Have you reached a Diving "Plateau. "

[BrackaFish]

Hello. I've come to the conclusion that my diving has reached a "Plateau."
I'm diving Blue Grotto Williston, Florida. this weekend. It's my Zen place. I like to go down to the bottom (103 ft.) sit on a rock, shut my lights off, and meditate for 20 or 30 minutes.
Last time I was there, a couple of weeks ago, sitting on "My." rock. I had a revelation, or ephinany (If, you will.)
At my age, my diving at this point (Probably.) won't advance to any greater degree.
I won't ever be a Saturation Diver, or Welder....or Commercial Diver of any kind. I've never had an interest in rebreathers. I am not a Cave diver. (Never will be.) Even with the type of diving I do, I don't stray to far away from ambient light.
I consider myself a Deep (which too me, is a relative term.) Wreck diver.
My "Plateau." 140 fsw for 30 minutes. Period.
I no longer have the desire, or need to go deeper.
I won't discuss "Doubles." or equipment, or anything needed to conduct a "Deep." dive of this nature.
Quite simply, a majority of the wrecks that I enjoy are in 120 to 140 ft of water.
I'm very comfortable at these depths, and it's something, I really enjoy.
It wasn't planned, it wasn't a goal of mine. it just seemed to fall that way. Is it coincidence?
Is it really even important?
So, the question is...if it applies? What is your "Plateau."
Cheers.

For many, many years I was your basic openwater diver, then as time and money increased I took up some of the the technical aspects of diving. Deep, wreck, cave and finally going down the instructor route. As the years have passed, I find myself much like @AfterDark, thinking about the future and also really enjoying solo diving. I no longer do the long deco dives and any thoughts of diving the Andrea Doria have long since passed. Other than training dives, the dives that I do tend to be warm, clear and shallow. And while thoughts of scooters and Horizon rebreathers bounce around, I find that what I am doing now is in fact my “Plateau”. The biggest accomplishment for me has been the acceptance that this is OK. I still enjoy diving and like @ToneNQ ‘s dad and @Valyngar ’s Bali diver, I too hope that someone is pushing me off the boat and dragging me back on. In any case @Boston Breakwater, good question and I look forward to reading the responses. Be safe

 

[AfterDark]

I did some dives with a 72yr old in Malta last year, he was still going strong. My Dad is in that category too. Probably go down a tank size soon to reduce the dry weight, but nothing too drastic.

I've considered that but being a cold water local diver it's hard to lighten the "load" with 7mm farmer john wet suits and dry suits and certain amount of lead is required. My SAC rate is outrageously bad so any smaller tank will shorten a dive considerably. I tell myself if I'd been born early I'd already be in a wheelchair but technology was able to keep me on my feet so who knows maybe there'll be something for me in a few more years that'll keep me in the water longer?!

 

[lexvil]

I just enjoy diving but one of the best things to continue to enjoy it is a camera, forcing me to slow down and look a lot more closely at what is there. Finding man made things in the water is fun but diving wrecks exclusively would be boring, did 12 days in Truk a few years ago, enjoyed the airplane wrecks more than the ships. 65 with one replacement knee, cold water diver, warm water is a treat but I put a lot more time in the colder stuff. Stop ticking boxes, diving is it’s own reward.

 

[formernuke]

Not yet. When I do perhaps I'll get serious about photography, or hunting or..... always something to learn.

 

[AfterDark]

I just enjoy diving but one of the best things to continue to enjoy it is a camera, forcing me to slow down and look a lot more closely at what is there. Finding man made things in the water is fun but diving wrecks exclusively would be boring, did 12 days in Truk a few years ago, enjoyed the airplane wrecks more than the ships. 65 with one replacement knee, cold water diver, warm water is a treat but I put a lot more time in the colder stuff. Stop ticking boxes, diving is it’s own reward.

That's what the solution to my concerns are, boat diving. Fifty +years of rock hopping, among other things have taken their toll. They say if you can see it you can make it happen, I guess that's most but all of the time. I can see me wheeling my gear in a cart down the dock to where my boat is, loading the gear into the boat, then motoring off to a day of diving but, it hasn't happened, yet.

