Diving With A Chronic Illness
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I learnt to dive on Koh Tao with Crystal DiveI learnt to dive on Koh Tao with Crystal Dive. My experience with Crystal Dive is nothing but positive, I would dive with them again. They were very adaptive to my needs and would help me when I needed it. They never jumped in to do something for me without me asking for help unless I was putting myself in danger, which is something I always appreciate. I always want to try and do something myself before asking for help, but I know there are some instances where they have to step in and help because it’s putting me at risk, like not being able to reach my regulator when practising picking up a dropped regulator whilst under water.
Diving is unlike anything else I’ve ever done before. Being underwater is completely magical. I’ve grown up next to the sea all my life, yet had never been snorkelling let alone even considered learning to scuba diving. With my illnesses, I always assumed diving would be an impossibility. I assumed this mainly due to my fibromyalgia as doing the smallest amount of exercise can leave me in agony, I couldn’t swim more than 2 lengths without feeling exhausted, nor could I lift empty pots and pans without assistance. Turns out with a few adjustments, I could dive despite the pain it would create for me later on.
If you have a chronic illness and want to learn to dive or get back into it after years of not diving, I have a few tips that I hope will be useful.
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1. Talk to your dive school.
Talk to them about your illness and needs, they tend to be a lot more responsive than you think. They want the best for you, they aren’t going to going to put you in a situation that is harmful to you. You might decide that you need a smaller group, or that you need one to one training. I started off in a group, but ended up doing one to one as I wasn’t able to continue with my group due to exhaustion and pain in my shoulder. I also found with it being a smaller group, I was able to concentrate a lot better.
2. Be willing to help out the other divers you are with.
You’d be surprised how kind people actually are if you are kind to them. I wasn’t able to carry my oxygen tank when we were practising in the pool, it was just too heavy for me. The others in the group would carry my tank for me whilst I would collect fins and masks because I could carry them. The social aspect attracts a lot of people to diving, and it is a very sociable activity. As a result, a lot of people are willing to help each other out without complaint.
3. Don't be purposefully difficult.
I feel this is something that a lot of people with chronic illnesses need to learn. Being overly difficult doesn’t just make you look bad but it also makes the rest of us with chronic illnesses look bad. Yes, you might need help carrying your oxygen tank but don’t be a princess about it and refuse to carry your fins and mask too. They weigh next to nothing. Also, don’t sit on the boat and whinge that you’re sore and tired after your first dive. Everyone is sore and tired from their first dive, diving is tiring and the equipment can be heavy.
4. Listen to your body.
Listen to your body, if you are doing two dives in one session but after the first one and something doesn’t feel right, say something. Don’t continue on just because you think you have to. There is no point in making yourself worse. You are better resting on the boat than pushing yourself and possibly making mistakes under water. If you need to rest between pool sessions and classroom sessions than do it, but talk to your instructor first. If you and your instructor are on the same page, this shouldn’t be an issue.
I know if the previous point I said not to whinge about pain and fatigue, but if you are that sore you want to take painkillers then say something. I personally wouldn’t dive after taking painkillers because I know how much they affect me. If you are that tired you need a granny nap, say something.
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5. Ask if there are other ways to enter and exit the water.
Not every method of entering and exiting the water is suitable for people with chronic illnesses. I was taught the giant stride – my preferred entry method – which is where you literally take a giant stride off the edge of the boat. Though if your hand-eye coordination like mine isn’t great, it may take some practice. I often knocked off a fin or clipped something as I took my step off the boat. Just be careful. I was also taught an entry method where you fall backwards into the water and my god, if you have tender points on your back, don’t do it. I regretted it as soon as I did it and landed on my tank.
If when you surface you are completely spent energetically, climbing up a ladder in full scuba gear is the last thing you want to do. It took me several dives to realise that there were other ways of getting back on the boat. Like the painfully obvious, taking off your bcd with the tank still attached and hand it to the boat boys and then use the ladder. So obvious, but it didn’t even cross my mind until I was lifted back onto my feet with my knees trembling and slightly disorientated from the dive and I was asked why I didn’t just take off my bcd. Absolute idiot right here.
There are always other ways and if there is something you can’t do or struggle to do, ask if there are other ways.
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