dpbishop
Contributor
The major problem with tech diving at that age is memory loss. Due to the critical nature of the.......
um...What were we talking about?
um...What were we talking about?
Too old for tech?
- Thread starter tkoinfla2007
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I guess I wouldn't make it into one of Steve's classes . . . After two years of diving doubles, I can finally stand up from a kneeling position while wearing them!
I got my first cave cert at 53. There ARE issues related to age, many of which can be ameliorated or completely solved by the person with the ambitions. Many people lose muscle strength as they age, but this can be minimized with judicious exercise, and for tech diving, weight training is VERY helpful. Arthritis can limit one's ability to manipulate gear, or to climb ladders. Generally, help from buddies can work around this, or for cave diving, a sidemount gear setup which allows you to move your equipment to the water in pieces can help.
Many older people don't do cardiovascular training, and that's probably the scariest thing for someone with advanced diving aspirations. Silent coronary artery disease is common in our society, and "heart attack" is listed as the cause of death of too many divers. I think it's important to do your physical stress test (whether that's a formal one with a doctor, or an informal one done by exercising yourself) on land, before you do it in the water.
As we age, we also develop medical conditions, and need medication for them. Any medications someone is taking need to be scrutinized for their potential impact on diving, and in some cases, alternative medications might be preferred.
But, if one is reasonably fit (and I say reasonably, because I've never been very fit in my life, and I'm not now
) with good moderate exercise tolerance and no significant medical conditions, I don't think there is ANY reason why one cannot pursue advanced diving certifications. I'd have been one unhappy camper if I couldn't have found a cave instructor to teach me, because I was too old! (However, I will say that I was subject to the same fitness evaluation as my much younger classmates, and I passed.)
Blackwood
Contributor
This is a true statement.
Blackwood
Contributor
Maybe insofar as people generally start by practicing gas switches, valve drills, line drills, etc., on air and nitrox.
Personally, my first actual stage deco dives were on trimix, and I think that's becoming more and more common.
In my area of the country much of the technical training is conducted via TDI programs, so most all divers will have executed staged deco profiles well before the introduction of any trimix training/usage.
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