The Severe Risks

Severe Risks
A severe risk condition implies that an individual will be at a substantially elevated risk of serious injury or death compared with the general population, and should not dive. The principle conditions in this category are:
· Asthma
· Recent heart surgery
· Serious lung or chest disease (particularly where surgery was involved)
· Epilepsy, fitting, convulsions (sawan) and seizures (serangan), or taking medications to prevent them
· Diabetes requiring insulin.
· Pneumothorax (collapsed lung) even after a surgical procedure designed to prevent recurrence (kambuh)
· Any neurological abnormality where there is a significant probability of unconsciousness
· Pregnancy

Relative Or Temporary Risks
The following conditions are termed a relative risk and will cause a moderate increase in risk, which in some instances may be acceptable. A physician is required to make a clinical assessment of the diver to decide whether diving is contraindicated for this category of medical problem.
Some of these medical problems may be temporary in nature, and the Dive Medical will determine if and when the diver can be considered fit to dive.

On the list of significant conditions that may disqualify you from diving pending a medical assessment are:
· Breathing issues including frequent or severe attacks of highfever or allergy, frequent colds, sinusitis or bronchitis
· Behavioural health, mental or psychological problems , such as : claustrophobia , agoraphobia ,active psychosis ,panic attacks
· Recurring complicated migraine headaches whose symptoms or severity impair motor or cognitive function, neurologic manifestations, or taking medications to prevent them
· Blackouts, fainting or partial loss of consciousness
· Head injury with loss of consciousness in the past five years
· Intracranial Tumor or Aneurysm
· Frequent or severe motion sickness
· Dysentery or dehydration requiring medical intervention
· Past dive accidents or decompression sickness
· Inability to perform moderate exercise
· Clinically obese
· Recurrent back problems, or back or spinal surgery
· Back, arm or leg problems following surgery, injury or fracture
· High blood pressure or taking medicination to control it
· Heart attack, heart disease, angina, heart surgery or blood vessel surgery
· Sinus surgery
· Ear disease or surgery, recurrent ear problems, hearing loss, or ear-related problems effecting balance
· Heamophelia, bleeding or other blood disorders
· Hernia
· Ulcers or ulcer surgery
· Colostomy or ileostomy
· Recreational drug use or alcoholism, or treatment for these in the past five years
· Regularly taking prescription or non-prescription medications (With the exception of birth control or anti-malarial treatments)
· Being over 45 years of age and having one or more of the following:
· Currently smoke a pipe, cigars or cigarettes
· Have a high cholesterol level
· Have a family history of heart attack or stroke
· Are currently receiving medical care
· Have high blood pressure
· Have diabetes mellitus, even if controlled by diet alone

the event that a risk assessment determined that any diver's health, safety and well-being was significantly at risk if that person was allowed to dive, and is usually related to an incident, illness or condition that has occurred, or become apparent, subsequent to the Dive Medical being taken, or a “low level” medical condition identified by the Dive Medical examination that could become a significant risk to the diver’s well-being due to unusual conditions at the dive site.

Scuba Diving Safety and Scuba Diving Safety Rules

If you follow some basic scuba diving safety rules, it should help make sure all your dives are safe ones. While diving is considered a safe sport, it is not without its' risks. After all, we dive for fun and we don't want that to stop. So try and follow these so you will have a long and enjoyable diving career.

Scuba Diving Safety Rules

Get proper training - Having proper training will make you much more comfortable underwater and that is key to having a safe dive. Getting certified is a big first step. If you dive after taking a resort course just make sure you don't go too deep (30 feet should be the max). Some resorts are known to be very lax on this rule and it is to your detriment. If you go diving in caves, caverns, wrecks, etc. have the proper training for this type of dive. Don't dive beyond your ability.

Don't hold your breath - Remember to always breathe slowly and in a relaxed manner and to exhale fully. Don't take short, shallow breathes and never hold your breath. Holding your breath underwater can lead to lung injuries and worse, in the extreme case.

Be in good physical shape - You don't have to be a triathlete but you should be able to swim and take the stress of diving. A physical exam is a good idea before diving. Some studies have shown that about a quarter to a third of all scuba diving fatalities are from heart and/or circulatory problems.

