Diving after 65

[Flycaster]

If you haven't done so already, stop by Scuba Shack and sign up for Core Principles! Learning how to move efficiently in the water is all the more important as you get older.

I don't know if you realize it but Scuba Shack was purchased by new owners. The only thing I will expect them to have knowledge of is fills. Once a good shop now not so much.

 

[billt4sf]

I've been wondering about this because my wife and my retirement plans involve diving the world.

I've been thinking that side mount might be a good idea at some point. In theory, you might want to get certified for side mount so that in the event of an injury you are ready to go.

However, sounds like it could be just as easy gear up/off backmount in the water. Any silver fox divers with experience with box side and backmount have thoughts on this?

We are retired and "diving the world". Actually just Indonesia...pretty much ... why go anywhere else?

Actually it does relate to this thread in the sense that, as I get ... well, you know... I want more comforts, more help with the gear, and fewer potential issues from staying in a 3-star place or taking looong car rides on crappy roads, or bumpy boat rides. I have figured out that, for me to have fun, *all* bodily functions need to be in working order. One thing goes down -- I go down.

Regarding the gear thing: we don't carry our gear. Ever. (I mean, we could in an emergency, but I especially have a bad back so we don't carry.) There are plenty of people around Indo that are happy to carry gear for a tip. We put on gear on from the exact place that we backroll (no giant strides). We take the gear off in the water and hand it up - using a wing / long hose, it takes some practice but once you figure it out, it's easy. I also wear a pony tank on sidemount, same idea.

It's amazing how many operators understand the limitations of us silver foxes and we have had no issues once we explain ourselves. And tip accordingly.

- Bill

 

[rongoodman]

I don't know if you realize it but Scuba Shack was purchased by new owners. The only thing I will expect them to have knowledge of is fills. Once a good shop now not so much.

I knew that Ed had left but I still see the GUE courses on the Web site, along with Core Principles. Maybe it's just no longer up to date.

 

[rivers]

A member of my dive club just turned 80. She rang in her 80th this past Monday diving the Kronprinz Wilhelm in Scapa Flow. In fact, that's how she spent her birthday week, diving the many wrecks in Scapa. I had the pleasure of diving with her on Wednesday, and she is an absolute joy to dive with. She doesn't shy away from anything, goes on several of the club trips, both in the UK and abroad. Even spends her winters in the local quarry with the rest of us.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

A member of my dive club just turned 80. She rang in her 80th this past Monday diving the Kronprinz Wilhelm in Scapa Flow. In fact, that's how she spent her birthday week, diving the many wrecks in Scapa. I had the pleasure of diving with her on Wednesday, and she is an absolute joy to dive with. She doesn't shy away from anything, goes on several of the club trips, both in the UK and abroad. Even spends her winters in the local quarry with the rest of us.

There's a name for folks like that ... "role model" ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Centrals]

A member of my dive club just turned 80. She rang in her 80th this past Monday diving the Kronprinz Wilhelm in Scapa Flow. In fact, that's how she spent her birthday week, diving the many wrecks in Scapa. I had the pleasure of diving with her on Wednesday, and she is an absolute joy to dive with. She doesn't shy away from anything, goes on several of the club trips, both in the UK and abroad. Even spends her winters in the local quarry with the rest of us.

That is a 40m dive in cold water!!!
Very impressive.

 

[EastEndDiver]

66 here been diving for 40 years lots of cold deep water NY/NJ wreck dives now I prefer the Caribbean had to take a year off from diving 3 years ago Battled stage 4 head/neck cancer back diving with no ill effects actually I was back in the water 6 months after treatment.My wife is 62 been diving same amount of time she has had several knee surgeries and rotator cuff surgeries she is still diving also.

 

[boulderjohn]

Age is not really the issue; fitness is the issue

At age 67, I agree with this. I am not in the best physical condition in the world, but I do exercise a lot. This enables me to keep up with the youngsters with whom I do tech diving, and it enables me to teach tech diving to those youngsters. In that world, I do all my share of the physical activities, like carrying gear and setting up facilities. No one does any of my work in consideration of my age. My gear includes Worthington LP 108 doubles, which weigh over 100 pounds with the manifold and tank bands. Add a backplate, regulators, canister light, backup lights, etc., and you are starting to talk about real weight.

Most of the diving I do these days is technical. I will still do two deco dives a day in the 200 foot range, but if we are going much deeper, I will only do one. I will do a 250+ foot dive in the morning and then shallow, training dives in the afternoon. I am planning to do a trip to the south Pacific next spring, so I will get in a good load of regular, recreational diving. I will do those dives with two friends my age. We dived together in Bali last year, doing three dives a day while we were there. Before that we were on a liveaboard in Australia, doing 4 dives a day.

 

[boulderjohn]

I have a comment for those who are suggesting sidemount as a recommendation for an aging population. While it has its advantages, it has its disadvantages, too. I know this will sound like heresy, but for most diving, I prefer backmount.

I had an experience that might be instructive.

I started to have arm problems following dive trips--both arms, the right one especially, would get a strange combination of numbness and pain. When I had the same experience after carrying my granddaughter on my shoulders during a long hike, I decided that carrying my doubles on shore at the dive site or on the boat was the problem. I went to a spine specialist, and I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. They said that was definitely my problem. I got sidemount certified, but it didn't seem to be doing me all that much good. As my problems increased, I went to a different doctor and got a completely different diagnosis. Oh, I had the spinal stenosis all right, but that was not what was causing the problem. My problem was carpal tunnel syndrome in my right wrist, and the pain and numbness were the results of a weekend of carrying gear around. He did a surgical release, and the problem went away completely. It even cured the problem in my left arm--apparently the brain sometimes has trouble identifying the source of pain.

So now I have no problems at all with backmounted doubles, even my anvil-like Worthingtons. IMO, the most important thing you need for the weight of scuba tanks is reasonably strong legs. Keep your legs strong, and your scuba life will be good.

 

[SeaHorse81]

IMO, the most important thing you need for the weight of scuba tanks is reasonably strong legs. Keep your legs strong, and your scuba life will be good.

Keeping your legs strong is critical to aging in general, whether or not you dive. You can't go wrong by keeping after them, preserving/maintaining mobility and balance skills. This not only keeps you ambulatory but also reduces your likelihood for falls, which come more easily and with more devastating results as the years go on.