SCUBA Fitness over 60

[dongodive]

Hello, all!

I'm 61, took NAUI Open Water training, getting ready for OW checkout. Had no problem with the pool training. My trainer wanted me to get a stress test before the checkout dive. So I had one, passed it, no problem, flying colors, all that.

NOW he wants to know how many METs I got up to in the stress test. He says minimum 10, preferred 13.

My doctor did not measure for METs during the stress test.

Is there another way to get a METs measurement other than having another stress test? The treadmills at the gym show METs, but no way to get a printout.

Do I have to arrange to meet my SCUBA trainer at the gym and have him witness it, or is there some other way to get this over with?

Thanks, Everyone!

- Don

 

[Dyno Bill]

I'm a 60 year old diver, had a thalium stress test and passed without issue. Do a treadmill 30 mins every morning, ave blood pressure is 112/ 71 is lower at times. During treadmill heart rate can hit 130 if I run like a scared dog and at end recovery is under a minute for pulse to be high 80's. Don't know about any MET testing, wasn't a test requested that I knew of.

 

[dongodive]

Thanks, Bill.
I had a similar test, using technetium 99m in lieu of thallium. Got my heartrate well over 130 on the treadmill during the stress test.
I'll have to call the trainer and find out exactly what he's looking for.
- Don

 

[claymore]

Your trainer sounds like a bit of fitness nut. For how long are you supposed to be able to maintain 10 to 13 METs and at what heart rate. 13 METs is working really hard! I think that it is one of the guide lines for a NOAA divers.

Could you do the surface swim without any trouble and did you MD clear you to dive when you took the stress test? If so then the Instructor is out of line. Many to the divers out there could not do a sustained 10 METs let alone 13. I sounds like your Instructor may try and push your physical limits as well as your skills during the OW dives. Skills are more important than physical capabilities if you can handle the normal requirements of diving.

Check you course materials and see what guidelines the certifying agency requires for physical abilities.

If all else fails get a referral and do your open water dives with someone else or a different agency.

I started diving three+ years ago at 60 and had a very minor heart attack a month after I got certified. Since then I have quit smoking and been working out hard three to four days a week for 40 minutes or more on an Elliptical machine, swimming or the Stair Master with an occasional weight day.

On the Elliptical and the Stair Master I track my mets and 13 METs will stop the Elliptical in it's tracks and you would be running on the Stair Master. I can do 10 Mets for a couple of minutes before my heart rate gets into 85% to 90% of my max heart rate.

 

[lowviz]

Hello, all!

I'm 61, took NAUI Open Water training, getting ready for OW checkout. Had no problem with the pool training. My trainer wanted me to get a stress test before the checkout dive. So I had one, passed it, no problem, flying colors, all that.
.................

Same age. I recently asked my doctor about a stress test for my tech diving. Great doc, his answer really got me thinking. (I'm physically fit vs. the norm for my peers with blood work, glucose, and cardio all in line.) My doc said that he would be happy to charge me for a stress test if I was willing to take the chance of getting back a false positive. End of diving?!! No way doc, you will have to catch me first...

 

[Dyno Bill]

Your trainer sounds like a bit of fitness nut. For how long are you supposed to be able to maintain 10 to 13 METs and at what heart rate. 13 METs is working really hard! I think that it is one of the guide lines for a NOAA divers.

Could you do the surface swim without any trouble and did you MD clear you to dive when you took the stress test? If so then the Instructor is out of line. Many to the divers out there could not do a sustained 10 METs let alone 13. I sounds like your Instructor may try and push your physical limits as well as your skills during the OW dives. Skills are more important than physical capabilities if you can handle the normal requirements of diving.

Check you course materials and see what guidelines the certifying agency requires for physical abilities.

If all else fails get a referral and do your open water dives with someone else or a different agency.

I started diving three+ years ago at 60 and had a very minor heart attack a month after I got certified. Since then I have quit smoking and been working out hard three to four days a week for 40 minutes or more on an Elliptical machine, swimming or the Stair Master with an occasional weight day.

On the Elliptical and the Stair Master I track my mets and 13 METs will stop the Elliptical in it's tracks and you would be running on the Stair Master. I can do 10 Mets for a couple of minutes before my heart rate gets into 85% to 90% of my max heart rate.

How are your mET values determined, I mean what type of machine. I would be interested in an add to my gym if it's not like buying a rebreather or something

 

[GrandpaScuba]

If your doctor signed off on the medical release, that's all you need. They can't make you meet additional criteria.

 

[claymore]

I mostly use the STARTRAC elliptical at the LA Fitness club. Its a commercial machine and big. It has multiple workout types, 20 resistance levels, measures time, calories, calories per hour, speed, distance, cycles per min., watts, and met's. It will also monitor HR if you hold the hand grips or directly from a polar heart rate monitor.

I usually do one day forward direction up on the balls of my feet for 40 minutes running between 12 and 20 on the resistance trying to keep my heart rate between 115 and 140. on the next day I will do the same routine only I do it going backwards up on the balls of my feet.

The StairMaster is a commercial machine and to tall for most houses.

 

[claymore]

I mostly use the STARTRAC elliptical at the LA Fitness club. Its a commercial machine and big. It has multiple workout types, 20 resistance levels, measures time, calories, calories per hour, speed, distance, cycles per min., watts, and met's. It will also monitor HR if you hold the hand grips or directly from a polar heart rate monitor.

I usually do one day forward direction up on the balls of my feet for 40 minutes running between 12 and 20 on the resistance trying to keep my heart rate between 115 and 140. on the next day I will do the same routine only I do it going backwards up on the balls of my feet.

The StairMaster is a commercial machine and to tall for most houses.

 

[boulderjohn]

If your doctor signed off on the medical release, that's all you need. They can't make you meet additional criteria.

Well, according to what the great proponents of the superiority of some agencies over another have been saying, the great thing about NAUI is that the instructor can add whatever requirements he wants to the agency standards. Apparently a NAUI instructor can require a diver to speak unaccented Polish to earn a certification if he feels it is important.

Perhaps I exaggerate, but that is the message we get on ScubaBoard repeatedly, and that is supposedly why NAUI is so superior to agencies that are required to stay within their agency standards.

If this is true, then you may have to go with a different agency (or just a different instructor) to get your certification.