Never dive alone - One of the key scuba diving safety rules. Always dive with a buddy no matter where you are. And when you do dive with a buddy, keep an eye on him/her to make sure everything is OK (and hopefully they are doing the same). If something happens, that buddy can be the difference between life and death. Never violate this rule. Also do a pre-dive equipment check with your buddy.

Know weather conditions – If you are with a dive operator it is usually their call but you can say no if you are not comfortable. We did a dive once and the current was much stronger than they expected. It was doable until we turned a corner on reef then it was crazy. It wasn't fun and I was getting uncomfortable. Since the divemaster wasn't stopping the dive, I ascended early with my husband. It's OK to say no. It is your safety after all. The divemaster did end up cutting the dive short and surfaced shortly after us.

Ascend slowly and with control - Another one of the key scuba diving safety rules. As you ascend you are ridding your body of nitrogen in your tissues and bloodstream. If you ascend too quickly, you risk decompression sickness. You should not ascend more than 30 feet per minute. And always do a safety stop at 15 feet for at least 3 minutes after deeper dives. After your safety stop, do not propel yourself to the surface either. Ascend that last 15 feet very slowly also.

Check your equipment - You don't want to find out the scuba regulator doesn't work once you are underwater. Checking equipment is especially important if you are renting. If you own your regulator and haven't dove in a while, it should also be serviced to make sure it is working properly. Do a check of the regulator hoses also.

Relax - Being relaxed and comfortable underwater is key to a successful dive. If something happens, stop, breathe, think and act. Do not panic and rush to the surface (I know it is easier said than done). But observing this scuba diving safety rule could be key to a safe dive.

Plan your dive and dive your plan - You will hear this in your training (or you should) and you should follow this advice. Prior to going under, you and your buddy should know the max depth you will go, the amount of bottom time you'll have and how much air you will start to ascend with. Check your air supply often. You should also agree on the hand signals you will use to communicate underwater.

This is by now means an exhaustive list, but if you follow these scuba diving safety rules, you greatly increase your chance of a safe and incident free dive. And of course that's what we all want. So when you go diving, take your time, relax, think and go through your safety checklist.

Snorkeling Safety

The most important safety tip while snorkeling is to never do it alone. An overwhelming number of accidents happen to divers who go it alone, so having a buddy with you is a valuable asset in case of mishap. Choose a buddy who you are comfortable with and stay close together while you are out. And don't snorkel if you cannot swim. It sounds like common sense, but we receive a surprising amount of email on this subject

Stay close to shore.

Beginning snorkelers often misjudge their own capabilities and endurance and find themselves worn out or exhausted. Be sure to stay close to shore or reserve enough energy to get yourself back safely. Move onto your back and tread water for a few minutes to regain energy before coming back in if you are already tired or must return through rough surf or strong currents.

Be aware of your surroundings.

Know the area that you are diving in and if there are any areas to avoid. Be very careful around rocky shores or pounding surf, which can pick up a snorkeler and cause injury. (During a snorkeling excursion in Hawaii a few years back we were watching fish near a rocky outcropping, and a large wave threw us about 8 feet into the rocks where the water was about 18 inches deep - luckily we weren't hurt, but we easily could have been) If you are snorkeling in open water, know the tides and be careful of getting sucked out or trapped by an outgoing tide.

Retain your energy.

To avoid exhaustion consider snorkeling with a flotation device of some sort. A simple waist belt or snorkeling vest can make your excursion significantly more enjoyable by allowing you to focus on what you are watching and not on any fatigue you may be experiencing. (If you need to dive below the surface, you can leave your belt "up top" and find it when you surface. If you frequently dive below the surface, consider making several short dives instead of one long one, or make sure to use a floatation device to rest and regain energy between dives. You’ll enjoy yourself more and be more capable of avoiding injury if you are not over tired. Cold water can also drain a diver’s heat and sap their strength. If you are snorkeling in cold water, consider wearing a wetsuit or other protective equipment.

Do not touch marine life:

Although most underwater animals will avoid contact with humans, many creatures have some method of defense if they feel in danger. To protect yourself, maintain a safe distance from all sea creatures and try not to make any sudden moves to startle the ocean inhabitants.

