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.

And I replied:
(snip)
> 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!

(snip)

> 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"?

I've spoken with both the operator and the Queensland diving body.

The operator said that unless the person was planning to do an actual diving
course, then providing they could answer the medical questions on their
booking form there was no requirement for them to complete the Australian
Diving Medical exam.

Dive Queensland also confirmed that while, at various times, there had been
discussions about the introduction of a diving medical for those people over
a certain age, nothing had come of it to date.  (There is still the
requirement for all divers to complete a medical waiver form.  That's a
standard self-assessment that relies on the honesty of the individual.)

If, on the other hand, the person is planning on doing a diving course while
on the trip, then they will have to complete a medical prior to doing the
course and to the Australian Diving Medical standard - regardless of their
age.  That's protection for the operator as much as for the individual.
Nothing ruins a dive trip as much as somebody carking it!

At a personal level, I don't see anything intrusive, or 'evil' about diving
medicals - or being passed as medically fit for diving.  Neither do I quite
understand the subject heading, "Scuba Police?"  Nobody seems to whinge
about the requirement, for example, to have an eye-sight test before being
allowed to drive a car! :-)

Strike