Recreational diving for women and children

Abstract

Amateur diving, done for recreation or as a sport, is one of the activities which has recently been gaining in popularity both in Poland and abroad. Until only a few decades ago, scuba diving was primarily the domain of healthy men at the working age for whom underwater work was part of their job. Currently, scuba diving has become popular with individuals of all ages and both sexes. There is an increasing number of diving enthusiasts among women and children. Underwater sports and activities require good physical health and therefore defining clear contraindications to scuba diving, both diseases and physiological conditions (e.g. pregnancy). The paper presents issues related to recreational diving for women and children taking into account physiological and psychological aspects, health assessment and contraindications to diving.