What a dive medical is, recreational vs occupational, who can perform one, and how the billing works.
A diving medical is a health assessment that checks whether someone is fit for the specific demands and risks of diving — the pressure changes, breathing compressed gas, and the serious consequences if a medical problem happens underwater. It is a fitness-for-activity assessment, not a general health check-up.
Recreational dive medicals are assessed against Australian Standard AS 4005.1. You are usually asked for one before a learn-to-dive course, or if you answer "yes" to a health question on a dive operator's medical questionnaire.
Occupational diving — commercial and scientific — is assessed against AS/NZS 2299.1. These medicals are done annually, must be completed before training, and are performed by a doctor specifically trained in underwater medicine.
A dive medical should be done by a doctor with appropriate training in diving (underwater) medicine. A regular GP can only perform one if they hold that training. SPUMS — the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society — maintains a directory of trained dive doctors, and dive operators can often point you to a suitable doctor.
A dive medical typically includes a detailed health-history questionnaire and a physical examination, with particular attention to the ears and sinuses, the lungs, the heart, and the neurological system. Lung-function testing is sometimes included. The doctor uses the relevant standard to reach a fitness assessment — which conditions matter, and how, is a judgement for the trained dive doctor.
No. Claiming Medicare benefits for diving medical examinations has been prohibited since 1 February 1984, so a dive medical is a private fee. This is similar to other fitness-for-activity assessments such as a pre-employment medical or a commercial driver medical, which are also not Medicare services.
Dive operators use a standard health questionnaire. If you answer "yes" to any of the health questions, you are usually asked to see a doctor for clearance before diving. The operator will tell you their requirements.
Occupational dive medicals are done annually under AS/NZS 2299.1. For recreational diving, it depends on your dive course or operator's requirements.
SPUMS maintains a directory of doctors trained in diving medicine. Dive schools and operators can also usually recommend one locally.
The South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society (SPUMS) lists doctors trained in diving medicine across Australia and New Zealand — spums.org.au.