Fiji Islands Travel Guide | DiveMe | Dive Health And Safety

DIVE HEALTH AND SAFETY

General Health

Fiji is the lucky country in that it is few health risks or diseases, unlike many tropical dive destinations. Malaria is not present in Fiji however outbreaks of dengue fever, another mosquito-borne disease with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headaches and severe joint and muscle pain is present. There is no prophylactic available. While dengue fever can be more of a problem to infants and elderly people, serious complications are rare.

Divers must be especially aware of sun overexposure, diahorrea and infections from coral cuts. The risk of these can be practically eliminated by a few preventative measures. Be sure to carry waterproof sunblock and lip balm and reapply them frequently. Carry bottled water with you. Wear exposure suits while snorkeling and diving to minimise sunburn and coral cuts.

In the case of coral cuts, clean and apply Mercurochrome which is available over the counter of chemists.

Pre-Trip Preparation

It is important prior to embarking on a dive trip to make sure that you are fit and healthy. There is no point in paying big money for a holiday and spending most of it in bed.

Ensure that your dive equipment has been inspected and any problems fixed before you leave. Packing some spare parts is always a good move particularly if you are going to be diving in a remote area.

About a week before taking off, do final checks of your gear. Don’t forget to pack a first-aid kit and medications such as decongestants, ear drops, antihistamines and motion sickness tablets.

Diveme Fiji Scuba Diving - Scuba Diving Camera

Stephen Fink:

“We dropped into the blue and descended to a sandy ledge at 100 feet where a hammerhead shark was sighted. Schools of barracuda and jack inhabit the channel where a large coral pinnacle is washed by 100ft-plus visability.

From bottom to top there were intense pockets of filter feeders: crinoids, giant gorgonian fans, black coral and massive soft coral trees. The diving is timed to hit enough current to engorge the soft corals and cluster the fish together. That’s what makes these reefs so vibrant and alive.”

Signaling Devices

Unfortunately divers do get lost and are particularly difficult to locate in open ocean. Make sure you carry with you a signaling device. The best one is a whistle. Use a zip tie to attach one permanently to your BCD.

You could also carry a marker tube. These roll up and will easily fit into a BCD pocket or clip onto a D-ring. They are inflated orally or with a regulator. Some have a facility to insert a dive light into the tube. A dive light is also a good idea

Diveme Fiji Scuba Diving - Scuba Diving Sea Creature Photography

Diveme Fiji Scuba Diving - Scuba Diving Deep

DAN

Divers Alert Network (DAN) is an international association of individuals and organizations sharing a common interest in diving and safety. DAN operates a 24-hour diving emergency hot line. DAN SEAP members should call telephone 61 8 8212 9242.

DAN American members should call telephone 919-684-8111 or 919-684-4. The latter accepts collect calls in a dive emergency. DAN can also be reached on www.diversalertnetwork.org

Hyperbaric Chamber Facility

THE Fiji Recompression Chamber Facility is located in Suva at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWM) on Waimanu Road. Call the direct line on 321 5525.

All members of the FDOA (Fiji Dive Operators Association) have been trained to respond in a diving emergency. They will phone in a chamber alert, and a hyperbaric doctor will assess the situation and arrange transportation to the chamber.

Ideally, your dive operator should phone in the alert, though you may do it yourself. Also keep in mind that the chamber is only manned once an alert has been activated – don’t call the chamber directly or just turn up at the door, as no one will be there.

Certification

Many dive operators in Fiji have qualified PADI or NAUI instructors on staff and offer courses from refresher to Open Water, advanced and specialty dive courses to Rescue and Divemaster. Operators in Nadi and the Mamanuca Group regularly schedule Open Water classes. The live-aboards Fiji Aggressor and Nai’a also have onboard instructors who teach Open Water and several other courses.

The cost of Open Water courses varies greatly depending on the dive shop ratings and the number of students, and some dive shops have minimum class-size requirements.

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