Requirements for diving (logs, cards, etc)

[tkaelin]

Below is an example of a dive policy from an popular op on GC to give you an idea of what I was referring to as for as policies found in the Caribbean.

Diver Freshness
If it has been 12 months of surface interval since your last dive, but not longer than 24 months a 'Pool Self-Check' is required. We also recommend signing up for either a 1-tank or 2-tank shallow reef dives for your first boat dive trip with Ocean Frontiers.

If you haven't been diving within the last 4 years a supervised Orientation dive is required prior to participating on any other boat diving trip for certified divers. If your last dive was 4-9 years ago you will need to complete a full refresher class. Scuba divers with 10 more more years of inactivity will need to complete a Full PADI certification class.

Required:

• 12-24 months since last dive = 'Pool Self-Check'
• 2-4 Years since last dive = Orientation 1-Tank Dive
• 4-9 Years since last dive = Full Refresher Class
• 10+ years since last dive = Re-Certification

 

[tkaelin]

And from a popular dive op on Bon

When Do I Need A Refresher? - Dive Friends Bonaire

 

[KeithG]

No medical questions?
Have you actually read the waiver, before marking each box, No?

The Bonaire dive op we use has an "Assumption of.Risk and Release" form.

There are no Yes / No questions on the form. There are 9 statements that you have to initial to indicate you understand and agree to.

Unlike some US based operations they do not ask invasive private medical questions like those found on the RSTC training course medical release form.

 

[rick00001967]

a lot of solid advise has already been given.

yes you should def do a refresher before the trip. if you have your own gear (which i assume you do since you were certified as a DM) then make sure it has been serviced. take it to pool "after" servicing to test it all out.

there should not be a medical form to fill out unless you are doing some form of training. but perhaps there are shops that ask for this as well. usually a waiver is all that is required.

if you are diving with a guide (whether off shore or boat) be sure to do some easy dives first. nothing wrong with asking for some help doing some dive planing practice with your tables (if that is what you are using) along with gas management planing. one of the most frequent issues with new divers or with divers who have been out of the water for some time is a lack of understanding of how fast they will burn through their gas. keep the dives shallow and easy until you get more comfortable and have an idea of what your SAC rate is so you can properly plan a dive on your own.

i would not recommend any unguided shore diving unless you keep it simple. stay within your comfort / training / experience limits. lots to see between 20 and 60 feet.

enjoy !!

 

[dmaziuk]

The Bonaire dive op we use has an "Assumption of.Risk and Release" form.

There are no Yes / No questions on the form. There are 9 statements that you have to initial to indicate you understand and agree to.

Unlike some US based operations they do not ask invasive private medical questions like those found on the RSTC training course medical release form.

I haven't been to a place where they use RSTC-like form for dives. I would have noticed: it's a pet peeve of mine. I have not dived in Coz or Fl, that may be why.

 

[kelemvor]

I'd take a refresher locally so you don't waste your vacation time. Almost all operators I've been on will take you on an easy dive for the first dive in order to evaluate your skills. Then they'll take it from there.

Bring your certification cards. Most operators (but not all) will want to see them.

The single best thing you can do is call the operator you choose and tell them about your situation and see what they say. There aren't any rules for these things, it's completely up to the business you're deailing with on how they will handle it. Most will treat it as a sales opportunity to try and sell you additional training.

Not that I think training is a bad idea, I just think that doing training while on vacation really sucks. If you're going to train, try and do it before you travel.

Others in this thread have mentioned medical. That's another tricky thing as it's handled inconsistently. If you can fill out the questionairre and say you have none of the condistions they ask about, that's the safest thing. Otherwise, you can go get clearance in writing from your doctor in order to dive. I've seen one operator (Blue Xt Sea) say that even this isn't good enough. In that operator's case even with a recent medical diving evaluation you'll still have to get another one once you get to Cozumel from their preferred physician. If you have something to disclose on the medical form, then you should also discuss this in detail with the operator before you travel or just don't disclose it.

Bottom line: Real rules are very few and far between. Operators have to balance customer service with revenue generation and risk aversion. I'm sure it's a tough spot to be in, and that places us as customers in a tough spot as well. Communication is the key to happiness.

 

[Themerrydiver]

I'd take a refresher locally so you don't waste your vacation time. Almost all operators I've been on will take you on an easy dive for the first dive in order to evaluate your skills. Then they'll take it from there.

Bring your certification cards. Most operators (but not all) will want to see them.

The single best thing you can do is call the operator you choose and tell them about your situation and see what they say. There aren't any rules for these things, it's completely up to the business you're deailing with on how they will handle it. Most will treat it as a sales opportunity to try and sell you additional training.

