Yes. There are some people who can’t dive. When you’re young, healthy and ready to conquer the world, sometimes you don’t even pause to think about the other unlucky individuals out there who are limited to only a particular list of physical activities. Well, today I am taking the time to pause and think about why some people will never be great at scuba diving, sad to say.

As someone who’s been scuba diving in Cebu for quite a while already, I've heard stories, met people and learned about the ups and downs about scuba diving. It’s not an easy sport. For most of us, it’s more than a sport, more than a hobby - it’s actually become a lifestyle. For example, when I started scuba diving, I became more aware of the precious marine life that I had the privilege to view through the lens of my mask. I began looking up Facebook pages that are all about saving marine life or protecting them, I've been picky about my scuba diving spots, too. Well, hmm… maybe picky is the wrong word. Let’s just say, I've begun to get know more about the dive spot before actually going there. I love being able to dive at marine sanctuaries or conservation sites whose money I donate help with their cause. I've gone out of topic here but in short – scuba diving is an exciting way to discover the wonderful world that lies beneath the water and in so doing, it has the power to change how you see the world.

And, sadly, some of us won’t really be well enough to experience it. What exactly am I talking about here? Well, a few weeks ago, I met a girl named Joanna (not her real name, of course). She was a bubbly, charming girl who is actually a friend of my cousin’s. Joanna had expressed her interest in scuba diving and knowing that I was into that, my cousin immediately wanted me to meet her. It took a few weeks of planning and postponing due to my busy schedule at work but we finally got around to meeting up at a tea bar that I frequented. “Let’s go to Moalboal!” she enthusiastically said. I smiled and remembered one particularly memorable dive there, “Yes. Moalboal does offer some of the best experiences when diving in Cebu but we can try your first dive trip somewhere closer, in Dalaguete maybe? It’s not such a long drive and I know a lovely dive center there.”

A week later, we were off to Dalaguete for Joanna’s first dive trip in Cebu. But she never got to dive. As she filled out a registration form and got to the part where she needed to list down any and all types of medication she was currently taking, I saw her hesitate a little but she continued completing the form. Turns out, bubbly as Joanna was, she was taking anti-depressants. She was told by the dive master that people taking any sort of anti-depressants needed a doctor’s consent before diving and that there were issues before of divers blacking out from the pressure change. 

So, her story inspired me to take a quick rundown of people who, unfortunately, need to steer clear of scuba diving and get their health in tip-top shape before thinking of exploring the deep blue sea: