On Tuesday, February 03, 2004 10:25 PM, Christian Gerzner wrote:

> A colleague from elsewhere in the world recently wrote to me as follows:
> > could you tell me more about this over 65
> > requirement for an  Australian Diving Medical Certificate?

> > I expect to be with Mike Ball somewhere in the Coral Sea
> > for New Years 2005 ... and I am over 65.

> > Christian, deliver me from this evil.

> I dunno how valid this is, I guess he could have asked the Mike Ball
> people (of which Mike Ball is no longer a party) but he asked me.

> Anyone? Strike in particular who is sure to know?

I have no idea what evil he expects you to deliver him from - or where he
got his previous information from about diving in Queensland????  (Hopefully
not from anybody living in Florida!)

The Australian Medical Diving Certificate to which he refers is - as far as
I'm aware - only a requirement for those intending to do a diving course.
It is certainly not a statutory requirement for already certified divers -
as far as I am aware!

Nor is it a particularly arduous one!!!!

Nor is it - having looked at the Mike Ball website (although not having
spoken to my contacts there) - one of their requirements!

Has the person who contacted you got an obvious medical history that is a
contra-indication to diving?

In any event (and I'll ask them tomorrow) at a purely personal level, why
should anyone who contemplates diving feel that a diving  medical is an
"evil"?

Strike