Fit to scuba dive
Exploring this question in detail and where to find more information.
"Do I need to be fit to scuba dive?"
Scuba diving is a broad term. It's like saying are you fit to go mountaineering? Well, that depends - do you mean a half-day walk up a small hill, or do you want to tackle Everest? Some types of diving are accessible to a wide range of abilities, some do require higher levels of performance. However, there are some conditions that are exclusions for diving, or need approval from a physician. Perhaps not ones you would expect, read more on this below.
Assess your medical fitness to dive, if there is any doubt or you have health or mobility concerns, seek professional medical opinion. In many cases dive operators will require evidence/statement of fitness to dive.
Check out the type of diving you want to do. What are the conditions like? Temperature, access to the site, water movement and visibility.
Consider what support you may need and whether that is available. Research the options for help with learning, planning, or physical assistance.
Be aware of safety procedures and risk management. There are limits on depth, over-head environments, etc. that are there to help divers avoid situations that are unsafe for them.
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Seek medical advice. Also be aware that diving medicine is a specialist discipline, so it will often be advisable to ask a doctor with knowledge of dive medicine. You can also contact the Divers Alert Network. In the UK, DDRC offers an advice line and a helpful set of "Can I dive with ... ?" answers: https://www.ddrc.org/diving/can-i-dive/
There may be various therapeutic aspects of scuba diving in terms of improving confidence, self-worth and ability to regulate stress. There is also evidence of it helping with post-traumatic stress. However, scuba diving a challenging activity that is not without risks. First seek medical advice regarding current fitness to dive (you'll notice this is covered on the Diver Medical form). Depending on your individual case it could be you can access usual dive services, or may need additional support from services that provide scuba diving as a therapeutic activity. It may also be that your mental health issue means you are not currently fit to dive. In which case, consider addressing this before diving. You can find more information about psychological support for scuba divers under the "services" tab above.
Check your fitness to dive.