Active Divers over the age of 50

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

I'm 63 and have been diving since 1974. Currently I teach everything from open water through CCR full trimix and CCR cave. My "real job" is as a cardiologist, but I still manage about 150 dives per year between local cave diving, local ocean diving, and travel.

 

[DavidFL]

I'm 63 and have been diving since 1974. Currently I teach everything from open water through CCR full trimix and CCR cave. My "real job" is as a cardiologist, but I still manage about 150 dives per year between local cave diving, local ocean diving, and travel.

There's an old joke in the airline industry about some ex-pilot at a bar saying "I'd still be flying but my Doctor (aviation medical examiner) died".

I'm counting on Doug; he's 11 years younger than me!

 

[rgkv]

Just saw this thread, though I saw the Poll thread and added my response there.

I started diving in 1998 but had neither the time nor the money for much. It wasn't until I was in my 50s that I had time and money to really pursue dive travel and even cave diving. I'm still working on earning the full cave diver certification. Now pushing 60, I wonder how many years I'll be in good enough physical shape to actually cave dive.

I was diving last summer with a gentleman who was 85

 

[OceanEyes]

I’m just a tad shy of 65. Began swimming before I could talk in complete sentences, and started snorkeling & free diving before I had a full set of teeth. Earned my first SCUBA cert in ’74. Became a DM in ’88, and an instructor in ’90. Only dived sporadicly until the early ’80's, but have been fortunate enough to have dived in the seas off of 6 of the 7 continents over the course of the last 40+ years. Have not provided any instruction since the start of COVID, (and while I remain in teaching status and still retain liability insurance, am content with the possibility that that part of my life may be at an end,) nor have I traveled. My DUI CF200 drysuit has been in a closet for over three years now, but I still use my TLS drysuit suit during the winter months here in Florida.

 

[SysGreg]

Hey Pete do you share demographics?

From SB Homepage:

Demographics: 64% Male 36% Female
Age: 18-35: 7% 35-49: 49% 50+: 42%

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

My wives don't dive, all three of them. Thank God for that

You have three wives? All at the same time!!!!
You poor guy.

 

[Pressurehead]

It is a little disconcerting reading this .

Active Divers over the age of 50​

When you have adult 'children' over 50 [one is a diver, taught at age 12, by me].

 

[JMBL]

51 yo, been diving for 33 years, between 40 and 50 dives each year, Med, Atlantic, abroad, OC, deep air, mixed gaz, CCR (air diluant ; trimix diluant planned next June), hope to go cave diving again soon, after too long a break (family quirks to sort out).

 

[ROUS]

I'm 64 and have been diving since '79 (with a big gap in there while I worked on a career). My diving really sped up a few years ago when I retired. I'm traveling and diving quite a bit lately.

 

[drl]

65, female, diving since 2004, 870 dives. Caribbean, Indo-Pacific, Cocos, Socorro, Galapagos, also Lake Michigan wrecks (though not so much lately—I’m finding the work-to-fun ratio for drysuit diving skews the wrong direction more and more)
Raja Ampat later this year, rebooked from 2021.
I plan to keep diving as long as I can, but I’m trying to get the more challenging locations in sooner rather than later.