Can women scuba dive while pregnant?

A pregnant woman smiling while sitting on the beach.

Are you a scuba diver and plan to get pregnant? Did you dive before knowing you were pregnant? Awareness is the first loving step toward your health and your baby’s.

In this article, let’s learn how to protect both of you.  

Contents

  • What scientists know about scuba diving during pregnancy.
  • Should you avoid scuba diving during pregnancy?
  • What to do if you scuba dived while pregnant?
  • When can you scuba dive again after pregnancy?

What scientists know about scuba diving during pregnancy

The number of female scuba divers is increasing. Yet, there is an ethical impossibility of conducting experiments on pregnant women. This limits our knowledge of the effects of diving on the woman’s and the baby’s health. 

To date, it is not possible to exclude a role of diving in intrauterine death or abnormalities at birth. 

Should you avoid scuba diving during pregnancy?

Based on current knowledge, pregnant women should avoid scuba diving. This is for precautionary purposes. In fact, scuba diving may damage both the mother and the child. 

Scuba diving while pregnant could increase the possibility of: 

  • Dehydration
  • Heat loss 
  • Breathing fatigue 
  • Discomfort
  • Anxiety 
  • Paradoxical gas embolism
  • Decompression Sickness
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Embryo and fetal damage with consequent malformations or death

What to do if you scuba dived while pregnant

If you found out that you had dived while already pregnant, it is okay. The baby could be perfectly okay. You don’t need to end your pregnancy. Only, inform your obstetrician so you can have an appropriate and careful follow-up.

An obstetric ultrasound on a pregnant woman.

When can you scuba dive again after pregnancy?

According to Dan’s indications, a woman should:

  • Maintain a degree of training during pregnancy (if clinically indicated).
  • After vaginal delivery, regain the pre-pregnancy level of physical fitness before diving.
  • Avoid diving if obstetric or medical complications occurred during the postpartum period.
  • Be cautious in the postpartum period. Consider potential increased fatigue susceptibility and anemia, which may limit diving activity.
Turtle swimming with fishes.

Article written by Dr Debora Podestà, Medical Doctor based in Italy, specialised in Infectious Diseases and Hyperbaric and Diving Medicine

Published on November 24, 2025

Review due on November 24, 2028

Sources:

  • Damnon, F. et al. Should a pregnancy test be required before scuba diving?. British journal of sports medicine vol. 50,18 (2016);
  • St Leger Dowse, M et al. Scuba diving and pregnancy: can we determine safe limits?, Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology: the journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology vol. 26,6 (2006);
  • DAN.org. Women’s Health and Diving;
  • Schiavon M. [La Donna in Immersione: Miti e Realtà]. 2004;

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