[Before going on a diving holiday--consider this].

Abstract

A prerequisite for all those who go in for the sport of scuba diving is mental and physical fitness. This must be checked within the framework of an examination for diving fitness before first taking up the sport, and should be rechecked every one to three years. For fitness for diving, not only lung function, ECG and tubal function need to be normal--the psychological profile of the holiday maker also plays an important role under water. For he or she must be able rapidly and reliably to recognize a dangerous situation and to react to it appropriately. Thorough training and the compliance with the rules of diving offer protection from many of the risks of this underwater sport--for example, problems with the ears or sinuses can be avoided. The most common cause of fatal diving accidents is a barotrauma of the lung with rupture of the alveoli on ascending.