Lies on the medical statement

[Hillmorton Scubie]

I recently met again an older diver that I knew years ago, I had heard that he had health problems over the years but was surprised that he continue's to dive.
I asked how his doctor passes him fit, and was surprised at his candid reply. He said that everyone with health problems lies on the medical statement because if they don't lie they don't dive. He said that doctors are not prepared to say someone is fit to dive in case of the consequences, as its far safer for them to refuse "fit to dive". He said the medical is just to stop legal action and that a huge number of divers lied on the medical each dive. I suspect he is right. What do you think

[Diving Doc]

I recently met again an older diver that I knew years ago, I had heard that he had health problems over the years but was surprised that he continue's to dive.
I asked how his doctor passes him fit, and was surprised at his candid reply. He said that everyone with health problems lies on the medical statement because if they don't lie they don't dive. He said that doctors are not prepared to say someone is fit to dive in case of the consequences, as its far safer for them to refuse "fit to dive". He said the medical is just to stop legal action and that a huge number of divers lied on the medical each dive. I suspect he is right. What do you think

Sadly my friend this is the world that we live in!! People lie on medical forms all the time. Once at a dive site I noticed a scar on a student. When challenged he told me what it was from. Needless to say, it was a contrindication to diving yet he had put a resounding no on his form.

I asked the chap to leave!

You being from England (where are you?) will know all about the HSE and what would happen if this guy had had an accident under our care.

Its never the students fault is it? You have my sympathies.

We are very lucky here as we are close to the
Diving Dieseases Research Centre (DDRC) so the issue of a doctor not knowing enough to pass a diver as fit to dive is not so much of an issue...the issue tends to be "im not paying that to have a medical done"

Cant win can we

[SparticleBrane]

Just curious, what kind of scar would indicate a contraindication to diving?
I have a small scar on my stomach from where I had my appendix taken out last year, but that definitely isn't a contraindication for diving.

[String]

I recently met again an older diver that I knew years ago, I had heard that he had health problems over the years but was surprised that he continue's to dive.
I asked how his doctor passes him fit, and was surprised at his candid reply. He said that everyone with health problems lies on the medical statement because if they don't lie they don't dive. He said that doctors are not prepared to say someone is fit to dive in case of the consequences, as its far safer for them to refuse "fit to dive". He said the medical is just to stop legal action and that a huge number of divers lied on the medical each dive. I suspect he is right. What do you think

Come across several people that have blatently lied on their medical self cert form. I know of lots of people that knew what to say knowing if they put the truth down they couldnt dive. I've also seen several incidents that on investigation later turned out that they were caused by a known condition that was definately non-fit to dive but the people had known this and lied on the form.

Not convinced its to stop legal action though (in the uk at least).

Sad fact is that people are diving who shouldn't be diving. A lot of these KNOW they shouldnt be diving but choose to risk it and lie on the form.

[Diving Doc]

Just curious, what kind of scar would indicate a contraindication to diving?
I have a small scar on my stomach from where I had my appendix taken out last year, but that definitely isn't a contraindication for diving.

What i said was he told me what the scar was from....then went on to say that it was a contraindication to diving. The scar was at chest level if that gives u a clue!!

[Drew Sailbum]

I have seen large scars down the centerline of the chest - clearly a history of some sort of significant thoracic surgery - which must be disclosed. Similarly, I saw extensive scars on a student's arm with pinhole scars from where external bracing pierced the skin to support a severly broken arm.

Whether the history is sufficient to be a contraindication to diving I cannot say. I am not a doctor. But the prospective student needs to candidly and truthfully answer the medical question. It is then up to the physician to evaluate whether their medical history is compatible with diving.

With obvious signs of a past medical history, I cannot simply accept such a student who answers "no" on his medical.

Unfortunately, students and certified divers all too often lie. Loading the diver into the ambulance is not the appropriate time to have a frank discussion about health issues and diving. For some reason they do seem to tell the ambulance crew the truth. Go figure.

[Web Monkey]

With obvious signs of a past medical history, I cannot simply accept such a student who answers "no" on his medical.

Unfortunately, students and certified divers all too often lie. Loading the diver into the ambulance is not the appropriate time to have a frank discussion about health issues and diving. For some reason they do seem to tell the ambulance crew the truth. Go figure.

The questions are almost irrelvant.

Would you rather dive with someone who has screaming-high blood-pressure, but who has never seen a doctor, or someone who had mildly elevated BP, saw a doctor and is fully controlled on SCUBA-compatible meds?

The first can honestly answer "no" and be a ticking bomb, while the second guy could easily tow you to shore if needed, but would be precluded from diving because he honestly answered "yes".

Terry

[Steve_Dives]

Personally I see the form as a legal thing more than a medical. Yes it is there to inform those with medical conditions. It is a form the students have to sign (and the shop/instructor keeps) to prove the student was informed. If the form shows nothing, then how would the instructor know a medical situation is jeopardizing the student's life?

[String]

Not really.

A "yes" on the form simply means they need a doctor to certify them fit. No problem with the 2nd person in question there, a doctor will OK them, give them a certificate and they can dive.

[nereas]

Just curious, what kind of scar would indicate a contraindication to diving?
I have a small scar on my stomach from where I had my appendix taken out last year, but that definitely isn't a contraindication for diving.

Congestive heart disease is normally a contraindication to dive training, and scars on your chest from the surgery are a dead give-away.

Inner ear surgery is another contraindication, although I doubt those scars would be too obvious.

The list of contraindications varies by agency.