Be aware of the seabed.

In shallow waters, coral and other rough surfaces can severely injure a snorkeler who is not careful. Do not let yourself get into too shallow waters, and be wary of outgoing tides, which may bring you closer to the seabed or suck you out farther to sea.

Learn first aid and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

If a person takes water into their lungs or stops breathing, the most effective response is artificial respiration performed quickly. Learn how to properly perform basic mouth-to-mouth and practice performing it both on land and in the water. Take a first aid course and practice before you go out.

What is Scuba Diving ?

Scuba diving is an acronym for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.

A form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater for recreation, commercial or industrial reasons. Unlike early diving, which relied exclusively on air pumped from the surface, scuba divers carry their own source of breathing gas (usually compressed air), allowing them greater freedom than with an air line. Both surface supplied and scuba diving allow divers to stay underwater significantly longer than with breath-holding techniques as used in snorkelling and free-diving.
According to the purpose of the dive, a diver usually moves underwater by swimfins attached to his feet, but external propulsion can come from an underwater vehicle, or a sled pulled from the surface.

Scuba diving is heavily reliant on technology to be successful, and the first development of the idea of scuba was developed by Alexander Lodygin many years before the term appeared. The first commercially successful scuba sets were the Aqualung open-circuit units developed by Emile Gagnan and Jacques-Yves Cousteau, in which compressed gas (usually air) is inhaled from a tank and then exhaled into the water, and the descendants of these systems are still the most popular units today.

The open circuit systems were developed after Cousteau had a number of incidents of oxygen toxicity using a rebreather system, in which exhaled air is reprocessed to remove carbon dioxide. Modern versions of rebreather systems (both semi-closed circuit and closed circuit) are still available today, and form the second main type of scuba unit, most commonly used for technical diving, such as deep diving.

1.1 Original Aqualung SCUBA set

Scuba diving may be performed for a number of reasons, both personal and professional. Most people begin though recreational diving, which is performed purely for enjoyment and has a number of distinct technical disciplines to increase interest underwater, such as cave diving, wreck diving, ice diving and deep diving.

Divers may be employed professionally to perform tasks underwater. Most of these commercial divers are employed to perform tasks related to the running of a business involving deep water, including civil engineering tasks such as in oil exploration, underwater welding or offshore construction. Commercial divers may also be employed to perform tasks specifically related to marine activities, such as naval diving, including the repair and inspection of boats and ships, salvage of wrecks or underwater fishing, like spear fishing.

Other specialist areas of diving include military diving, with a long history of military frogmen in various roles. They can perform roles including direct combat, infiltration behind enemy lines, placing mines or using a manned torpedo, bomb disposal or engineering operations. In civilian operations, many police forces operate police diving teams to perform search and recovery or search and rescue operations and to assist with the detection of crime which may involve bodies of water. In some cases diver rescue teams may also be part of a fire department or lifeguard unit.

Lastly, there are professional divers involved with the water itself, such as underwater photography or underwater filming divers, who set out to document the underwater world, or scientific diving, including marine biology and underwater archaeology.

Please click this video, for more further details :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HxHFhq89rc

Scuba Diving with Asthma ?

People with asthma can lead active lives, but they may have to take special precautions when engaging in particular activities -- including scuba diving.













Asthma and Physical Activity
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease. The inflammation of the airways can trap air deep within the lungs, resulting in their over-expansion. However, there are numerous asthma medications available to treat this inflammation and air-trapping. Many national and international organizations that publish asthma treatment guidelines stress that people with asthma should be able to lead active, healthy normal lives, including participating in many different sports and activities.

Asthma and Scuba Diving
Scuba diving has long been a popular recreational activity, with over 5 million certified divers in the United States and hundreds of thousands of people becoming newly certified every year. As asthma occurs in 5 to 10% of the population, many of these divers have asthma. In the recent past, however, people with asthma were told not to scuba dive due to the mostly theoretical dangers that are present

People with asthma would seem to be more prone to accidents from scuba diving. Many asthmatics have air trapped in their lungs, which can expand during ascent to the surface, causing the airways within the lungs to to rupture (barotrauma). If barotrauma occurs within the lungs, air can get into the blood vessels, forming an air bubble that can lodge in the brain or other organs. This is called an air embolism.

