Recreational scuba diving and freediving requires good physical and mental health. There are a few medical conditions which can be hazardous while diving, listed below. Those who have, or are predisposed to, any of these conditions, should be evaluated by a physician. This Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire provides a basis to determine if you should seek out that evaluation. If you have any concerns about your diving fitness not represented on this form, consult with your physician before diving. If you are feeling ill, avoid diving. If you think you may have a contagious disease, protect yourself and others by not participating in dive training and/ or dive activities. References to “diving” on this form encompass both recreational scuba diving and freediving. This form is principally designed as an initial medical screen for new divers, but is also appropriate for divers taking continuing education. For your safety, and that of others who may dive with you, answer all questions honestly.

Complete this questionnaire as a prerequisite to a recreational scuba diving or freediving course.
Note to women: If you are pregnant, or attempting to become pregnant, do not dive.

A medical certificate is required for any Yes* answer.

Please read and agree to the participant statement below by signing it.

Participant Statement: I have answered all questions honestly, and understand that I accept responsibility for any consequences resulting from any questions I may have answered inaccurately or for my failure to disclose any existing or past health conditions.

Professional Diving Schools Association

1) This is a statement ln which you are informed of the risks of skin and scuba diving and/or using diving equipment and breathing gases independently of the dive centre.

2) This statement also sets out the circumstances in which you can participate in diving courses/activities, organise and conduct scuba diving activities at your own risk and/or hire/supply of breathing gases.

3) Your signature below is required as proof that you have read and understood this statement. If you do not understand anything contained in this statement, then please discuss it with the Dive Centre staff. If you are a minor, this form must also be read and signed by a parent or guardian.

4) WARNING: Skin and scuba diving have inherent risks which may result in serious injury or death. Diving with mixed gases (Nitrox,Trimix, Heliox or Helair) involves certain inherent risks of oxygen toxicity and/or improper mixtures of breathing gas. Diving with compressed air or mixed gases involves certain inherent risks; decompression sickness, embolism or other hyperbaric injury can occur that requires treatment in a recompression chamber. Open Water diving trips which are necessary for training and certification, and Scuba diving trips, may be conducted at a site that is remote, either by time or distance or both, from such a recompression chamber.In the case of scuba equipment rental and breathing air supply, accident management remains your responsibility at all times. Skin and scuba diving are physically strenuous activities and you will be exerting yourself during these activities. You must be in good mental and physical fitness for diving, and not under the influence of alcohol, nor any drugs that are contra indicatory to diving. You must advise truthfully and fully inform the lnstructor(s) and the Dive Centre of your medical history and of any change in your physical health during the diving activities.

5) Transportation to Sites: Land and sea transport to dive sites may be provided by the Dive Centre. Using these facilities is at your own risk and the Dive Centre, its management or staff are not responsible for any loss, damage, or injury to yourself or your property.

6) Equipment: Prior to each dive you should be familiar with all equipment supplied to you by the dive centre, and ensure that it is in good, working order. If diving with mixed gases it is your responsibility to ensure that the gases are correctly and accurately analysed and that the gas content and cylinder number are recorded in such a manner as to be easily identified at any time. You should not offer the use of diving equipment (including cylinders and regulators) to other persons or entities under any circumstances.

7) Dive Planning and Personal Risk Assessment: Whilst the management and staff of the Dive Centre will suggest dive sites, conduct a risk assessment on the sites and brief qualified divers on guided and/or organised dives, it remains your responsibility to decide whether the dive is within your qualification and/or experience level, and whether to participate in the dive or not. It ls also your responsibility to conduct a personal dive plan and equipment safety check with your diving partner. You must advise truthfully and fully inform the staff and the Dive Centre of your scuba diving certification and experience.

8) Exclusion of Liability: Notwithstanding the Dive Centre’s third party liability insurance covering diving activities, neither the Dive Centre, nor it’s owners, management, and instructors contracted by the Dive Centre or the training agency, accept any responsibility for the death, injury or other loss suffered or caused by you or resulting from your own conduct or any other matter or condition under your control. Your participation in courses, scuba diving activities and/or the rental of diving equipment, supply of breathing gases and scuba diving independently of the Dive Centre is at your own risk.

9) Jurisdiction and Applicable Law: Any dispute or claim arising from the services and products offered by the Dive Centre shall fall within the jurisdiction of the courts of Malta and shall be subject to the laws of Malta.

By signing this form, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed with the above statements.

This is a statement in which you are informed of the established safe diving practices for skin and scuba diving. These practices have been compiled for your review and acknowledgement and are intended to increase your comfort and safety in diving. Your signature on this statement is required as proof that you are aware of these safe diving practices. Read and discuss the statement prior to signing it. If you are a minor, this form must also be signed by a parent or guardian.

I , understand that as a diver I should:

1) Maintain good mental and physical fitness for diving. Avoid being under the influence of alcohol or dangerous drugs when diving. Keep proficient in diving skills, striving to increase them through continuing education and reviewing them in controlled conditions after a period of diving inactivity, and refer to my course materials to stay current and refresh myself on important information.

2) Be familiar with my dive sites. If not, obtain a formal diving orientation from a knowledgeable, local source. If diving conditions are worse than those in which I am experienced, postpone diving or select an alternate site with better conditions. Engage only in diving activities consistent with my training and experience. Do not engage in cave or technical diving unless specifically trained to do so.

