Sandals Scuba Medical Certification?

[jringold]

I am headed to Sandals Montego Bay in three weeks. While there I plan to participate in their inclusive scuba program. Here is my confusion. This is listed on the Sandals web site:

Scuba Courses at Sandals Luxury All Inclusive Caribbean Resorts

Experienced divers rejoice!
Sandals offers some of the most exciting dive sites in the entire Caribbean region, as well as top-of-the-line equipment; extremely knowledgeable and expert dive masters and captains; and a customized fleet of state-of-the-art 49' Newton boats. Thrilling underwater experiences await.
Just download and fill out this mandatory medical questionnaire, which will assess if you meet the minimum physical requirements to safely participate in this sport. The Medical Questionnaire must be completely filled and signed by a physician prior to arrival at the resort.

Here is my confusion. If I have already been medically cleared by PADI (I had to be cleared to get OW certified) then why the heck would I need to go back to the doc to get a form signed again? If the form is filled out again then it requires a physician signature since I am on BP meds.

Here is my other question. My wife has no health issues. As such, PADI did not require a physician signature for her health form. In reading the above, it appears that she would still need a physician signature on a form.

Am I reading this incorrectly? I contacted Sandals. They said they contacted the resort while I was on-line and confirmed this.

Thoughts?

 

[parzdiver]

I was at Sandals in St. Lucia this past January and just had to complete the normal questionnaire, nothing had to be signed by a physician. The only time I would expect something like that is if you are taking a course.

We are going the the Sandals in Granada in January, so I am curious to see if this is just a misplaced statement. I would expect 90% of people would NOT have completed this prior to going to any of the Sandals resorts.

Follow up - I poke around, since there is no link to any forms on that particular page. The information seems to have been pulled from the New Divers page and is related to taking a class. The form specifically mentions it is for training.

 

[jringold]

That is what I first thought as well - but here is part of the chat log:

09/08/2015 04:09:30PM	Keniel: "the questionnaire is to tell the resort that you are medically able to dive"
09/08/2015 04:10:20PM	"Even though I am already medically cleared by PADI. My physician already signed a form about a year ago for PADI. Does this mean that I have to make a doc appt just to get the same form signed for the resort as well?"
09/08/2015 04:11:40PM	Keniel: "Let me find out for you if you will indeed have a doctor sign another form telling us that you are medically fit for diving"
09/08/2015 04:12:33PM	"Actually I was recertified with PADI in May and had to get one then."
09/08/2015 04:12:42PM	"May 2015"
09/08/2015 04:13:26PM	Keniel: "So PADI cleared you medically in May ?"
09/08/2015 04:13:37PM	"Yes."
09/08/2015 04:13:53PM	"My new C-Card has a June 2015 date on it."
09/08/2015 04:14:18PM	Keniel: "Okay, let me find out for you"
09/08/2015 04:16:51PM	Keniel: "I am going to call the resort and speak with a dive instructor"
09/08/2015 04:22:16PM	Keniel: "I just got off the phone with the resort and they informed me that you would have to download the form on the website and fill it out then bring in to have a doctor sign it"

---------- Post added September 8th, 2015 at 05:06 PM ----------

I just sent an email to PADI Customer Service. Not sure if they can shed some light on it or not. It seems like it is a mistake, but it would totally blow to get there and find out I could not dive. And getting a physician signature is a major hassle because I have to get an appointment, take time off work, pay for an office visit, etc. If this is correct then it would seem like every time I wanted to go on a dive trip I would have to get the form signed.

 

[tursiops]

The purpose of the form is to see if you need a doctor's signature/clearance. You do. The form you've already filled out and had a doctor sign is good for 12 months, under PADI training rules, so long as your YES and NO answers don't change.

The form you have is NOT a PADI clearance....it is the standard RSTC form with PADI's logo on it, and the clearance is from your doctor, not PADI.

However, Sandals can institute whatever they wish for divers not taking training. They apparently want the same form, just to dive, but they clearly state on their FAQ page that the doctor's signature is only needed if you have YES answers on the form. You do. The only issue is the date on the form you already have. If Sandals wishes to be pi$$y about it, they can say your signature is not recent. It is not a PADI issue, it is a Sandals issue. In fact, many people solve this problem by answering NO to such questionnaires. There are good reasons not to do this, but obviously doing it also solves some problems. All NO's means no signature needed.

I'd be tempted just to tell Sandals you have a signed form, and if they object then explain it is good enough for PADI and for training, and if that isn't good enough for just diving, then you are happy to take your business elsewhere and also happy to explain to PADI that Sandals is misusing the PADI brand.

 

[jringold]

Thanks for the reality check. The way you described it makes sense now. My thought process was that that if PADI clears me then I'm golden. It didn't really occur to me that the resort could set its own standards above and beyond the certification agency if they are using the agency's name..

But from a larger standpoint - let's say that I have high blood pressure. And let's say I dive a lot of charters. And finally let's say that I am brutally honest on the med form. If everyone was like Sandals, then I would have to carry a signed med form around with me. present it every where I went, and at the very least, get it resigned every year.

Maybe I should lay of the salt and get my BP down, then my problem goes away!

 

[fisheater]

At my annual checkup, I get a standard dive medical release form signed and just shove it in my dive log. If anyone wants/needs it for the next year, I'm covered.


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[Stoo]

Here's a thought... well two really. First - lie. Fill the damn form in that says you compete in Ironman comps every second weekend and send it in as clean as can be. No Doc required. I mean what are they going to do if they find out? Suit you for risking your own well being. The thing is there to save them from you. If you have risk factors and you are prepared to accept them and choose to dive, what does it matter to them? Just don't suit them if you have a heart attack swimming to the boat.

The other option is to tell them that nobody else requires this and go someplace else. (I have been diving all over the Caribbean for the past 30-odd years and never had anyone ask my for a medical. Mind you, I've always avoided large factory resorts...)

Assuming that you aren't planning on doing any training of course. If you're planning on taking a course, you gotta play by their rules!)

It's just another example of lawyers running the dive industry...

 

[freewillie]

I can't help with the specific Sandals but I just got back from the Beaches in Turks & Caicos which is also a Sandal's operated property. I just had to show my card and log book. Since my last dive was Thanksgiving they required a pool session with me before I could sign up for any scuba. After the pool session we signed up for the whole week. No medical form was necessary. If I had a logged dive within 1-2 months I would not have had to do the pool session. But the rules are set by the resort, not PADI. Given what I saw that week with some divers I don't blame them. They get 30-40 divers a day. Some with very good skills. Others should not be allowed to continue diving without a refresher course.

Your doctor should be able to fill out the form but he/she may require an office visit. If you have any doubts and absolutely have to dive on the vacation I might opt to get the form filled out and signed just in case.

 

[redacted]

If you do not meet Sandals' requirements, they may not let you dive. They have your $$$, so there is no reason for them to relax any of their requirements. If your answers provide any cause for concern on their par, you may have a problem. The solution is not that difficult.

 

[azmodan50]

I went to Sandals in Ocho Rios some years ago with friends that were doing the resort course for scuba. I was told that if I wanted to dive with them, I would have to take the resort course too.

They have some stupid rules at Sandals.