Asthma attacks during scuba diving also seem likely, given that many people have worsening asthma symptoms during exercise, such as with scuba diving. In addition, scuba divers breath cold, dry, compressed air, which can cause worsening symptoms in asthmatics.

An asthmatic who is scuba diving at significant depths could not possibly use a rescue inhaler for a long period of time until ascent to the surface was accomplished, which could theoretically make an asthma attack worse for the above reasons.

Aspiring scuba divers need a doctor’s medical clearance before becoming certified to scuba dive. Many doctors, including myself, have been reluctant to allow asthmatics to scuba dive, mostly based on theoretical concerns. However, studies on scuba diving accidents have not shown that asthmatics are at an increased risk for injuries. This may be because people with significant asthma may choose not to scuba dive because the activity causes an increase in asthma symptoms.

Guidelines for Scuba Diving If You Have Asthma
Despite data not showing that asthmatics are at a significant increased risk for diving injuries, many diving medicine authorities still recommend that asthmatics follow special guidelines:
• People with past or present asthma should see a doctor familiar with the risks of asthma in scuba diving for a complete physical examination and spirometry.
• Scuba divers should have normal spirometry at rest, and in response to an exercise challenge which can be performed in a doctor’s office. Those with abnormal spirometry at rest, in response to exercise, or those who experience asthma symptoms with cold/dry air exposure should not dive.
• Asthma should be controlled with medications before a person participates in scuba diving.
• A person should not scuba dive if he is experiencing an increase inasthma symptoms, or if he has needed to use a rescue inhaler in the past few days prior to a planned dive.

It would therefore seem reasonable for a well-controlled asthmatic, with normal spirometry and without the need for frequent rescue inhaler use, to participate in scuba diving. It is important for asthmatics to be aware of the possible increased risk for injuries during scuba diving, which could potentially be life-threatening, and to discuss these risks with their doctor.

Asthmatic scuba divers should have frequent, routine doctor visits with spirometry performed to ensure that their asthma is well-controlled prior to diving. It would also seem reasonable for an asthmatic to use a rescue inhaler approximately 30 minutes before diving as a preventative measure against asthma symptoms, just as many asthmatics do before other forms of exercise.

Why do people scuba dive?

For some it's the beauty of the reef and the marine life that inhabits it, for others it's the thrill of discovery deep inside a wreck or cave - everyone has a different reason for scuba diving, but most would agree that it's for the sheer enjoyment of experiencing the underwater world, a world so far removed from ours that it will truly amaze you. Whether you want to relax while photographing brightly colored tropical fish, be thrilled by the power and grace of a school of sharks, or make a living working underwater, scuba diving has it all.


Who can scuba dive?
The simple answer is - almost anyone. Scuba divers are aged from 8 years and over and come from all walks of life. Here are some basic considerations:

• Age
Children as young at 8 years old can start diving with programs taught in the safety of shallow water and aimed specifically at young children. From the age of 10 years old children can be certified as Junior Open Water Divers and those 15 years and older can be certified as Open Water Divers. There are no upper age limits.

• Health
You need to be in a state of good health. This doesn't mean you need to be super-fit, but you have to be free of any serious medical problems. You'll answer a medical questionnaire when you sign up for a course and if you or your instructor have any concerns you will be referred to a medical doctor for assessment. You will also need to be able to swim and float or tread water.

• Disabilities
Scuba diving is accessible to people with physical disabilities. Many instructors are trained to provide courses tailored to physically challenged divers and there are diving societies whose primary goal is to facilitate and promote diving for physically challenged people.

Where do people scuba dive?
You can scuba dive anywhere you can find water. Over two-thirds of the planet is covered by water, so you can dive almost anywhere. Tropical coral reefs tend to be most popular amongst recreational divers but there are also many wonderful things to be found in cold water environments such as lakes, rivers, and quarries. Divers can be found in all corners of the globe from the tropical reefs of the Caribbean and the Great Barrier Reef, to the world's biggest lake in Siberia - even under the ice of Antarctica.