That pesky Medical Statement

[redacted]

For the costs you incurred and what you paid them. You are complaining you have a contract that they are breaching.

NO, NO. They are not breaching our contract because I give them no possible reason to do that.

This is not true. If you hand over the fitness to dive cert you are done. There is no need to go into detail.

You would think that. While it does put more burden on your doctor (if they are willing to complete that form) and could suffer from timing problems, It should work until some op say you must complete the other form or, perhaps they have an over-booking problem.

I ran into a fairly large op once that was not going to let me dive because I presented them with a PADI nitrox cert rater than an OW cert.

 

[Scuba One]

Sandals is requesting you fill out the same form as anyone taking a PADI scuba course. As per the form, If you put down a yes, you need to get a doctors release. If you don't feel you have any issues that warrant a yes answer, you don't need a doctors release. It is up to you to decide whether any specific medical issue warrants a yes answer. Sandals now has a relatively new program for experienced divers called "Sandals Elite Diver Program" which would allow experienced divers that have more advanced training, more dives and less restrictions. The Sandals Elite Diver Program can be applied for prior to your trip. Feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions. www.sandals.com/index.cfm?referral=112174, www.DiveBeaches.com, www.DiveCouples.com.

 

[Tug]

Sandals is requesting you fill out the same form as anyone taking a PADI scuba course. As per the form, If you put down a yes, you need to get a doctors release. If you don't feel you have any issues that warrant a yes answer, you don't need a doctors release. It is up to you to decide whether any specific medical issue warrants a yes answer.

According to their website, everybody is required to bring a signed form:

Medical Questionnaire
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.

Enjoy the Caribbean's Best Scuba diving at Sandals Resorts.

 

[Chip Elliott]

I carry my PADI health forms along with the accompanying Family Doc and Cardiologists approval for me to be involved with scuba diving and the related physical demands, with me in PDF format on my phone. They are current. I go to the Doc's every year and have it renewed, along with a checkup. I have no problem showing it, or if available, printing it out for any shop/DM, etc if they wish to see it. However, I will NOT leave it with them. It is MY medical form, not theirs. They have a right to see it, read it but not keep it "on file" for any reason. My medical history is private and I will choose who, how and when to share it.

 

[Scuba One]

I see what you mean about what it says on their web site. I send guests their regularly, and have not had anyone say they were not allowed to dive, because of no doctors signature. I will find out and get back with their answer.

 

[dmaziuk]

Where are folks running into the requirement for this medical long form for other than training dives?

I am thinking the only place I have seen it was in MEX and it was just some dive ops. I have not seen it in either Cayman ort Bonaire.

Don't remember one on Roatan or Curacao either. Like I said, not going to Coz anytime soon.

 

[dmaziuk]

Dying on people is not polite.

My experience with divers so far is they tend to act decent towards each other. I don't think many of us set out to ruin everyone's vacation by dying in the middle of the group dive.

 

[Blue Quaker]

Sandals is requesting you fill out the same form as anyone taking a PADI scuba course. As per the form, If you put down a yes, you need to get a doctors release. If you don't feel you have any issues that warrant a yes answer, you don't need a doctors release. It is up to you to decide whether any specific medical issue warrants a yes answer. Sandals now has a relatively new program for experienced divers called "Sandals Elite Diver Program" which would allow experienced divers that have more advanced training, more dives and less restrictions. The Sandals Elite Diver Program can be applied for prior to your trip. Feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions. www.sandals.com/index.cfm?referral=112174, www.DiveBeaches.com, www.DiveCouples.com.

I saw the website, checked the form and phoned then a couple of times... No mention of a Sandals Elite Diver program on any call. One phone call insisted on the medical being signed by a doctor even if I answered "No" to all questions, no matter what my quals; one phone call said I "probably" wouldn't need the signed medial form as I was already an instructor/IT. A third said that I should get it signed, just in case, as travelling from Canada to Barbados would be a long way to go to find out that you couldn't get permission to dive there.
The list of courses offered on the Sandals website are all courses that I hold either instructor or IT quals for, just with different agencies than PADI. They offer no courses that I am not qualified to teach. I have never taken a course with PADI, which was why I phoned about the medical form...It was the standard form required by PADI if you are taking a course with them and I won't be taking any PADI courses while I am there. I've been diving for 38 years teaching Scuba for 36 years and got my first IT qual. in 1989 with my first technical IT qual. in 1997 so although I don't claim to know it all, I do have a chunk of skills and experience under my belt.
If you know how to access the Sandals Elite Diver program I would be grateful for any information as it did not show up when I checked any links that you posted.

 

[KevinNM]

I wonder what documentation dive operations who require medical information are keeping in order to prove they are compliant with HIPAA (if US based). HIPAA is one of those things that as I understand it are supposed to protect us from misuse of our medical records, and the form in question could contain some pretty significant details. My guess is dive operations requiring it are not maintaining HIPAA compliance and it's only a matter of time before one of them gets burned. Obviously it won't be a problem for Blue XT Sea as they're in Mexico... unless Mexico has a similar law.

No, if you don't fit into one of several categories you don't have to comply with HIPAA. It only applies to "covered entities".

 

[KenGordon]

According to their website, everybody is required to bring a signed form:



Enjoy the Caribbean's Best Scuba diving at Sandals Resorts.

On the FAQ page it says

All certified divers are required to do a scuba orientation on the day of arrival and provide a medical evaluation form. This will consist of a swim evaluation and medical questionnaire which must show no contra-indications to diving. Whether you are a certified diver or not you must meet medical requirements before diving. IF YOU HAVE ANY CONTRA-INDICATIONS TO DIVING YOU MUST HAVE A DOCTOR COMPLETE AND SIGN THE PHYSICIAN SECTION ON THE FORM BEFORE YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO DIVE AT ANY OF OUR RESORTS. However, the dive instructors at our resorts have the final approval on whether or not a guest is considered fit to dive.

Which is normal practice. Everywhere I go outside of the uk asks me to fill out one of these forms. We ask club members to fill one out each year. If a proper medical from a proper dive doctor is offered then that does. In the UK your normal doctor/general practitioner is not considered qualified.

Dive ops do not look for reasons to turn away customers. They want your money. For your part all you have to do is get your doctor to fill out a form or visit a diving doctor who is in a position to know. If you are not prepared to do that how do you know you are safe to dive?