scope:

Introduction

Medical standards for diving differ considerably from those of other military activities because of the unique environmental and physical conditions encountered underwater. Medical conditions can affect fitness to dive either because they present an unacceptable risk of death or injury during a dive, or risk the mission, or because the severity of the condition is worsened by diving. Fitness to dive is also affected by those medical conditions, which may result in the onset of symptoms, which could be confused with decompression illness and therefore make diagnosis and treatment difficult.

An individual's fitness to dive rests on a number of factors including the extent of abnormalities or the severity of disease present, the individual's response to treatment and the type of diving in which they will participate in. A completely comprehensive list of conditions which permanently exclude a person from diving cannot be provided therefore, but this chapter aims to outline those conditions that are generally accepted internationally to alter a person's fitness to dive. Assistance should always be sought from national advisers in operational diving medicine in all cases of doubt. To assist in decisions on fitness to dive, the conditions listed below in italic print are generally considered to be disqualifying conditions for diving applicants. Those conditions in normal print may be permitted in individual cases.

Below are medical fitness criteria for entry into diving. Should injury or illness afflict a trained diver, the determination of their fitness to return to diving should be made by a specialist in diving medicine.

Medical criteria for fitness to return to diving after acute decompression illness is given in Paragraph 0622.