On Saturday, September 02, 2000 8:27 AM, Christian Gerzner wrote:


(snip)
> > This point was brought home to me recently when an acquaintance who is
also
> > a diving instructor asked me for a referral for a diving medical (I do
not
> > do them).  He has ischaemic heart disease and has had a vessel stented
and
> > is currently asymptomatic with good exercise tolerance.  My feeling is
that
> > the risk of recreational diving for himself was his own problem as long
as
> > his buddy was cognisant of his health problems, but that he should NOT
> > instruct.  My guess is that his PL insurance won't pay out if there's a
> > problem.

> > He was cleared for diving (not by the person I referred him to, who he
> > didn't see) and still instructs.

(snip)

> This particular event occurred in one of the southern Australian cities
> although I imagine it is capable of being reproduced anywhere in the
world.

> Comments?

Christian!  It's a hard call.  Subjectively we all like to think that we're
fit for diving - or certainly the type of diving that we enjoy doing.  Being
grounded for medical reasons is not something that most of us would readily
accept, especially if we felt that the condition or illness posed an
acceptable level of risk as far as diving was concerned.

However! :-)

Objectively - IMO -  everybody who dives owes it to themselves; their
buddies and their diving companions to be as fit as possible.  Diving is,
after all, a strenuous activity that takes place in a hostile and alien
environment, one that imposes a lot of hidden stresses on the body.

With all due respect to the Doc concerned, it seems to me that he's shoving
the responsibility for telling a friend that he shouldn't dive on to
somebody else.  In this instance the diver concerned hasn't even consulted
the person that he was referred to.  (Probably in an attempt to hide their
previous medical history so that they could continue to teach?)

The fact that he still instructs is - it seems to me - selfish and ignoring
the responsibility that he has for the welfare of novice divers in his care.
If this diver's health becomes an issue while underwater then he is putting
the well-being of others at risk.  They may not be capable or knowledgeable
enough to render appropriate assistance.

The Doc is equally at fault!

Divers used to be advised to have a proper diving medical annually - or
following any illness.  Although that seems to have gone by the by, it's
something that the training Agencies should really be pushing as far as
their Instructors are concerned.  (And I don't mean just a frivolous
"complete this form" and a few cursory checks!)  Fitness to dive really does
need to be taken seriously!

Strike