Travel Tips for Divers

Here are some useful tips regarding your health when travelling overseas.

The following information is given by dive adventures in conjunction with the travellers medical & vaccination centre.

Regardless of where you are travelling to, it is best to seek advice on health issues prior to departure. Conditions change and disease outbreaks occur overnight which is why specialist up-to-date recommendations should be sought. This is a brief guide to help you. Dive Adventures recommends that you check with your doctor or contact the travellers medical & vaccination centre for more detailed information.

If you become sick when travelling
If you are worried about your health when travelling, it is wise to seek medical advice immediately. Most hotel & resort staff will be able to call a local doctor, or advise you of the nearest pharmacy. Dive adventures recommends that you purchase travel insurance - ask your travel agency for details.

Vaccinations
The combined diphtheria/tetanus (ADT) vaccine should be boosted every 10 years, regardless of your destination. The following vaccines should be discussed; polio, typhoid, hepatitis A&/or B, meningitis, cholera and rabies. Whether any of these are recommended or not depends upon your country of destination. There is no simple list of required vaccines. A doctor must go through your proposed trip in detail before deciding which ones are relevant to you and your family. Dive adventures provides this information as a guide only and cannot be held responsible for changing conditions, leading to possibly affecting your health when travelling on a dive adventures holiday.

Anti-malaria tablets
Many different drugs are currently available and it is essential that expert advice be sought to ensure you receive the correct tablets for your destination and advice on the prevention of malaria. There are many strains of malaria, dependant upon the destination. Malaria is a potentially fatal disease and is present in various regions of the Pacific and Asia including Bali, Thailand and Malaysia.

Mosquito bites
Malaria or not, mosquito bites are annoying. There are some simple steps to take to avoid mosquito bites - these can include a combination of the following; wear insect repellent, cover up - particularly at night, refrain from wearing perfume or aftershave or any high perfumed toiletries, which attract mosquitos. If bitten try not to scratch the skin, it might be handy for you to take some antiseptic cream or lotion to sooth the bite. This will also help you in avoiding any minor skin infections.

Diarrhoea
If you have a case of diarrhoea while you are away, it is important for you not to become dehydrated. The best tip is to stop eating for 24 hours, but continue to sip water frequently. If you must eat, take dry biscuits or toast, no dairy products, sugar foods or drinks. If the symptoms persist you must consult medical advice. It might be useful to include a packet of anti-diarrhoea medication in your suitcase - just in case - but a reminder that this is merely a guideline, and if you are concerned it is best to seek medical advice immediately.

General tips
Dive Adventures wishes you a wonderful holiday - but please take care! Close to the equator, the sun is at its strongest, and even though there may be cloud cover, you can still get very sunburnt. Remember to take your suntan lotion - many destinations have stocks of the most popular brands, but these can be on the 'expensive side', compared with buying in Australia. Factor 15+ broad spectrum is recommended by the cancer council of Australia - water resistant is best - and this should be applied frequently, particularly in humid conditions, or when snorkelling or diving. If you get sunburnt, avoid the sun for few days, and wear a shirt or t-shirt in the pool or sea. Be sure to take a hat - or buy one when you arrive.

The water
In most regions of the Pacific, the water supply has been passed by the World Health Organization, however it is recommended that you do not drink tap water. Bottled water is usually readily available or the local supermarket / shop. Be careful when taking drinks with ice cubes - as the ice may not have been made from distilled or bottled water.

Diving precautions
Whilst on your diving holiday, you need to be aware of conditions that may pre-dispose you to decompression sickness and other diving-related illnesses. These include your general state of health, tiredness, alcohol consumption and multiple dives on consecutive days. While the use of dive computers is recommended to enable you to take advantage of all diving opportunities, conservative use of these is recommended. Flying soon after diving is dangerous and dive adventures recommends a minimum break of 24 hours between your last dive and flying. On a long diving holiday, it is also a good idea to allow a 'de-gassing' day in the middle of your holiday.

The information contained in this leaflet is an indication, and Dive Adventures suggest that you contact people who know about travelling overseas and medical requirements.

Guide to packing

Diving equipment

• qualification cards
• log books
• mask and snorkel
• fins
• booties
• lycra suit or 3mm steamer
• gloves
• buoyancy compensator
• regulator
• octopus regulator
• dive computer / gauges
• divers knife
• torch & recharger
• strobe for night diving
• compass
• safety sausage
• divers watch

Spares kit

• spare mask / snorkel, fin straps and buckles to suit your gear
• spare mouth piece & tie
• globes for torch
• silicone grease for cameras and torches
• batteries for torches, computers & watches

Travel documents

• passport
• itinerary
• airline tickets
• traveler's cheques
• credit card
• travel insurance
• photocopy of your passport
• vouchers
• pen
• money
• note: make sure you keep enough local money for your departure tax.

Personal Items to take

• light clothing - shorts, t- shirts etc.
• hat, sunglasses & lots of sunscreen .
• personal toiletries.
• beach towel.
• bathers / swimmers
• sarong
• reef shoes
• dry bag - good for boats
• camera & film
• windcheater & long pants
• spray jacket
• water bottle

First aid kit

• bandaids
• antiseptic cream or liquid
• aqua ear
• malaria tablets ( if needed )
• antibiotics
• stop itch
• insect repellent
• aspro clear / disprin
• lomotil