Diving with a cold

[LakeCountyDiver]

Well for me I look at congestion in lungs and sinuses. If there is none and I can plug and clear my ears that I am good to go. Musinex and any antihistamine will work good but cant be depended on. If you are done with a cold and just want to help fight and residual clogging then OTC med would work.

The way I look at it if I "THINK" I need any antihistamine to do a safe deep dive I wont do it. Stick to the shallows a 20 ft reef and there wont be much of a prob anyway. As you know a reverse block is not a good deal and not worth it

Safest bet if you second guess it pass.

 

[SeaHorse81]

Does anyone know if trip insurance will pay out if you cancel a dive vacation at the last minute because of a cold?

 

[TMHeimer]

Does anyone know if trip insurance will pay out if you cancel a dive vacation at the last minute because of a cold?

For my upcoming trip I asked Continental. They said the cancellation insurance is $88. Without it, to cancel & re-schedule is $150. I took a chance on the $150. Not a great choice either way.

 

[SeaHorse81]

For my upcoming trip I asked Continental. They said the cancellation insurance is $88. Without it, to cancel & re-schedule is $150. I took a chance on the $150. Not a great choice either way.

I'm actually wondering about the whole trip, both airfare and (in my case) liveaboard charges, all of which are prepaid well ahead of time. I get the trip insurance offered by DAN, but happily, have had no cause to use it. With a liveaboard trip, a cold really is the functional end of the vacation, though non-divers might not see it that way.

 

[highdesert]

When I get to about 10 feet then again at 20 and again at the bottom I'll take my mask off and blow my nose out. It works quite well although is a little nasty for your buddy.

Yeah ... taking your mask all the way off is a good plan. I was on an Indo liveaboard, taking meds, and dived through most of an ear/sinus infection (not smart, I know ...). But I found that just lifting your mask up, but not taking it all the way off, and then blowing your nose, can result in, ummm ..... something similar to a green nudibranch slithering down the inside of your mask when you pull it back down. Not recommended ....

 

[Bogie]

Geez! Many of you are tougher than me.

When I have a cold I just don't dive.

I just don't want to risk ear, balance or lung injury.

 

[RIdiverMike]

" I just stay home and watch Sea Hunt."

LOL!

 

[TMHeimer]

I'm actually wondering about the whole trip, both airfare and (in my case) liveaboard charges, all of which are prepaid well ahead of time. I get the trip insurance offered by DAN, but happily, have had no cause to use it. With a liveaboard trip, a cold really is the functional end of the vacation, though non-divers might not see it that way.

I guess the only way to know is to ask the various places involved--The airline, the liveaboard, etc. Or the LDS/travel agent you book with. I am in the exact position right now as you. I don't think I have ever taken the flight insurance, but if the cost had been reasonable, I would've taken it this time. A cold is pretty much the only thing that can totally destroy a dive vacation (other than a broken arm, etc.). I have the "hotel" booked and paid for where I'm going, but it is run by the dive op. If I have to re-schedule the trip, I'm sure they will, because I haven't paid for the 5 boat dives I plan to do! It is my first "dive vacation" in the tropics. That situation is different than just being home or 2 months down South when you can just wait for the cold to clear up.

 

[mridude]

Recently I went to Cozumel for two weeks of diving. On the third day I woke feeling a "little off". Thought I might be getting a cold but had no congestion. Went diving at 11AM. Still not feeling 100%, bu no congestion. No runny nose. Nothing. Dropped down to 60' or so with no problems equalizing. About 15 minutes into the dive I experienced excruciating piercing pain in my left ear. Went up slowly about 8' or so trying to equalize. Stopped trying to equalize and leveled off...just hanging out in pain. After about 20 seconds POW my eardrum burst. Pain gone...ear drum has a hole in it... Doc says 8 to 10 weeks no diving. So my question is, could I should I have done anything different? What do I do next time I "may" have a cold or am getting over a cold.

 

[industrious95]

I wouldn't dive with a cold, but I do have allergies and use Claritin D before diving. I started with the Claritin about 10 years ago because it just took forever to clear my ears on the way down. On land, I might use allergy medicine one or two days in a year.

Once I went diving at the tail end of a cold. In that case, I thought I was good, but at 30 feet my sinuses felt otherwise. A valsalva nosebleed sent me up to the surface (following a not too pleasant 3 minute safety stop). I wish someone had a camera to get a picture of that. An hour's wait and some borrowed Afrin from another diver got me out for the second dive of the day(80 feet).