3) Use complete, well-maintained, reliable equipment with which I am familiar; and inspect it for correct fit and function prior to each dive. Have a buoyancy control device, low-pressure buoyancy control inflation system, submersible pressure gauge and alternate air source and dive planning/monitoring device (dive computer, RDP/dive tables—whichever you are trained to use) when scuba diving. Deny use of my equipment to uncertified divers.

4) Listen carefully to dive briefings and directions and respect the advice of those supervising my diving activities. Recognize that additional training is recommended for participation in specialty diving activities, in other geographic areas and after periods of inactivity that exceed six months.

5) Adhere to the buddy system throughout every dive. Plan dives – including communications, procedures for reuniting in case of separation and emergency procedures – with my buddy.

6) Be proficient in dive planning (dive computer or dive table use). Make all dives no decompression dives and allow a margin of safety. Have a means to monitor depth and time underwater. Limit maximum depth to my level of training and experience. Ascend at a rate of not more than 18 metres/60 feet per minute. Be a SAFE diver – Slowly Ascend From Every dive. Make a safety stop as an added precaution, usually at 5 metres/15 feet for three minutes or longer.

7) Maintain proper buoyancy. Adjust weighting at the surface for neutral buoyancy with no air in my buoyancy control device. Maintain neutral buoyancy while underwater. Be buoyant for surface swimming and resting. Have weights clear for easy removal, and establish buoyancy when in distress while diving. Carry at least one surface signaling device (such as signal tube, whistle, mirror).

8) Breathe properly for diving. Never breath-hold or skip-breathe when breathing compressed air, and avoid excessive hyperventilation when breath-hold diving. Avoid overexertion while in and underwater and dive within my limitations.

9) Use a boat, float or other surface support station, whenever feasible.

10) Know and obey local dive laws and regulations, including fish and game and dive flag laws.

I understand the importance and purposes of these established practices. I recognize they are for my own safety and well-being, and that failure to adhere to them can place me in jeopardy when diving.

Personal Informations
We are required by law to hold your personal details for a period of 7 years. We’ll treat these data with respect and we will keep them confidential.

Safe Diving
Any diver may be asked to complete a check dive or refresher dive if you haven’t dived for a while (depending on your diving experience and the last dive). We do this to ensure that you feel safe and comfortable in the water and that your diving skills are up to date. The participation of diving activities is not permitted under the influence of alcohol, drugs and medication that are contraindicatory to diving.

Personal Belongings
We are not responsible or liable for loss, damage or theft of personal equipment and belongings. We recommend not to bring any valuables to the dive sites.

Rental equipment
Please take care of our well maintained equipment and threat it like it would be yours. For any loss or damage of our rental equipment or materials, you will be liable to cover the costs and we will charge you customary trade prices.

Payment
In order to pay your great experience with us, you can choose between cash and card payment. To reserve a booking, we ask for a deposit. The amount of the deposit depends on the service you have booked (usually 50% of the course / dive package price). The deposit can be paid by cash, card payment, online payment or bank transfer. We do not accept cheques.
In case you have to cancel your diving adventure with us, we can refund you.
Our refund policy is the following: If you cancel up to 3 days before your booked dive, we refund you the total deposit. Cancelling between 3 days and 1 day before your booked dive, we refund you 50% of your deposit. If the notice is one day or less, then you have to pay the full price of what you have booked with us.
For diving courses we can’t refund you, as you’re getting your eLearning and certification assigned with the deposit.
We reserve the right to withhold certification in the event that the full course price has not been paid.

Diving Insurance
We recommend that every diver is insured against the risk related to underwater diving activities covering liability and injury. The individual diver’s personal responsibility does not annul the attending staff member of Utina Diving College Ltd.

Scheduling
Our philosophy is to give a relaxed experience and for this please be punctual on the meeting time. We don’t want that other divers have to wait due to someone late. If you don´t show up within an acceptable time frame (max. 10-15 minutes), we’ll leave without you. Because we saved your spot for this diving trip, we will not be able to refund you for the dive(s) you have missed.
Of course, some factors may be beyond your control (medical issues, delays or bad weather). In this unfortunate event please give us a call (+356 7955 0514).
In case you’re not turning up for a scheduled session or you are not being able / willing to go diving because of your own negligence (under influence of alcohol, drugs etc.), then we charge you for what you have booked.

Course Agreement
Generally no money will be refunded on not passing or terminating a diving course. In case you need longer for the course to meet the performance requirements as the recommended duration of the course by the training agency, additional costs may apply (extra costs of 80€ half day / 160€ full day).

Itinerary changes
We reserve the right to alter, cut short or cancel the diving activity due to weather conditions , medical emergencies or any other reason that may compromise your safety. In case the diving activity is cancelled, we wont charge you for it.

Images and Video Agreement

Scuba diving is an extraordinary activity that helps divers discover the amazing underwater world. As part of our mission and in order to sustain this wonderful activity we need to capture images of this amazing underwater world to share with divers and non-divers. During your diving trip with us we might capture images with places, moments and different activities and you might be part of some of them. In order to share them with other divers we kindly ask you to give us your consent regarding the use of those images and videos.
We inform you that your personal data is protected, and you can withdraw your consent whenever you want.

By signing this form, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed with our terms and conditions.