Medical Fitness for Diving

Medical Fitness for Diving: What You Need to Know Before You Book

Before your first dive, every diver – beginner or certified – completes a standard medical questionnaire. Most people answer “no” to every question and are cleared to dive immediately. Here’s how the process works and what to do if you think it might apply to you.

This post is general information, not medical advice. If any part of the standard questionnaire applies to you, the requirement is a sign-off from a doctor – ideally one familiar with dive medicine – not a decision to make on your own or based on this article.

How the questionnaire works

Every diver completes a standard medical statement (used industry-wide across PADI and other agencies) before their first dive of a trip. It asks about a defined list of conditions – things like certain heart conditions, respiratory issues, epilepsy, recent surgery, and a handful of others. If you answer “no” to everything, you’re cleared to dive without further steps.

When you’ll need a doctor’s sign-off

If you answer “yes” to any question on the standard form, the requirement is a signed medical clearance from a physician before you can dive – this is a standard, non-negotiable safety step across the diving industry, not something specific to any one operator.

Conditions that commonly trigger this include (but aren’t limited to) :

Certain heart conditions or a history of heart surgery
Asthma or other significant respiratory conditions
Epilepsy or a history of seizures
Recent surgery
Pregnancy (diving is not recommended during pregnancy)
Certain ear, sinus, or lung conditions

This isn’t an exhaustive list, and having one of these conditions doesn’t automatically mean you can’t dive – many people with medical clearance dive safely and regularly. It simply means a doctor needs to confirm it’s safe for you specifically, based on your individual health.

What to do before you travel

If you know or suspect any part of the standard questionnaire applies to you, the most important thing is to sort out medical clearance before you travel, not on arrival. Finding a diving-familiar doctor while already on holiday is far harder than doing it at home with your own physician, and being turned away from a course or trip after arriving is an avoidable disappointment.

If you’re unsure whether something applies to you, ask your doctor directly – they’ll know your health history better than any general guide can.

Other basic fitness expectations

Beyond the medical questionnaire, diving requires reasonable physical fitness and basic swimming comfort – you don’t need to be an athlete, but you should be comfortable in water and able to manage light physical exertion, like climbing a boat ladder in gear.

Questions before you book?

If you have a specific condition you’re unsure about, we’re happy to talk through what the process looks like – though the final clearance always needs to come from a doctor, not from us.