8) …TAKES HEALTH ISSUES SERIOUSLY
The diving population in Europe and America is ageing and gaining weight. Heart attack is becoming an increasingly common cause of diver death, and the victims of fatal diving incidents are often overweight.
Although it’s true that our sport doesn’t require that participants should be fit, athletic and built like racing whippets, nevertheless a good diver stays in physiological and physical shape.
This involves following a basic fitness regime, getting regular medical check-ups and being aware enough of their limitations not to dive if they become ill, injured, incapacitated or after significant surgery.
As we do more diving, we gain in experience, but no matter how much we learn, the laws of nature still apply.
As our bodies age they become weaker, we become more susceptible to ailments and our chances of dodging a physiological bullet decrease.
When good divers don’t feel right, they don’t dive.