Learning SCUBA at 50?

[Tom Smedley]

I was in an Olive Garden Restaurant in Kissimmee Florida last week and I jotted down something on the wall. 'You're not as young as you once were. But, you're not as old as you're going to be. So watch it - no guts -no glory. Let's have a drink."

My oldest diver that I have certified to date was a month shy of 82. He's 85 this December 7th and still going strong. He has broken every rule of longevity. He smokes, he sky dives, he rides dirt bikes, and he is married to a younger woman. He attributes his long life to have given up drinking at 78. He claims to have violated every one of the ten commandments except one - To his knowledge he has never created a graven image.

Go for it and tell them I said so!

 

[Jerzi]

You can do a few things to get prepared for the physical aspect of the course.

Make sure you can tread water for roughly around 10 minutes and practice breathing through a snorkel, while doing laps in a pool.

I would suggest doing some weighted lunges to build up leg strength and daily stretching to prevent cramping.

The equipment that you will be wearing is not very light. You will have about 40 extra pounds strapped to your body. You will really feel the weight of it if you need to squat down and try to stand back up or when climbing out of the pool from the ladder.

Leg strength, Core strength, Upper Body Stength and cardivascular activities will make it much easier for you. Swimming and Rowing do wonders for building these up.

 

[Michael Folise]

One more thought. There really is a lot to learn. Get the DVD's for whatever training program you choose (NAUI, PADI, etc.). They are fun to watch and in addition to doing the course book really do help you to remember/reinforce what you will be learning. Even though it is now years later for some of the courses we took, we occasionally put the DVDs on the screen (we have an LCD projector), make popcorn and we still pick up things here and there that we use on our dives.

 

[WillyMcFly]

One more thought. There really is a lot to learn. Get the DVD's for whatever training program you choose (NAUI, PADI, etc.). They are fun to watch and in addition to doing the course book really do help you to remember/reinforce what you will be learning. Even though it is now years later for some of the courses we took, we occasionally put the DVDs on the screen (we have an LCD projector), make popcorn and we still pick up things here and there that we use on our dives.

Thanks for the advice. I just found a complete NAUI Training Kit including the DVD on Ebay for $40. I think it will give me a good sense of how I should prepare.

Hope to be underwater soon! Thanks to all for great advice and sharing your own experiences. This is a great site.

 

[TMHeimer]

I was certified at 51. Don't recall the swim test was hard. But at 55 I'm really training hard to do the 400 meter required for DM. I use a stationary bike, arm strengthening and a lot of running (some up hill). As stated, really study the book, and do the Knowledge Reviews (PADI) all before class starts. I took the class 6 nights then the weekend 4 Open Water dives. Would've found the one weekend class-pool set up difficult to absorb. Really study the 20 basic skills, as you may need one of them at some point. Many divers like myself pass the course and neglect to practise these from time to time. Good luck.

 

[BabyDuck]

i agree with the bit about making sure you have some leg & core strength. nothing like a professional athlete level, but maybe you could start wearing a backpack with some weight on some of your walks, and going up & down some stairs in it?

leg strength while not 'over' my legs and with deeply bent knees is my main weakness (though i wear a *lot* of equipment - cave diver), like stepping up or down rocks that aren't at 'step' height. that i didn't fall this past trip was a huge success for me! i've fallen lots of places & i'm only typing now instead of flopping around on rocks because my dive buddy is my boyfriend...

 

[scubamountaingirl]

as a person of 55 , i got my ow at 52. i am in ok shape. i used to be an athlete but now am an arthritic mess...LOL I still am active during my day, but if , like lynne *TS&M, worked out more for upper body strength i would be ahead of the game.

In the quarry where we take class and practice, there are slopes not sissy slopes but not huge, sometimes my knees will accompany me up them, sometime i need a elbow for the first step.

the point is that you want to be in shape, not out of breath as your breath is your lifeline in SCUBA . You need to be honest with yourself and take one step and one class at a time. If you get serious about this sport, you will in fact get in shape.

where ever you go, there you are!!!

good luck and let us know what happens with your diving.
ww

 

[Jerzi]

i agree with the bit about making sure you have some leg & core strength. nothing like a professional athlete level, but maybe you could start wearing a backpack with some weight on some of your walks, and going up & down some stairs in it?

I would suggest a weighted vest where the weight is evenly distributed.
You risk the chance of shoulder, neck and back strains with weighted backpacks. You want to distribute the weight evenly as possible to negate any of these possibilities.

 

[still new]

Congratulations on taking the plunge( no pun intended), I too started diveing in my 50's and have kicked myself everyday since for not starting as a much younger man. As with any fitness program I would start walking on a daily basis for a couple of weeks then I would go to my locae swimming pool with my mask,fins, and snorkle and swim that way until you feel you can do a couple of lengths without them each day you do this you will build up the didtance. Good luck and perhaps we can dive together someday.

 

[mtldiver]

Congrats on making the decision on becoming certified. I also became certified last June at age 52. I haven't been diving much due to education costs for my three kids but I almost done with that. One more semester payment! I 've slowly been getting in better shape with cardio and weight lifting. I started slowly and have kept increasing my distance and weights. You'll be amazed at how quickly your body will begin to become accustomed to the load. I plan to dive as much as possible once spring begins. Also when you become certified join a local dive club to meet dive buddies and don't be afraid to tell them you're a newbie. Good luck you're going to love it!