Not that I think training is a bad idea, I just think that doing training while on vacation really sucks. If you're going to train, try and do it before you travel.

Others in this thread have mentioned medical. That's another tricky thing as it's handled inconsistently. If you can fill out the questionairre and say you have none of the condistions they ask about, that's the safest thing. Otherwise, you can go get clearance in writing from your doctor in order to dive. I've seen one operator (Blue Xt Sea) say that even this isn't good enough. In that operator's case even with a recent medical diving evaluation you'll still have to get another one once you get to Cozumel from their preferred physician. If you have something to disclose on the medical form, then you should also discuss this in detail with the operator before you travel or just don't disclose it.

Bottom line: Real rules are very few and far between. Operators have to balance customer service with revenue generation and risk aversion. I'm sure it's a tough spot to be in, and that places us as customers in a tough spot as well. Communication is the key to happiness.

The first time I dove in Cozumel (starting my PADI course) I brought a medical release from my doctor in the US and Scuba Club was fine with it. Filling out the medical questionnaire seems to be a formality with some dive ops and I kind of feel like it's just a formality and a way to keep them from liability if something should happen to a diver. I personally know folks who fib on the questionnaire because they want to go diving no matter what their medical condition may be. This applies mostly to older divers. I understand...most old divers would prefer to die doing what they love to do rather than falling out of a wheelchair. One of the best divers I've been around is in her late 70's at least, and I know she's had some medical issues. And besides, sometimes there isn't definitive information on dive related incidents so we may never know exactly what caused the injury or death .

 

[Christi]

I've seen one operator (Blue Xt Sea) say that even this isn't good enough. In that operator's case even with a recent medical diving evaluation you'll still have to get another one once you get to Cozumel from their preferred physician. If you have something to disclose on the medical form, then you should also discuss this in detail with the operator before you travel or just don't disclose it.
.

This is not an accurate statement and I have no idea where I’ve ever said that because it’s not my policy. If you answer “yes” to certain conditions, then a Drs release is required. If you do not have one, then you would be required to be evaluated by our local Diving (DAN) physician. This is not a revenue stream, in fact if it causes someone to miss a dive or worse ALL of their dives I lose revenue. I would much rather lose revenue from a diver than to jeopardize his/her lhealth or life.

And merry diver, forgive us for also wanting to mitigate risks. I guess you don’t do that in your line of work? And yes, it’s a tough position because people are inherently selfish and they DO lie and they DO die sometimes because they weren’t honest.

 

[Altamira]

The first time I dove in Cozumel (starting my PADI course) I brought a medical release from my doctor in the US and Scuba Club was fine with it. Filling out the medical questionnaire seems to be a formality with some dive ops and I kind of feel like it's just a formality and a way to keep them from liability if something should happen to a diver. I personally know folks who fib on the questionnaire because they want to go diving no matter what their medical condition may be. This applies mostly to older divers. I understand...most old divers would prefer to die doing what they love to do rather than falling out of a wheelchair. One of the best divers I've been around is in her late 70's at least, and I know she's had some medical issues. And besides, sometimes there isn't definitive information on dive related incidents so we may never know exactly what caused the injury or death .

As an old diver, I do not want to die falling out of a wheelchair or diving. And, I sure as hell don't want to put my wife/dive buddy, the dive op, the dive crew, or the other divers in the group through the trauma of having me die while diving with them. I am very certain I will know when it is time to stop diving, and if I don't, my dive doc will tell me. Perhaps divers that do not disclose every condition that would result in a YES on the medical waiver form, do so because HIPPA protections for medical information is not available outside of the U.S. and not because they prefer to die doing something they love.

 

[dmaziuk]

WRSTC statement states

You must complete this Medical Statement, which includes the medical questionnaire section, ...

Where I work we have a written standard called RFC-2119 that defines must as

1. MUST This word, or the terms "REQUIRED" or "SHALL", mean that the definition is an absolute requirement of the specification.

You are absolutely required to answer all questions regardless of the answers. Some posters here claim that someone at PADI told them "must" does not mean "must" if you bring in doctor's release. I am fairly certain that when it comes to assigning liability, someone at PADI will forget ever remembering saying anything of the sort, and legal professionals will interpret "must" to mean "must".

So effectively WRSTC form gives you two options: answer all questions, or answer all questions and bring the doctor's writ. If you're not comfortable disclosing your medical history to a dive op, your only option is to dive with an operator who uses a sensible waiver form instead -- whether you bring the medical release or not.

Yes, it's a formality, but if you answer no to "recreational drug use ... in the past five years", you may be caught lying on your official signed statement.