St George Scuba Club

STATUTORY RISK WARNING

St George SCUBA Club Annual Risk Warning

This Risk Warning is issued pursuant to section 5M of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW). A person who has been warned of a risk of an activity is taken to have assumed that risk for the purposes of the Act.

Nature of the Activity

SCUBA diving and boating are dangerous recreational activities within the meaning of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW). Participation in any St George SCUBA Club activity — whether a shore dive, boat dive, training exercise, or social event involving water — exposes participants to significant risks of property damage, physical harm, and death.

Specific Risks

Club members and participants are warned that the following risks exist regardless of precautions taken by reasonable and experienced persons. This list is indicative only and does not limit the scope of inherent risks:

Diving-Related Risks

  • Decompression Sickness (DCS / ‘the bends’) — caused by ascending too rapidly
  • Barotrauma — pressure injuries including ear and sinus squeeze, and Arterial Gas Embolism from pulmonary over-expansion
  • Nitrogen narcosis — impaired judgement and coordination at depth
  • Oxygen toxicity — particularly during deep or rebreather diving
  • Air depletion — exhaustion of breathing gas supply
  • Drowning — whether at the surface or at depth
  • Entanglement in lines, nets, kelp, wreckage, or other underwater structures
  • Disorientation — loss of depth or directional reference, including in low-visibility conditions

Environmental and Marine Hazards

  • Extreme weather and sea conditions, including swell, surge, and sudden weather changes
  • Strong currents capable of separating a diver from the group or vessel
  • Hazardous marine life — including stinging, venomous, or physically dangerous organisms
  • Cold water exposure leading to hypothermia or impaired physical and cognitive function
  • Surface boat traffic — risk of strike by vessels unaware of divers below

Vessel-Related Risks

  • Loss of vessel control resulting in collision with other vessels or structures
  • Sudden vessel movement causing a participant to fall or be thrown overboard
  • Injury from onboard equipment, fittings, or fixtures
  • Club boats are privately owned, not commercially surveyed, and do not carry professional crew

Medical and Emergency Response Risks

  • Pre-existing cardiovascular or respiratory conditions that may be aggravated by diving or exertion
  • Absence of immediate medical care — significant delays before emergency services can reach the site
  • Hyperbaric (recompression) facilities may not be immediately accessible
  • Rescue and emergency procedures may themselves cause additional injury
  • It may not be possible to render effective assistance to a participant in distress

Personal Responsibility Risks

  • Equipment failure or inadequacy — participants are responsible for their own equipment
  • Alcohol consumption — alcohol and water activities are incompatible and impair judgement and physical capacity

Acknowledgement of Warning

By reading this warning, checking the acknowledgment box, or signing this document you confirm that you have been warned of the above risks and all other risks inherent in SCUBA diving and boating, and you are taken to have assumed those risks for the purposes of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW).