How old is too old to get certified?

[dallaskincaid]

So, a casual acquaintance of mine mentioned last year that he was interested in getting certified. I told him that I'd be glad to go to the LDS and make some introductions (hey, I'm a good ambassador to the sport!) and even go to a discover scuba with him.

So, fast forward to this morning. I get an e-mail that he is interested in going to the LDS and that him and his 90 year old uncle are both interested in getting certified. He said that his uncle is in "great shape" and "works out twice a week." I told my girlfriend about it (she dives and is a Physician Assistant) and our reaction was the same, "Hell no!"

It got me to thinking though. If someone is checked out by a Dr., has no known ailments, and can handle the weight requirements (or not, he could always put the BC and tank on in the water) is there anything preventing a 90 year old healthy man from learning to scuba? That is, of course, if any instructors would take on the liability of actually doing an OW course and if any dive operators would actually take a 90 year old on a charter dive.

Interested to hear what everyone thinks?

 

[Imla]

Personally... No know ailments, good physical condition and with a go from his dic/hyperbaric doc... I'd say go for it.
Although I havent been diving with a 90year old.. I have gone diving with an 81yrold, and observed a lady of 71 get certified in a drysuit in Norway.
Anything is possible... and frankly... The guy is truly old enough to have earned the right to decide his own risk..

 

[RJP]

Was on a liveaboard a few years ago. There were twin 85yr old sisters on the trip. They did every dive... and drank most of the kids under the table, too!

 

[bl6394]

I certified a 72 year old woman. She required 3 extra pool sessions (total of 15 hours in the pool) to get through confined open water before I felt comfortable signing off on her skills.

If they have a signed medical and liability waivers, and they are capable of demonstrating master of the required skills per standards - I would have no problem certifying them.

Heck - my grandpa is 97 - and he still has a girlfriend... :blinking:

 

[redacted]

He should have 4 more years left. Why waste them?

 

[Yoyodyne-88]

It would depend a lot on the specific demands of his dive location(s), and planning accordingly and carefully.

A sheltered shallow entry in warm water gear, maybe. Ice diving with drysuit and doubles, not so much.

I would have him try a Discover Scuba experience buddied with an experienced instructor.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Dove with a 74 year old last week. No issues what so ever.

 

[Patoux01]

If he can get assistance with the tanks etc (or if he can handle them himself, but at that age, I probably wouldn't be able to anymore ), what's the big deal?
As long as the standards are met and that he adjusts his way of diving to his physical capabilities, I think he'd actually be less prone to accidents than most "young" (ie 18-25 range that I dive with) people.

 

[agilis]

Only with his parent's permission.

I've been certified since 1972 and did my first compressed air dives in the early 1960s. I would like to still be able to dive when I'm 90, but I'm not counting on it. I'm 73 now, and still able to lift and handle my equipment and dive solo in local inlets and also with the usual tourist groups in the Caribbean, but I no longer do deep dives or cold water dives. I know and accept my limitations, and I am very careful. I know the statistics and the risks.

I get serious difficulty from some operators when they see my DOB on the C cards, and this gets worse every year. It's on my mind every trip I take. Apprehension. The tyranny of the young. It's the same when renting a car, especially on islands with difficult roads or driving on the left.

I tend to return to places where they know me these days because it's less trouble that way, though I have outlived a couple of dive operators. I can only imagine the reception a 90 year old would get.

 

[Akimbo]

I have often asked myself when I will be too old to dive. My answer used to be when I can’t climb the ladder anymore. I have recently changed my mind on that one though… Thank you Monterey Bay Veterans and their Lift to Freedom Project.