News
Is everyone fit to dive?
Published Fri 05 Nov 2021
"Is everyone fit to dive today?"
We've all become used to being asked this question before each day of diving. The normal response is to quickly check we can suck some air through at least one nostril and if so, say we're good to go!
Beyond the nostrils ...
Not being congested or otherwise unwell is very important of course. Blockages in our airways and sinuses can be disastrous with the changes of pressure experienced during diving. And while it's never been OK to pass your cough or cold on to fellow divers, COVID-19 has added a serious, potentially deadly dimension to coming along and 'seeing how you go'. If you're experiencing any cold or flu symptoms (such as persistent congestion) you shouldn't be anwhere near the dive briefing!
Fatigue
Other things to consider when the DM asks about fitness is how rested you are. Fatigue can make you unfit to dive. Many people don't get adequate sleep before a day of diving. Sometimes you need to leave home early in the morning and drive long distances. Other times it's late night (packing dive gear of course ...), travelling after a long day at work, unfamiliar, uncomfortable beds, snoring dive buddies, the list goes on. Fatigue is a risk factor for DCI. It can contribute to you making mistakes, forgetting checks, and leaving gear behind. It can make you more prone to accidents and injury, including traffic accidents.
Fitness
Fitness to dive includes aerobic capacity, strength and endurance. You don't need to be an elite athlete but you need to be reasonably fit and able to handle the range of conditions and events that could arise on a dive. These include dealing with some current, managing an unexpected surface swim, boarding the vessel or exiting the water in swell and assisting another diver if they get into difficulty. When the DM asks if you're fit to dive, one of your considerations should be the conditions and the plan for the day. I know personally that I can't leap up from the surf and board into the bow of Ken's boat - for me, that's a fitness issue for Straddie dives especially when the launch may be tricky.
Injuries and ailments
Whether from accidents or just ageing, many of us experience issues such as bad backs or injured joints that we live with in normal life. Or we could pick up a minor injury on a previous dive. These may not be enough to cancel a dive but they can contribute to incidents becoming worse, pushing us deeper into the incident pit. Lower levels of dive fitness can limit our ability to help others. If you're an instructor or Dive Leader in particular there's a higher chance that you'll need to render assistance from time to time. On such occasions having good strength, fitness and endurance is more important than ever.
Medical restrictions on diving
Normally restrictions - like those in a cave or wreck - are good fun. But sometimes divers can have restrictions imposed on their diving due to medical conditions. In BSAC, any restrictions are shown as part of the Recreational Medical Certificate. If you have one of these they need to be provided to the Club via the DO or Membership Officer. They don't need your personal medical information, just the minimum information about the requirement. This approach is designed not only to help you but also the Diving Officer, DM and your buddy (as applicable) to support you better. If an incident occurs they can respond quicker and more effectively than if they were in the dark about your medical condition.
Be honest and tell someone
We love diving and don't want lack of fitness or a medical condition to stop us. So strong temptations arise: firstly to ignore problems and dismiss them as 'natural' and secondly to keep problems secret. Please don't do this. To start with, if you don't tell BSAC or a dive operator you won't be covered by their insurance. More generally you're increasing the risk to yourself and mis-informing those who can help you if something happens. If you have a concern, however slight, please tell your dive buddy and the DM at least. They will then at least be forewarned.
So when you next hear the question, "Is everyone fit to dive today?" think beyond your nostrils to all the aspects of dive fitness and the demands of the upcoming day before answering, hopefully with a confident "Yes!"
Gavin Wills