How Well Prepared Are You To Dive?
Achieving ideal bodyweight has many benefits for your health.
– BEST PRACTICE –
Body Mass Index
Achieving ideal bodyweight has many benefits for your health. Various aspects of your diving performance may improve; these include stamina, inert gas uptake and elimination, buoyancy, and ease exiting the water or boarding a boat.
The body mass index (BMI) is one simple calculation to assess body fat. A BMI of 18.5-25 is considered normal; 25.1-30 overweight, and above 30, obese. There are other ways to measure body fat, but those generally require specialized equipment and technical expertise.
A step counter, fitness tracker, or mobile app can help you get your heart rate up on a regular basis.
– BEST PRACTICE –
EXCERCISE
MOVE MORE, SIT LESS, FEEL BETTER.
The benefits of exercise include good cardiovascular health, which reduces the incidence of both cardiac events and strokes, which is elevated when underwater. In addition, the ability to swim and cope effectively should an emergency demand sustained rigorous effort can be lifesaving.
START MOVING
An easy start to getting your fitness level up is to aim for 10,000 steps per day by including walks in your daily routine. The average person has a stride length of about 2-2½ feet. This means that it takes over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps would amount to about 5 miles. A step counter, fitness tracker, or mobile app can help you get your heart rate up on a regular basis.
MODERATE AND VIGOROUS EXERCISE
The American Heart Association has determined the amount of exercise necessary for a healthy adult by distinguishing between moderate and vigorous exercise.
Use these simple steps to determine your ideal training heart rates:
1) Calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR): 220-your age
2) Calculate your target heart rate range: 50-85% of your MHR.
3) Exercise regularly (3-5 times/week) at moderate intensity (the lower end of your target HR range) for a minimum of 150 minutes per week OR at vigorous intensity (the upper end of your target HR range) for 75 minutes per week.
We recommend a dive physical every 5 years for divers over 45 and an annual physical for divers over 65.
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HEALTH
DIVE PHYSICAL
DAN encourages every diver, regardless of age, to get a dive physical. The Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire (DMPQ) is a self-assessment that will help you to determine whether you should see a diving physician before your next dive.
A dive physical can be conducted by any physician (M.D. or D.O.) and written guidance can be obtained online. Additional assistance can be obtained by contacting DAN to either find a local dive medicine specialist to assist with your evaluation or to answer any questions you may have.
We recommend a dive physical every 5 years for divers over 45 and an annual physical for divers over 65. Learn more about fitness to dive.
AGE
Follow your training agency’s standards concerning minors and diving. Special care should be taken with underage divers, as they are often still in a developmental stage, physically and mentally.
CALL DAN
If you do not know where to get a dive physical, call the DAN medical information line for a referral physician. If your primary care physician is not trained in diving medicine, he/she is also welcome to seek information on the DAN website or call the DAN medical information line at +1 (919) 684-2948, Option 4.
Strive to be self-sufficient while diving, but always dive with a buddy.
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EXPERIENCE
TRAIN LIKE YOU FIGHT
The dive you are planning to do might be a normal dive for you or a new challenge. It is important that you have completed required training for and feel comfortable with the dive you are planning, e.g. overhead training for a cave or wreck dive or specialty courses (deep/low visibility) as needed for the dive site.
Relying on the expertise of others diving with you does not satisfy this essential requirement. Strive to be self-sufficient while diving, but always dive with a buddy.
USE IT OR LOSE IT
Doing similar dives will reduce your stress level and make you a better dive buddy. If you have taken a break from diving, consider easing back in with familiar sites, depths, and conditions. If it has been more than a year, you may want to consider a refresher course.
Using and practicing with equipment builds muscle memory, which can help you in stressful situations.
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EQUIPMENT
FAMILIARITY WITH EQUIPMENT
Familiarity with all uses and functions of your equipment is paramount. Read the manual when you acquire new dive equipment and make sure you test it in confined or familiar water. Using and practicing with equipment builds muscle memory, which can help you in stressful situations. Your ability to troubleshoot will also be greatly improved. Working knowledge of your buddy’s equipment is also a good idea.
EQUIPMENT IS LIFE SUPPORT
Attend carefully to your equipment. Each piece of equipment (regulators, BC, drysuits, computers, etc.) has a different service interval; while you should inspect your gear for wear and tear regularly, make sure you have it serviced by a trained technician according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Small issues can become significant when other problems arise underwater.
EQUIPMENT AGE
If you regularly service your equipment it can last a long time. If service kits are becoming difficult to come by for a certain piece of equipment, or technology has significantly been improved in the past decade, it might be time to think about replacing your gear.
Make sure the dive operator or dive site has adequate emergency oxygen, and if they do not, bring your own.
– BEST PRACTICE –
LOCATION
PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING
Explore DAN’s resources to create your own emergency action plan.
KNOW THE DIVE SITE
If you are unfamiliar with a dive site, do your research well in advance: Check weather and dive conditions, speak with local divers, and call the local dive shop to inquire about entry points, access to the water, points of interest, and potential dangers at the site. Find out where local medical facilities are and identify places on land where EMS could pick up an injured diver. A recompression chamber may not be available locally and may require air evacuation to reach. Acknowledge the remoteness of your location in your emergency planning, and consider making additional provisions in your dive plan to limit any associated risks.
FIRST AID/OXYGEN
At least one person on your dive team should be able to assist an injured diver all the way from the water to a safe evacuation if needed and be trained to provide first aid and oxygen. Make sure the dive operator or dive site has adequate oxygen, and if they do not, bring your own. Use this simple rule of thumb to determine how much to have: 15 liters x minutes of transport time from the dive site to the nearest medical facility (or expected EMS arrival on scene).
TIME TO TREATMENT
Hours to treatment encompasses the time from surfacing until you arrive at the hospital or recompression chamber. That might include time to get ashore, EMS transport to a hospital, and the additional time to travel to a recompression chamber if one is not available at the hospital. More remote locations present greater difficultly in the event of an emergency.
Usually, the more remote the location, the more difficult it is to manage an emergency. Understanding and planning ahead for the specific challenges presented by remote environments gives adventurers a leg up.
DAN Customer Service
Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET
+1 (919) 684-2948
+1 (800) 446-2671
Fax: +1 (919) 490-6630
24/7 Emergency Hotline
In the event of a dive accident or injury, call local EMS first, then call DAN.
24/7 Emergency Hotline:
+1 (919) 684-9111
(Collect calls accepted)
DAN must arrange transportation for covered emergency medical evacuation fees to be paid.
Medical Information Line
Get answers to your nonemergency health and diving questions.
Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET
+1 (919) 684-2948, Option 4
Online: Ask A Medic
(Allow 24-48 hours for a response.)