People not fit to dive

[GrumpyOldGuy]

To paraphrase Charelton Heston, I am going to dive until you pry the regulator from my cold dead lips. I would rather croak diving or some other fun activity than rot slowly in a retirement home.

My only concern as I decline in physical ability is I use good judgement when conditions are poor to call a dive and my buddy knows and understand my limits.

 

[MMM]

Interesting viewpoints.

It's not as though I'm a spring chicken. This guy only had about 15 or 20years on me. I am, however, an eldest of many, many siblings and think I am responsible for everyone's safety. ;^)

Yes, this guy had a buddy with him who, for the most part, helped ensure he had his reg in his mouth, mask on, etc. etc.

 

[smoothfin]

On various diving days, I've managed to forget or screw up:
2) forgot my booties when wetsuit diving (had to borrow a pair from a kind soul)
..

this is a fun exercise:

1. forgot my hood on a L. Michigan dive (and then actually tried to do the dive, lasted about 30 seconds before screaming ICE CREAM!!!!!)
2. splashed twice off a boat without my fins.
3. splashed in once without my weights.
4. tried to put my wetsuit on backwards once, and made surprising progress before I realized what the problem was.

selah...

 

[TSandM]

I called a rather expensive charter dive a couple of years ago, because the seas had come up, and I was dubious about my ability to get me and my doubles up the boat ladder. At some combination of gear, body strength and water conditions, almost anybody is going to have to say, "Enough." This guy sounds like he had the good sense to do that on the second day. And if he needs a little help up the ladder on a calm day . . . Well, I saw some young women need that, on our South Pacific trip.

Dementia is a little more difficult, because people who are developing it sometimes don't know. But I wouldn't diagnose it based on somebody being forgetful on the boat. That can come from being in unfamiliar circumstances and having one's habitual routine broken, or from simply not having dived in a long time (sadly, all too often the case).

At any rate, when my short-term memory is bad enough that people have to start taking care of me, I hope nobody lets me in the water. Up until then -- I'm going diving!

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

Don't be dissin' us old fogeys, dog!

When they push the button that lowers my coffin into that 6' deep hole, the one thats about 6' long by about 3" wide, thats the point when I quit diving. Until then, my new goal is to annoy the crap out of young, fit, I-know-everything divers!



The kin98d of guys who are a yard sale on the boat, and a 3-ring circus underwater.

Bring it on...

SECOND AMEN DOC!!!- My grandfather was driving his vehicle until he was 98--lived to be just two months short of his 100th birthday----LOOKS LIKE I HAVE 38 MORE YEARS of diving ahead of me to keep up with gramps----don't know if I'll make it but I'll damn sure try! :blinking::blinking:

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

I'll quit diving when it kills me...

 

[Joe-Diver]

When they push the button that lowers my coffin into that 6' deep hole, the one thats about 6' long by about 3" wide,

You plan on getting run over by a steamroller or something?

 

[Nemrod]

I think the OP is doing a lot of assuming.

I was marginally involved in a diver death. It was a long time ago. I was 22 years old and a fellow who is about my age now and his younger wife enrolled in a scuba class of which I was one of several AIs. He was a weak swimmer throughout the course. The instructor worked with him a bunch. Of course, he had to get a physical back then. He improved over the duration of the course. To make a long story short, he had a problem on his check out dive and had a cardiac arrest. I was on the trip but was going out with the afternoon group. My only involvement was that I had observed him merely as a consequence of the co mingled double course (once upon a time scuba courses were so crowded they had to split them). His poor physical fitness combined with his anxiety and fear of the water combined with a rapid ascent (he got away from one of the AIs) resulted in a cardiac arrest. There was more to it but you get the picture.

Normally scuba is not especially stressful but a new diver, poor fitness, other contradictions, heavy wet suit, current, anxiety, peer pressure can all combine to produce a bad circumstance.

Because I was a WSI and a strong swimmer I rarely got to actually dive on these checkout dives, I usually stayed outfitted sitting on the bow "at the ready" to go get whoever might need getting. I was not on that trip out as I had been assigned due to a hang over (hey, I was young) to go with the afternoon group. I am glad really that I was not there.

N

 

[Nemrod]

I'll quit diving when it kills me...

I like your spunk.

N

 

[SandyRobinson]

and throughout the day, I noticed "forgetfullness". This included reminders about masks, fins, clothing, shoes etc....

A couple of summers ago, I was diving with Olympus Diving out of Morehead City. On one dive, I jumped into the water without any fins! That was embarassing. So I have no room to talk