judypots
Registered
While this story isn't as dramatic as most in this sub-forum, I thought it was worth posting. A couple of months ago, my husband and I were on the Cayman Aggressor for a week of diving. On the 4rth dive on Sunday, which was the first day of diving, my husband felt his ear "pop" while clearing and felt air being expelled from his ear. At the surface, we could actually hear air releasing from his ear. He had no pain nor any other symptoms. The next morning, Monday, the Aggressor captain arranged for us to be taken to a hospital in Georgetown where his ear could be examined by a doctor. We were told that he would only be permitted to continue to dive if he got a note from the doctor "clearing" (
) him to do so. By that time we could no longer hear any air escaping from his ear, nor were there any other symptoms. Long story short, the specialist at the hospital saw nothing wrong with his ear, no eardrum puncture nor anything else, but wouldn't give him a note clearing him to dive. The Aggressor, in accordance with their policies, wouldn't let my husband dive. Can't blame them for that. In any event, not wanting my husband to have to stay topside on the boat for the remainder of the week, we managed to make arrangements to spend several days at the Southern Cross Club on Little Cayman, where we stayed last year and loved. The Aggressor, which had thankfully been able to make the crossing from Grand Cayman to Little Cayman, dropped us off on the beach and the SCC picked us up. My husband decided to try diving the next day, and he was fine. So, we had a great 4 days of diving at the SCC. At home. my husband went to a specialist who found nothing amiss with his ear, and suggested that he had possibly had a tiny ear drum puncture which had healed itself almost immediately. He said there was no reason he couldn't continue to dive.
The second part of the story is that we filed a claim under our DAN trip insurance policy (we've been purchasing trip insurance for the last 5 years - especially as we are older - I'm 65, my husband 73), and the other day finally received a check for the portion of the trip on the boat that was interrupted by this ear incident. We were certainly pleased with that. We both were interested in that fact that we never heard from the Aggressor boat captain or the company, asking how my husband was. One would think it would be good customer relations for them to have done so, especially as we left the boat on perfectly friendly terms with the crew.
Anyway, just thought someone might find this info useful, especially about the trip insurance.
) him to do so. By that time we could no longer hear any air escaping from his ear, nor were there any other symptoms. Long story short, the specialist at the hospital saw nothing wrong with his ear, no eardrum puncture nor anything else, but wouldn't give him a note clearing him to dive. The Aggressor, in accordance with their policies, wouldn't let my husband dive. Can't blame them for that. In any event, not wanting my husband to have to stay topside on the boat for the remainder of the week, we managed to make arrangements to spend several days at the Southern Cross Club on Little Cayman, where we stayed last year and loved. The Aggressor, which had thankfully been able to make the crossing from Grand Cayman to Little Cayman, dropped us off on the beach and the SCC picked us up. My husband decided to try diving the next day, and he was fine. So, we had a great 4 days of diving at the SCC. At home. my husband went to a specialist who found nothing amiss with his ear, and suggested that he had possibly had a tiny ear drum puncture which had healed itself almost immediately. He said there was no reason he couldn't continue to dive.The second part of the story is that we filed a claim under our DAN trip insurance policy (we've been purchasing trip insurance for the last 5 years - especially as we are older - I'm 65, my husband 73), and the other day finally received a check for the portion of the trip on the boat that was interrupted by this ear incident. We were certainly pleased with that. We both were interested in that fact that we never heard from the Aggressor boat captain or the company, asking how my husband was. One would think it would be good customer relations for them to have done so, especially as we left the boat on perfectly friendly terms with the crew.
Anyway, just thought someone might find this info useful, especially about the trip insurance.
