Kona, HI and one of the divers on the boat was an insulin dependent diabetic. She had an insulin pump under her wetsuit. I didn't specifically ask her about her diabetes and diving but did notice the pump. She loves the water, loves to dive, and apparently accepts the risk.

In general I would advise any diver to have some sort of baseline health for diving. You shouldn't be completely sedentary and then try to engage in strenuous physical activity like a 200 feet surface swim. Just asking for trouble.

But, you can pass out from low blood sugar while driving your car. We accept risk all the time, it's just that if something happens to you while diving it most likely will result in death by drowning. For something like passing out, not sure what your friend's underlying medical condition is, I would highly recommend investing in a full face mask. That way if he does pass out next time odds of drowning are decreased since he will have oxygen and not have the regulator drop out of the mouth.

 

[redacted]

I guess I would rather die UW than so many other options, like sitting here reading this board.:shocked2:

 

[Fundive123]

This is NOT medical advice, but Personally if i or my dive partner had health issues/limitations we would let the other partner know before and again during the pre-dive planning What those limits/problems are and what the symptoms might look like if those problems were to occur and how to respond. For example, if I were a asthmatic or diabetic, I would only dive if I was medically cleared and my conditions were under control, plus I would let my dive partner know I'm an asthmatic or diabetic, and show them exactly where my inhalers/medication are and how they are administered. If at any point either one of us were to feel uncomfortable we wouldn't go diving or if we did, we would immediately call the dive.

 

[Bob DBF]

I have done and probably will continue to do a bunch of stupid s**t underwater however, I would draw the line at, or before, passing out without warning.

My bottom line is that I plan to go home after diving. If the doctors that keep track of me tell me it's time to stop and give me a good reason, then I will be quite grumpy until I find a hobby that won't kill me as fast. Since I dive, tank and free, year round, from the "beaches", in NorCal I don't believe anything will sneak up on me without notice.


Bob
-------------------------------
The day I can't dive anymore, I will really need some other good reasons to stay alive. DarkAbyss

 

[TMHeimer]

I wonder if passing out without warning can really be contolled? Maybe an MD can clearify. Recently I rigged up a bungee cord to hold my reg in should I ever
pass out for some reason (don't want to spend the $ on a full face mask). So this has entered my mind, though I have no history of it. So far only congestion prevents me from diving, and at turning 60 next month, knock wood.

 

[tomfcrist]

I had a fellow instructor whom had some medical issues that were annoyances for a few years. He knew when to call it a day and eventually knew to call it quits for sure. His decision was not based on risk to himself but rather the risk to divers around him...he didn't want to become a burden, thus he quit diving this year. Now that I think about it, it's the same reason Richard Petty decided to quit racing stock cars.

 

[diver 85]

I have none---that I know of(unless hard headedness is considered one)--but my wife has developed intermittent Atrial Fib(AF) for about the last 10 years or so....In the last 5 years she has gone on fulltime medication for it VS the 'cocktail' meds she was given when it occurred during the 1st 5 years of having it......Saying this, she has not any episodes of AF for well over a year now & was cleared to dive by an electophysiologist probably 3 years ago...Electrophysiologist's thinking was wife knew when she was going into AF(ALWAYS quite evident to my wife) & simply start an ascent when she ever felt it 'happening'........Thank goodness to date, no problems while UW........

EDIT.....forgot to say in OP, she never stayed out of the water during the 1st 7 years she was dx'ed with it.......hmmmm