 

[Graeme Fraser]

An interesting question which imposes a certain level of intrespection.

Yes, I have hit the proverbial plateau at several points in my diving 'journey', just as I have with my career. At each point I felt a certain malaise and lack of motivation which could easily have resulted in either giving up or just diving occasionally diving on holiday.

Everyone will have their own reasons, but for me, when I feel myself reaching a plateau, I know I need to 'branch off' and reinvigorate my love of the sport. Fortunately diving is broad church and there are many different aspects to keep people stimulated, like photography, tech, ecology, etc, etc.

After many years recreational diving and working P/T as a DM, I started to deal somewhat unfulfilled. I knew it would be easy to drift and lose interest so I decided to be proactive and qualify as an instructor, which I still really enjoy. Years on, I knew I needed to push myself again, so took up tech diving and later still qualified as a tech instructor.

Although I still thoroughly enjoy these aspects of diving, I know I need to keep 'pushing' myself if I'm going to keep that child like enthusiasm I had when when I started out at the tender age of 14.

My last reinvention come last year when I qualified as a commercial diver. Fortunately for me, a good friend of mine is a commercial instructor and supervisor and asked if I'd like to do the course for free as it was run by the centre I work at and they had a couple of spare slots.

Realistically at 53, there's no way I'm going to pursue a meaningful career as a commercial diver, but I thoroughly enjoyed the course, learned loads and have been on a few com jobs since.

Moral of the story is, if things are going a bit stale, stand back, have a look around, find a new path and broaden your horizons.

 

[Jcp2]

At this point, I’d be happy just to be able to go diving. Waiting to see how travel pans out as we like warm water and colorful fish.

 

[Frackingawesome]

First off i dont think there is a problem with "reaching a Plateau" but i dont know if "Plateau" is the right word for it... in my mind Plateau means you'r at a point where to go further would require a faire amount of more effort(time, money skill). I dont think this is the case with diving. ever. That said i do think we can get in a rut of doing the same kind of dive over and over again. I dont think there is anything wrong with that. There is no right or wrong with diving questions like this and if you are happy with your rut then awesome! You found something most people never really get, Something that makes them truly happy over a long period of time.

At the same point there is so much to diving... from the knowledge(living things, science of diving history, geology...,...,...) and skills(buoyancy, equipment, finning) to types of diving and locations and even the social aspect of it. i dont know how you would ever each a Plateau unless you decided that you where done and you where ok with it.

I have been diving since 1994 (took a long break from about 1996 to 2016) but got back into it. the vast amount of stuff to learn and do and experience i cant see myself getting to a plateau. Now a rut i can definitely see myself in, Diving 3 or 4 days a week at a local quarry. You can only look a sunk bus so many times. But there are skill to work on, people to talk too, and still more fun to be had.

 

[TMHeimer]

Yeah I'm not the sort that likes to be carried around, I'm a VERY independent sort, part of why I enjoy solo diving so much just me and nature. Who knows maybe some time out of the water would change my mind? Hopefully the choice is still a long way off. Let's see 85 that's only 19 more years!

So we are the same age--didn't know that. I have been lucky (unlike my wife, with 2 hip & one knee replacements). But I have eliminated gradually some sites I used to dive due to just not wanting the entry/exit climbs & hassles. Could still do these, but why? I see you made it past 1,000 dives, which will be my last diving "goal" (in 2022 perhaps, knock wood).
I guess doing more Southern dives, even tropical ones would get me off the "plateau". That is a matter of money. Then again, I may fall apart next week, before my 15 year old BC does (bought used...).

 

[BrackaFish]

I've considered that but being a cold water local diver it's hard to lighten the "load" with 7mm farmer john wet suits and dry suits and certain amount of lead is required. My SAC rate is outrageously bad so any smaller tank will shorten a dive considerably. I tell myself if I'd been born early I'd already be in a wheelchair but technology was able to keep me on my feet so who knows maybe there'll be something for me in a few more years that'll keep me in the water longer?!

Time to move south as warm water is an old diver’s friend for a lot of reasons. As far as your SAC rate goes, well there are a bunch of RB divers here that will try and lure you to the Darkside.