Could you be pregnant, or are you attempting to become pregnant?

The effect of venous emboli formed during decompression on the fetus has not been thoroughly investigated.  Diving is therefore not recommended during any stage of pregnancy or for women actively seeking to
become pregnant

Are you presently taking prescription medications? (with the exception of birth control or anti-malarial?)

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Are you over 45 years of age and can answer YES to one or more of the following?

• currently smoke a pipe, cigars or cigarettes,
• have a high cholesterol level,
• have a family history of heart attack or stroke
• are currently receiving medical care,
• high blood pressure,
• diabetes mellitus, even if controlled by diet alone.

Have you ever had or do you currently have?

Asthma, or wheezing with breathing, or wheezing with exercise?

The 1996 Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) consensus on diving and asthma indicates that for the risk of pulmonary barotrauma and decompression illness to be acceptably low, the asthmatic diver should be asymptomatic and have normal spirometry before and after an exercise test. Inhalation challenge tests (e.g.: using histamine, hypertonic saline or methacholine) are not sufficiently standardized to be interpreted in the context of scuba diving.

Frequent or severe attacks of hayfever or allergy?

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Frequent colds, sinusitis or bronchitis?

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Any form of lung disease?

cystic or cavitating lung diseases may all cause air trapping. Interstitial lung disease: May increase the risk of pneumothorax.

Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)?

Many interstitial diseases predispose to spontaneous pneumothorax. A pneumothorax that occurs or reoccurs while diving may be catastrophic. As the diver ascends, air trapped in the cavity expands and could produce a tension pneumothorax. Individuals who have experienced spontaneous pneumothorax should avoid diving, even after a surgical procedure designed to prevent recurrence (such as pleurodesis).  Surgical procedures either do not correct the underlying lung abnormality (e.g.: pleurode- sis, apical pleurectomy) or may not totally correct it (e.g.: resection of blebs or bullae).

Other chest disease or chest surgery

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Behavioral health, mental or psychological problems (Panic attack, fear of
closed or open spaces)?

Behavioural:  The diver’s mental capacity and emotional make-up are important to safe diving.  The student diver must have sufficient learning abilities to grasp information presented to him by his instructors, be able to safely plan and execute his own dives and react to changes around him in the underwater environment. The student’s motivation to learn and his ability to deal with potentially dangerous situations are also crucial to safe scuba diving.

Relative Risk Conditions
•Developmental delay
•History of drug or alcohol abuse
•History of previous psychotic episodes
•Use of psychotropic medications

Severe Risk Conditions
•Inappropriate motivation to dive – solely to please spouse, partner or family member, to prove oneself in the face of
personal fears
•Claustrophobia and agoraphobia
•Active psychosis
•History of untreated panic disorder
•Drug or alcohol abuse

Epilepsy, seizures, convulsions or take medications to prevent them?

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Recurring complicated migraine headaches or take medications to prevent
them?

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Blackouts or fainting (full/partial loss of consciousness)?

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and valvular stenosis may lead to the sudden onset of unconsciousness during exercise. The potentially rapid change in level of consciousness associated with hypoglycemia in diabetics on insulin therapy or certain oral hypoglycemic medications can result in drowning.  Diving is therefore generally contraindicated, unless associated with a specialized program that addresses these issues.

Frequent or severe suffering from motion sickness (seasick, carsick,
etc.)?

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Dysentery or dehydration requiring medical intervention?

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Any dive accidents or decompression sickness?

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Inability to perform moderate exercise (example: walk 1.6 km/one mile
within 12 mins.)?

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Head injury with loss of consciousness in the past five years?

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Recurrent back problems?

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Back or spinal surgery?

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Diabetes?

More information on this subject will be added soon.

Back, arm or leg problems following surgery, injury or fracture?

More information on this subject will be added soon.