Woke up with a cold today and immediately had to rethink anything related to scuba. The idea of diving while congested is a bad one—pressure changes and compromised airways can turn a fun activity into a dangerous one quickly. The physics are simple, and the consequences are not worth testing.
It’s easy to forget this when you’re on a trip and plans are already set. But your body doesn’t care about itineraries. Your ears and lungs have very clear limits, and pushing through them for the sake of a day’s activity is short-term thinking.
It’s a useful reminder that the ocean doesn’t negotiate. No matter how experienced you are, the rules are the same. The right call is to pause, recover, and avoid turning a small cold into a bigger problem.