Cold, flu, runny nose...whatever you want to call them, are all a nuisance, especially when it happens like one or two days prior to your dive trip. Usually we'd take a dose of Clarinase to clear it up like 2 hours before the dive. But if you are health conscious, would you take the risk?

The following is what I would like to share with you:

Diving with a stuffy head is unsafe. When your head is congested, you will have a problem clearing your ears and sinuses while descending. Also, you are at a higher risk of getting an agonizing reverse squeeze.
When you can't equalize the pressure in your ears, it's easy to rupture an eardrum or cause other serious injury. In addition, injury to the mucous lining of your sinus passages can cause serious bleeding. These conditions can happen while ascending or descending.

When a cold or the flu has settled in your lungs, it can interfere with diving. Breathing the chilly, dry compressed air can cause respiratory irritation and coughing, which in turn increases your chance of losing your regulator or inhaling water. The added stress can lead to an increased chance of a panic attack, a rapid ascent and a life-threatening arterial gas embolism.

The fever that can accompany colds and flu increases your body's metabolism, causing you to use up air more quickly, and possibly cause you to feel disoriented. Not a good idea when diving. You should not dive while taking certain medications, either. Use caution when taking medication.

Checklist: Should I Dive?

Unless you can answer "yes" to all of these questions, you should not dive. Know the symptoms of a cold or flu. No dive is worth your health, safety or life. Stay healthy.


1) Can you breathe easily through both sides of your nose?
2) Have you gone at least two hours without having to blow your nose to clear it?
3) Can you equalize your ears with minimal effort on land?
4) Has it been at least a day since you have had fever, chills or sweats?
5) If someone asked you to engage in a physical activity, would you feel up to it physically?
6) Have you gone at least two hours without coughing?
7) If you are taking medicine, will it last until at least two hours after the dive is scheduled to end?

Well, generally it's a bad idea even if you take drugs to counteract the symptoms. Some of those drugs you are taking can cause you to make bad judgements, as they will make you sleepy. And what if those drugs wore off during diving?

As I've said before, it's not a good idea. Better be safe than sorry!

Yes U can if u want too but is going to hurt if you cant equalize or having reverse block as u ascend.

You can even burst ur ear drum or punch a hole in it .. wanna take the risk?

If you need to dive, after all U been paying good money for the trip.... do shallow diving, 9m above enuff la.... tak di jamin but so far so good for me, just dont force it if you feel the pain & please let your buddy knows about it.

Not much studies been done on effects of drugs on divers so the safest way it to ABORT THE DIVE, just like effect of diving on divers in long terms.

Always a risk, is ur choice.

 ;D