Health & Family Ohhh..... I blame volleyball.

@TAJ if you have joint injuries, I'd avoid scuba diving. It increases the risk of decompression illness on the affected joint.

 

Have been back to pretty much normal after my operation and subsequent physio. Every now and then I get soreness after longer periods in the surf (thinking I'm 18 again!) but haven't had a problem yet after diving, albeit I don't dive as often as I used to. I can see how the additional pressure on any joint (from diving) would be detrimental.
Side note: Thinking of going to Palau next year.
Your thoughts?

 

My thoughts are that Palau would be awesome! I haven't been there (yet), but it's definitely on the list.

I'm no decompression expert but I have known people to get bent at the site of an old joint injury. I imagine you're doing recreational profiles? Keep it conservative, give yourself a few minutes at 10m as well as 5min at 5m. Keep well inside the no-deco limits. If you're nitrox certified, consider running air profiles whilst breathing nitrox. This can mean shorter dives on square profiles, but not such a big deal for dives where multi level is available.

There are also decompression specialist doctors in both Melbourne and Sydney that would be able to advise you properly if you are concerned about it. I don't know about Sydney, but the doc to talk to in Melbourne is Andrew Fock at the Alfred Hospital.

 

Thanks Peter.
Will take your advice re: keeping well within no-deco limits.
Only have my Advanced Open Water certification attained in 2003, so no Nitrox training.

Planning to head to Palau in June next year. Have only heard positive feedback.
Hope I don't require the services of the Specialist you mentioned, but thanks again for the heads up.

 

It's all good, I've had about 9 months to come to terms with it, just glad I found out what the issue was as I was trying to play sport on it for about 6 months as all the physios I went and saw told me all my ligaments were fine!