Personal Fitness In Scuba DivingPersonal Fitness In Scuba Diving
Publication Date: March 1998
Scuba diving offers opportunities for travel, family fun and friendly interaction with the environment. As divers of all ages and athletic abilities pursue recreational diving, one must consider the fitness level required for scuba. Although the relatively weightless underwater environment makes diving appear almost effortless, scuba diving does require a measure of strength and stamina.
If you're considering learning to dive, keep in mind that not all of your diving will be the same - water and weather conditions vary from dive to dive and even from the beginning to the end of some dives.
You may be required to maneuver through strong currents to reach your dive site - or perform a long surface swim at the end of a dive. Divers need to be able to perform unexpected strenuous physical tasks. Also, they should not have any health conditions or be taking any medications that may cause problems while diving.
Students learning to dive complete a medical history form before getting into the water, but a physician's examination may not be required. In some cases, students report medical problems that may prevent them from diving or temporarily restrict their involvement in scuba. These students may be allowed to dive once they have been evaluated and receive a physician's consent.
Some medical conditions - such as colds, flu, injury or pregnancy - will temporarily restrict diving. Why? With colds or flu, swelling or blockage in the Eustachian tubes or sinuses may prevent adequate equalization of these air spaces with the water pressure. Injuries to joints and muscles may not only reduce diving ability but also increase susceptibility to decompression illness. Therefore, it is best to postpone diving until the injuries are fully healed. Because little is known about the effects of scuba diving on an unborn child, it is recommended that pregnant women wait to dive until after a pregnancy.
Other medical conditions that restrict the movement of a diver's arms and legs may in turn limit in-water mobility. Additionally, some people may experience pain or discomfort with the physical exertion of scuba diving. These symptoms can mimic the signs of decompression illness after a dive. Such health issues require individual evaluation by a physician prior to learning to dive.
Predive physical examinations may be necessary and requested by diving instructors when more information is needed about an individual's health. The most common reason for physician referral is that a student has a diagnosed medical condition or is under the care of a physician. The evaluation is simply an assessment of compatibility for scuba with various medical conditions.
Other reasons a diving student may be asked to see a doctor include
(but are not limited to):
No upper age limit for participation in scuba diving exists, provided a diver is healthy and fit and has no disqualifying medical conditions.
Some divers may be asked by their physician to perform an exercise tolerance test to rule out any cardiovascular (heart) problems - this is appropriate when the diver is older or appears generally out of shape. This test allows a physician to collect information about how well an individual responds to exercise.
Let your dive instructor know if you are taking any medications, whether they're prescribed by your doctor or purchased over the counter. Most medications will have no effect on diving, but some may cause drowsiness or fatigue, which may increase the susceptibility to nitrogen narcosis. Others may affect heart rate. Read the warning labels and precautions before using prescription or over-the-counter drugs, especially if you plan to dive.
The susceptibility of an unexpected reaction to medications at depth varies from diver to diver, and even from day to day. If you start a new medication, be sure there are no side effects at the surface before entering the water. (This is especially true of anti-motion sickness medications.) If a medication "may cause drowsiness" or suggests restricting the use of machinery after taking the medication, it may be best to reconsider your plan to dive and wait until you're no longer taking that medication.
There is concern about the advisability of allowing individuals with asthma or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus to dive. Some individuals with a history of asthma are permitted to dive by their physicians - after a careful evaluation. Diabetes and many other medical conditions must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis with an appropriate medical specialist.
Scuba diving is an activity that anyone with good health and fitness can enjoy for a lifetime. To get the most out of your lifetime of diving, practice disease and injury prevention and participate in a health maintenance program.
Most of all, don't hide or downplay any medical condition or health problem. It's better to have an open and frank discussion before a problem arises than to wonder if the injury could have been avoided.
Finally, if you have questions on your own diving fitness, queries about certain medical conditions when diving, how to find a diving doctor in your area, or if your physician has any questions, call Divers Alert Network (DAN's) Medical Information Line at (919) 684-2948.
Written by Joel Dovenbarger, R.N. DAN Director of Medical Services and other DAN physicians.
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