Diving and diabetes
Anyone who thinks diving with type 1 diabetes is impossible is wrong.
Because with good preparation and monitoring between dives, you can have just as much fun as anyone else.
I got my diving license as a child and was therefore a certified Junior Open Water Diver. I didn’t have diabetes back then. Now it was about 12 years later and I had no idea what I had to consider.
As I had already had diabetes for more than 6 years at this point and had a lot of experience, we acted as we saw fit. The day before our diving adventure, we bought juice and various snacks, which we all took with us on the boat. My insulin pen came with the Frio, as well as my blood glucose meter with accessories (lancets and test strips), lots of Dextro and I also carried the Freestyle Libre 3.
The Fun Diver package includes 3 dives at 3 different spots with a break in between. Our dive guide Thomas happened to be German, so communication was flawless. Because the most important thing is openness. Whether I’m alone or with Joshua, I’m very open about the subject. I want to inform others about the illness and also protect myself and my partner. So we told Thomas and also that we had taken precautions but wanted to let him know.
Before the first dive, we looked at the data from the sensor, which was 90 mg/dl, and decided we wanted it to be significantly higher, especially for the first time. So I drank half the bottle of juice and felt safer as a result.
As underwater sign language applies, we also decided to introduce a gesture if I felt unwell or unsafe because of the sugar. For example, if I feel the onset of hypoglycemia or something similar.
I felt very safe during the dive because I knew that I had drunk enough juice and that Joshua and Thomas were informed.
The first thing I did after surfacing and putting down the scuba tank was to check my blood sugar levels. As expected, there was a disturbance from the sensor. We didn’t expect anything else after diving to a depth of 16 meters for about 40 minutes. But no problem, because we had prepared plan B and had it with us. So I measured my blood pressure and it was still below 90. Not bad, because there was still time before the next dive. So I drank the rest of the juice and took two more Dextro. Then the time had come and we had arrived at our second stop.
Same game here, after diving we went straight to the measuring station. Everything was still fine and we had lunch on board. We decided not to inject anything for the time being, as my values often rise briefly after exercise and then fall. After the meal, the values were just over 140 and therefore perfect for the last dive.
Then we went back to measuring and everything was fine. Overjoyed that we had prepared so well and that everything had worked, the trip came to an end. In the evening, we were even extremely surprised that after 3 dives, with the deepest value of 23 meters and the longest dive of around 50 minutes, the sensor suddenly worked again and even displayed the correct values. This made it easy to continue monitoring the blood glucose levels if they rose or fell unexpectedly.
Important:
- Preparation is the be-all and end-all
- Take enough snacks, dextro and drinks with you
- As it is always uncertain what is available on the board, I never rely on it, but on our preparation. I’d rather have too much than too little.
- Communication
- Inform those around you so that they are prepared and know how to act and save you in an emergency. There is nothing worse than ignorance. In addition, many people do not know the difference between the types of diabetes and it is therefore often a form of education.
- Close monitoring of blood glucose levels
- In unfamiliar situations, your blood glucose levels can fluctuate quickly and significantly. Therefore, always keep an eye on your values and it is better to measure more than too little.
- Travel sickness
- If you feel sick on the boat, be sure to take an anti-nausea tablet half an hour beforehand. If you vomit on board before diving, you may lose the extra BEs and your blood sugar levels may drop faster than expected.
- Have fun
- Among all the extra things you have to do because of your diabetes, don’t forget to take a deep breath and enjoy the moment
- Supplement
- If you want to get your diving license, regardless of whether you are a beginner or already have a diving license, but would like to get further qualifications in certain areas, it is necessary to schedule a visit to the doctor beforehand. This is because PADI has various documents that need to be filled in beforehand and if you tick yes under medical condition, the doctor will need to carry out a few tests to confirm your fitness to dive.
- This may sound cumbersome and time-consuming at first, but it is worth it, because the check is not there to restrict or annoy you for no reason, but is purely a precautionary measure and especially for your own protection.
Advanced Open Water Diver Certification
As I wanted to do my Advanced Open Water Diving Certificate in Bali and had to see a doctor, I was skeptical at first, but we asked a few practices by email and got prompt replies. Just a few days later, I was sitting in hospital on the island of Nusa Lembongan in Indonesia without an appointment. This wasn’t a problem, because I was simply asked to fill out a form about myself and the costs, was given the documents from PADI and then less than 15 minutes later I was sitting in the treatment room and an extremely nice doctor started the examination. She asked me a few questions about my medication and examined my ears with a camera, then listened to my lungs and felt my stomach.
She then gave me positive confirmation and said that nothing stood in the way of my diving course, but there are a few rules and restrictions that we should sensibly adhere to. These include, for example, checking my blood sugar level beforehand, no dives longer than 60 minutes, no deeper than 30 meters and no cave diving. She gave us a piece of paper and filled out the PADI documentation so that we wouldn’t forget this and a few other rules. We were back at reception and paid the mere €30 by credit card and were overjoyed to start our course in the following days. Another article from PADI about diving with diabetes is also interesting.
Important:
Please bear in mind that we are not doctors and have no medical training. Our reports and texts are based on our experiences for over 6 years and are individually tailored to Rebecca and are not intended as individual or general advice.