Been diving forever or started late?

[garyfotodiver]

That quarry in NJ was called "the quarry"..located in Hamburgh NJ off rt 23..I certified many people there in the 70's through a NASDS store located in Bronx NY..we had so many students that the store used to hire a big bus to take everyone and equipment there almost every other weekend.
Gary,were you one of those people?

Yes, that was the place...

Well, my NASDS card (number K1600) lists the HDS Scuba School, Denny Shelt instructor. I remember the shop at somewhere along one of the Jersey shore roads. It was one of those, "Only buy these brands; everything else is c**p" places. Modesty prevents me from naming the brands.

Fortunately, that summer I found a new LDS that just opened along Rt 36. The owner, Al Catalfumo, treated me very well. I have him to thank for mentoring me. I try to do the same by taking other newly certified divers along with me.

 

[metaldector]

I was in Panama with the U.S. Army, and got tired of jumping out of airplanes, so when am officer asked if I wanted to SCUBA dive I said sure. It was his gear, and we filled our tanks in the Army Base motorpool using compressed air, (same stuff went into tires). My training was to following the leader into Lake Gatun and then later on Pina Beach on the mouth of the Chagrus River. After returning to the States and living in Colorado I didn't dive for about 20 years. I got the bug again in the late 80's and took a PADI course in Cleveland, Ohio, but the cold quarries just weren't my thing. Later in the early 90's I moved to Florida and took up diving again. Now I'm full cave, dive about 60 times a year, mostly caves, but still treasure hunt off Sebastian for 1715 gold and silver in the summer. Today is my 61st birthday and I have over 700 logged dives.

 

[Aeolus]

I guess that I fall into both catagories. I started diving in 1959; but did not get certified until 1994. Usually, I am the oldest on a dive trip; but last year at Inn of the Last Resort on Roatan, it was very different. There were only four divers during that week and I was the youngest at 61+. My ista-budy was 69, the wife in a couple was 72 and the husband was 79. During that week, none of us missed even a single dive. There is hope for all of us.

 

[ronski101]

I am a bit suprised that there are not more people who started diving after reaching 50. Lots of people get certified but then drop out for a variety of reasons. The average age of divers at the majority of the places we go has got to be 50+. Places like Cozumel seem to have a much lower average age.
I started diving in 1963 at 18 without certification but then in 1966 was half way through a course and got drafted and was given a free round trip ride to south east Asia. After coming back, got back into it even bought my own compressor. Got a C card in 1981 but got tired of the cold diving and disapearance of abalone and lobster due to the over commercialization. Now I am a warm water diver and just take pictures.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

started late.....1977.....27 yrs old.....wished I had started at 12......you do the math

PADI pre numbers still use that card....cause I like the picture of me when I was 27

 

[jupitermermaid]

Got certified one month short of my 55th birthday. Got 267dives in the first three months, then stopped diving for a year. Started again near the end of this past October, and will doing my 100th dive this Sunday. :monkeydan

 

[drdiver1952]

Certified at 23, got back into it in my 40s, still at it.

 

[jupitermermaid]

Got certified one month short of my 55th birthday. Got 267dives in the first three months, then stopped diving for a year. Started again near the end of this past October, and will doing my 100th dive this Sunday. :monkeydan

OOps.....that was supposed to be 26 dives....not 267.

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

Started 15 years ago at age 52.......Should have done it years earlier buy espoused the philosophy ....never jump out of a perfectly good airplane with running engines and never jump out of a boat that isn't sinking.........just goes to show how foolish you can be when you are young and imature.

 

[Natasha]

Started diving at 38. I'll be 50 in about 8 more months..Can I still post in here? :winky: