How old is "too old"?

[flots am]

The recent thread on the folks who might quit diving prompted me to ask this question. (I couldn't begin to think how to search for other threads on this - sorry).

My husband and I are 59 and 53 (respectively) and have no immediate plans to quit diving, but I'm wondering if there is a general age when the body begins to fight the rigors of diving.

I'm 57 and yes, there are things I don't do because I now consider them too risky, and yet more I don't do because of current injuries or the desire to avoid additional injuries. I know that I'm in prime heart-attack territory, so I keep a close watch on my exertion level underwater. A DM that wants me to fin against the current is likely to get a prime view of my middle finger. If I can't make it back to the up-line or get blown off a wreck, I'll shoot my SMB and wait for pickup by the boat. I have no delusions that I can fight a stiff current over a significant distance, or any desire to do so.

While all the disks in my back are still whole and functioning, I decided to give my doubles to my buddy, who also gave them away, and I've switched to side-mount for dives that are safer with more than one tank. I can put the tanks on in the water and take them off before climbing the ladder.

The perspective I've taken is exactly what I tell the students in OW class. "If it hurts or is dangerous, you're doing it wrong"

I have absolutely no intention of quitting SCUBA, and if I happen to drop dead underwater, all I can say is it's a better deal than doing it in a hospital hooked up to a bunch of equipment. I do what I can to make it safer, but whatever minimal risks remain are just fine with me.

flots.

 

[Bob DBF]

I have absolutely no intention of quitting SCUBA, and if I happen to drop dead underwater, all I can say is it's a better deal than doing it in a hospital hooked up to a bunch of equipment. I do what I can to make it safer, but whateve minimal risks remain are just fine with me.

flots.

I'm 66 and that pretty much sums it up for me.



Bob
-------------------------
I may be old, but I'm not dead yet.

 

[Grover48]

My wife was first certified at age 74. She continued to dive in Hawaii and Animal,Mexico for four more years before deciding to call it quits. She continues to snorkel.

 

[SandyRobinson]

I will consider myself too old to dive when I stop buying green bananas

 

[TSandM]

I'm almost 60 and my husband is 65. We are both very active divers, occasional technical divers, and avid cave divers. I am also a physician.

It is definitely true that one of the biggest killers of people in the Western world is cardiovascular disease. And the incidence of this goes up with age, and not everyone has premonitory symptoms. But one of the best protectors is remaining active; sitting on the couch to avoid the possibility of having a heart attack while running, playing tennis, windsurfing or diving seems like a poor return on investment to me. Of course, there are risk factors that would make me take a bit of inventory of what I was doing -- if I were diabetic, obese, hypertensive, hypercholesterolemic, or had a horrible family history for heart disease, I'd be more cautious. But I think if you are generally active outside of diving, there should be no age where the cardiovascular risk of being in the water should make you decide to stop.

As everyone has said, changes in flexibility, range of motion, and general muscle mass may require alterations in your approach. My cave instructor has a client in her 70s who comes down to dive caves in Mexico every year. She lets people carry her tanks for her, though!

 

[divin'dog]

... I'm wondering if there is a general age when the body begins to fight the rigors of diving.

As Indiana Jones once said, "It's not the years, it's the mileage."

 

[KeithG]

Unless I have some serious health issues in the future, I plan to dive a long as I can carry my own gear. My wife and are currently 60 yo and have been diving for over 20 years.

This made me pause for a bit and I agree. I will have to quit diving when I can no longer afford to hire some one to carry my gear.

As long as they continue to fish me out after each dive I will keep going.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

I am 63.. like many didn't start diving till late.. (49). I love to dive. I used to think if something happened that effected my "dive health" I would make my own informed choice about continuing to dive or not. I think my view on this has changed in the last while tho. Now I realize those people I dive with have a right to make an informed choice about diving with ME if I have issues! For now.. If it isn't underwater or doesn't involve diving at some point.. it is not the vacation for me!

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I'll be 62 in a couple months, and am diving pretty much whenever and wherever I want to. I just returned from an Indonesia trip to Lembeh Straits and Raja Ampat ... the purpose of the trip was to celebrate one of my dive buddy's 70th birthday. His wife is 67, and my dive buddy's 65 ... and we're all still active divers. Unless something unexpected happens to my health, I don't see myself giving up diving for many years yet ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Hickdive]

The guy I get to service regulators is in his seventies, this year he's been on trips all over including the deep wrecks off Malin Head and he's just come back from Scapa Flow. All cold-water drysuit diving with planned decompression. He doesn't seem to have slowed down.