How old is "too old"?

[kimbalabala]

The recent thread on the folks who might quit diving prompted me to ask this question. (I couldn't begin to think how to search for other threads on this - sorry).

My husband and I are 59 and 53 (respectively) and have no immediate plans to quit diving, but I'm wondering if there is a general age when the body begins to fight the rigors of diving. I know there are exceptional people who dive into their 80's - and I'd sure like that to be us - but what is the average age when people hang up their wetsuits one final time? Of course I know that individual health concerns can sideline us at any time - so again, just looking for an "average". Friends go on these cool trips to Europe to tour castles and museums, and we say that as long as we can dive all of our trips will be dive trips - we'll do that other stuff when it's all we can do! I know we have a seriously narrow focus - but if we're going to spend the money it's going to be on diving!

 

[Insta-Gator]

Unless I have some serious health issues in the future, I plan to dive a long as I can carry my own gear. My wife and are currently 60 yo and have been diving for over 20 years.

 

[pjhansman]

Unless I have some serious health issues in the future, I plan to dive a long as I can carry my own gear. My wife and are currently 60 yo and have been diving for over 20 years.

Couldn't agree more!

My wife and I didn't start until we were in our 50's so, God willing, I've got a lotta years to go yet.

 

[Rich Keller]

It is going to come down to the individual and what adjustments you are willing to make. For example I use split fins now because they are easier on my knees. You could also look into using smaller tanks as the gear weight becomes more of an issue. I use a 30 cu/ft tank on shallow shore dives now only because I do not need much air for that type of dive but it maybe something I need to use later on in life.

 

[MalibuJerry]

This is actually a great question. I think the kind of diving matters. Because we are weightless in the water we don't really realize the exertion required. So you physical conditioning is important. Dive tables and computers are not calibrated for age, so backing off them and leaving an extra margin might be a good idea, though I am not aware of any scientific evidence to support this. I would be interested in knowing if anyone has anything other than speculative thinking on this topic. BTW I have no intention of quitting anytime soon or anytime at all.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I'll never quit.
A lot of it is mental, a lot of it is physical, and it's also a commitment.
As I get older I can't go out and party like a rock star and go diving the next day like nothing happened.
I have to choose, I choose to stay in shape so I can enjoy diving.
Diving is way more important to me than boozing up or indulging in rich food and getting fat and out of shape.
I have to pick my days too, no more battling big swells to get out.
I'm going to do more boat diving. I have hip issues now and will need one replaced. That'll mean no more hiking big tanks and gear down goat trails to the beach. But it won't mean I have to give up diving.
I know a lot of people older than me who enjoy more local charter boat diving instead of busting their asses shlepping gear with sensitive backs and bad knees.
Maybe as cold water and thick gear becomes more difficult or no more fun then maybe I'll finally get to do more warm water diving.
But I'd have to be in a wheel chair before I quit, and maybe even not then.

 

[dkktsunami]

I will be 70 in a month and am still going strong. Completed dive #2000 a few months ago and am still completely comfortable in the water. I am convinced that scuba keeps me alive and healthy,except for the cast on left foot for tendonosis, 9 more days and 32 minutes and I will be out of that and into a dry suit.

 

[tursiops]

If you had been able to search for this, on SB and other sites, you'd find the general answer to this question is that age is not the issue, fitness is. If you stay reasonably fit, you can keep diving. Fit does not mean 1000 pushups or running marathons, of course, but it does mean being able to handle yourself in and out of the water. The diving part is generally easy....but the logistics of diving suck! Shore dives get harder (as does getting up in the mornings), boat ladders get steeper and longer, tanks get heavier, water gets colder, and currents get stronger. So you avoid shore dives or get help, you take off your gear in the water and hand it up, you use smaller tanks, you use thicker wet suits, you avoid high-current dives. The compensating factors are that you also get more experienced, more relaxed, and see more on every dive. I started in college, been diving for 50 years....no plans to stop yet. But I do not plan to go back to the USS Monitor or Antarctica, those are good memories now, not future dive plans.

 

[Oldbear]

There are many divers with physical challenges. I think you need to dive responsible within your personal limits...and only you can determine what those are. I have been diving for seven years now and started in my mid-40s. I am a veteran with a few disabilities, so I am careful to stay within my limits. I have a blast and do not even fathom the idea of giving up diving. Many of us are now the age where we are seeing family and friends pass on more frequently than we would like. I think our dearly beloved friend Marcia's (Quero) passing has shown many of us a glimps into our own mortality. But in the spirit of Quero, I will not give up diving, but find means and methods to keep diving as long as possible.

To the OP, I suggest you examine what about the type of diving you do that makes it enjoyable to you. Then look at way you can either extend your diving career or decide on a comfortable exit strategy. I highly recommend you do not abandon diving out of hast but when you do leave, leave on your terms knowing you did so when YOU thought it was time.

Many happy bubbles,

~Oldbear~

 

[Doubler]

I have quit planned decompression diving after checking off Truk lagoon from my bucket list. My wife made me quit caves several years ago. I know it is not true but it seems every time I read about someone dieing on a dive up here in the GPNW they are over 50 and new to drysuits, so no drysuits for me. I'll limit myself to giant stride off the back of a liveaboard in calm waters. I am planning a river cruise in Europe in 2015.