50+ year old divers

[ComputerJoe]

Good to see another Michigander on the thread. I have a couple of Friends from Albany that are 65 and 72. They are both trimix/Cave certified and I would say that the "rules" don't change much, "know your limits", but the extent of what you can do does. Mr. Crabby Pants (72) will call a dive any and every time it doesn't feel right to him. I've no problems with that, his pacemaker is only rated to 150'.

I add conservatism on to everything I do. I will dive with both computer and tables and whichever is giving me the more conservative dive is the one I will follow. I will do only one deep dive at a time, maybe one in the AM and another in the PM after a 6 hour interval. We are lucky over here to have many shallow wrecks to frog around on. I take the shallow time to search for the little things scatter about on the bottom that most others miss. I guess that is an advantage the the perspective of our years give us. I was once told "a lazy diver is a good diver" and I took it to heart.

 

[DrChip]

Welcome, Dr Chip! I'm liking where you hang out, don't cha know! Welcome to ScubaBoard, or at least your first post thereon![/QUOTE

Thank You-Been "lurking" here a while.

Been diving since 1962 (yep): got YMCA certified in OH. Dove a bit then dropped it. came back in 1997 and got re ecrtified by PADI: the old equipment shown in our classroom was just like the stuff I had! No bc, emergency reg, gauges, reserve air!

Got my wife diving when we were dating and we got married underwater in the Keys on 1/1/2000 (I was 53 yars young!). We have dived all over the world including the Red Sea.

We just got back from diving celebrating 10 years of marriage.

Have been an audiologist for 40 years (hearing/balance and dive medicine!) and now at Emory School of Med dept of Neurology, Atlanta, GA.

Also racing go karts at 63! cb

 

[retfed]

Dr. Chip: I hope you don't mind if I ask you a question regarding my wife. We are both 60 years of age and avid divers. My wife recently developed benign positional vertigo, and has 3 episodes the last one 4 months ago. All episodes have occured while at home, but here ENT has told her to quit diving, period. Do you have any advise regarding this type of condition?
Thanks in advance

 

[Dhboner]

52 this Thursday! I live in Toronto, Canada and do all of my diving with my two sons who are both Advanced Open Water trained. I'm leaving for the Domincan Republic on Sunday for a 30th wedding anniversary trip and you can bet I'll sneak in a couple of dives while my wife reads her book on the beach.

Bob

 

[Samboney]

Yo Joe - I've been known to call a dive when it doesn't feel right myself. Hey, a dive has to be fun and beating myself up to figure out what the stresser is can be less that fun. I think that's one of the most important safety standards a dive can follow - If your head isn't in the dive, call the dive. Your buddy needs to know that if his/her head isn't in the dive the safe thing to do is to call the dive and that's OK.

I love the wrecks we have up here - I've seen the viz in the big lakes almost as good as the Carribean - almost. We have a few easy wrecks in this area too. And your right - it's the little details that bring the wrecks back to life.

Will you be going to the Ford Seahorses Shipwreck Festival in Ann Arbor next month? several of us will be there. www shipwreckfestival.org

 

[george025]

Hello, I just joined the Scubaboard.
I live in the Toronto area, and at the young age of 55 just completed my PADI open water 2 weeks ago during a family vacation at Roatan, Honduras. A major accomplishment for me - to finally finish something I started and to now be able to state I am a certified scuba diver.
I told my wife, our travel planner to include good dive sites for our next trip south.

 

[ComputerJoe]

Sam,

I've been trying to get a booth for the Thunder Bay Underwater Preserve through the web site with no luck. I just PMed Tony Gramer hoping he can help us out with getting our booth. I will be going whatever happens. I have a friend in Ann Arbor where I can stay and wait out the storm that seems to come with every Shipwreck Festival.

 

[DrChip]

Dr. Chip: I hope you don't mind if I ask you a question regarding my wife. We are both 60 years of age and avid divers. My wife recently developed benign positional vertigo, and has 3 episodes the last one 4 months ago. All episodes have occured while at home, but here ENT has told her to quit diving, period. Do you have any advise regarding this type of condition?
Thanks in advance

(personal opinion): BPV should NOT keep her from diving!

BPPV is caused when small calcium-like "otoconia" get stuck in the semi circular canal, usually the horizontal SC canal.

These otocomia are continually breaking away and float down in the SC canals. It is when the get "stuck" is when the cause trouble. They act as "pistons" moving the inner ear fluid around stimulating the balance nerve endings.

The "Epley" manuver (named after Dr. Epley who invented the treatment) frees up these otoconia when they cause trouble.

Each time one gets "stuck" it has to be freed up. It is done by repeating the Epley. An audiologist/Physical Therapist/ENT or Neurology doc can teach you how to do this at home.

Go to dizzinessandbalance.com Dr Timoty HAin and he has lots of infor on this and other inner ear disorders. He pdates it regularly and is a prof at NW School of Med and had a big practice in down town Chicago.

He usually will answer questions on line.

I lot of advise is given without good knowledge. My step daughter was told because she had a perforation in her ear drum. She may have had one at one time but it had healed. I could not see the hole but I had an ENT friend look without telling him what I had seen. He repoted no perf as well, and step daughter has been diving since: she was our "mermaid of honor" when my wife and I got married under water 1/1/2000.

I am here to help! c

 

[Chuck Norris]

congrats to all of you bravo

 

[drdaddy]

OK, I am and wanted to see how many more of us are out there.
Where do you live?
Where do you dive?
Favorite dive shop?
Current certification?

I am +6
Oregon
Oregon Coast - Jetty Dives
& Wherever I am
Eugene Skin Divers Supply & South Beach Scuba
PADI - Advance Open Water through Rescue Diver