Sandals Scuba Medical Certification?

[jringold]

Yea, looks like I may have to get creative with the form. I created a safety net though. I booked a day of diving with an outside charter, Jamaica Scuba Divers, in St. Ann. Their Trip Advisor reviews are really good. It is somewhat of a haul from Montego Bay but they will come pick us up. They said they are not really busy this time of the year, so if Sandals gives me issue, my scuba portion of my vacation is not ruined and I'll just have more days with them. Yea, I will have to pay for outside charter, but I will vote with my dollars. I am a Sandals Platinum member (this trip is actually free) so it would be my last time there.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Dive Shop Man: "Good aftahnoon, Mr. Ringold! May I see your C-card? Here, complete this waiver form and medical form.

I see you haven't checked any 'yes' boxes on the medical form. Great. We'll see you tomorrow morning."


Just my hunch. I guess you'll find out. I have never seen a requirement for a physician signature on any dive medical form anywhere, except as part of a professional-level course. Of course, if you decide to check a box "yes" to indicate to them you have some medical condition, that's a different story.

 

[parzdiver]

Dive Shop Man: "Good aftahnoon, Mr. Ringold! May I see your C-card? Here, complete this waiver form and medical form.

I see you haven't checked any 'yes' boxes on the medical form. Great. We'll see you tomorrow morning."


Just my hunch. I guess you'll find out. I have never seen a requirement for a physician signature on any dive medical form anywhere, except as part of a professional-level course. Of course, if you decide to check a box "yes" to indicate to them you have some medical condition, that's a different story.

That is what happened to me at Sandals St. Lucia in January. I have not expectation of needing a doctor signed medical form. I think we'd see a lot more "I just got back from Sandals and they wouldn't let me dive without a note from my doctor."

 

[WarrenZ]

The woman I was travleing with at sandals checked yes and they gave her the option of getting her doctor at home to fax the release form back signed or they would help her find a local doctor. needless to say I checked no to everything and went diving. If your doctor has cleared you for diving I would just check no to everything and have a nice trip but I am a rule breaker.

 

[scagrotto]

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

I think it's just Sandals management doing their best to limit the number of people they have to take diving. I went to Sandals Ocho Rios a long time ago, and before I was certified. The swim test to take the resort course required people to swim 3 laps around the perimeter of a freshwater pool. Women got saddled with 6 pounds of lead and guys got 9 pounds regardless of what they'd be using while diving. There was a really fat guy who bobbed like a cork, but I used about 95% of my energy just to stay on the surface rather than move forward. When my wife bailed about half-way through I quit also and figured we'd try again the next day. I might have managed anyway, but my wife noticed that the instructor was busy doing paperwork, so on day two I did a modified sidestroke, hopping along with one foot on the bottom, since the entire pool was only 3 to 4' deep. It became very clear during the week that they had far more people wanting to dive than they could possibly accommodate. Despite assurances from their Miama(?) sales office that I'd be able to get 2 dives per day I only managed two dives in an 8 night stay.

FWIW, the Sunfish sailboats had no jam cleats, so you could only sail for as long as you could hang on to the sheet. I can't imagine any reason to remove the jam cleats other than in an effort to limit how much people use the boats. My wife wondered how they could make money with all the drinking some people did but I'm pretty sure those people were their favorite demographic, because it's extremely hard to drink more than a few bucks worth of booze and mixer in a day.

Since the OP contacted them to clarify the requirement for a doctor's signature they may flag the form he fills out when he gets there if he just checks all of the no boxes. Getting a signature should cost a lot less than paying to dive elsewhere, so that's the route I'd take.

 

[Doc]

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.

There you go.
Believe.

It could only get more exciting, more top of the line, and more knowledgeable, more expert, more customized, more state-of-the-art, and, if you can imagine... even more thrilling from there!

Download the form, fill it out, sign it with your:doctor:crazy Uncle's name. Claim Christian Scientist. There is no SCUBA jail, altho they might have SCUBA Police at Sandals, I dunno.

This aberrant behavior might come from one or two sources: The bulk of participants being resort course divers or copying from the Franco model of Club Dread which is dictated by CMAS (or some unknown, even more odious issuer of mandates/requirements)

Go forth and rejoice, yea and verily.

FWIW, the Sunfish sailboats had no jam cleats, so you could only sail for as long as you could hang on to the sheet. I can't imagine any reason to remove the jam cleats

Sunfish come factory stock without jam cleats. If you figure that most guests are less proficient sailors (than they are divers), and that's a good bet, prolly a good idea to not give them jam cleats or decidedly not Hobi Cats.

K.I.S.S.

 

[WarrenZ]

Sandals Montego bay used the two for waves were too big to dive in a couple of days I was there. But two for waves were too big for them to open the beach also.

 

[RJP]

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

Well, there's that.

 

[jringold]

I think it's just Sandals management doing their best to limit the number of people they have to take diving.

I think you are correct. This will be our 10th time at a Sandals/Beaches property and 8th time at Sandals Montego Bay. Two years ago we were going to do the resort course and they made it really sound really difficult and the instructor had a huge attitude about it - enough that we decided not to do it. I really do like SMB and the people that work there are generally really great. But every one of the water sports people (without exception) I have ever encountered had an attitude. Not sure why that is.

I've figured out my plan. I am also going to do at least the day that I scheduled with the off-property operator if for no other reason than to maybe see something different. As I said earlier, their trip advisor reviews are really good.

I have my annual checkup in November so I am going to take the med form with me, get it signed, and stick it in my log book in case this comes up again.

Take care all -

 

[redacted]

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

Well, there's that.

While that may improve the health of the poster, it does not solve the problem with the PADI Med for. The question asks if you ever had the problem, not if you have the problem now. Answer yes and a current Dr. statement attesting to your overall fitness to dive will be required. High BP may be cured, but not the PADI form.