58 years young--what can I expect ?

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mintaka

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Location
boulder,co
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Hi all--- I just discovered scuba and I am cautiously in love with it so far. I was recently certified and have made two ocean dives after the cert and have a three day dive trip planned in two weeks.

I'm 58 and in good physical and mental health. Its not that I am specifically worried about anything in particular, its just that I am pretty compulsive and tend to really devour new interests. One part of me is saying " go for it...do it as much as you can while you still can" and another part is saying "you're no spring chicken, you need to approach this with more caution than if you were 30 or 40 years old". I realize that every diver is different regardless of age, but I'd also appreciate some words of advice from experts or others who have taken up diving later in life. What do you think ?
I do plan on continuing my diving education as much as is possible.

Thanks !
 
I am a few years behind you and one of my dive buddies is 67. IMO as long as you are fit then go for it. Ain't none of us getting any younger and something is going to kill us anyway, so might as well be having fun when we go. I would take it a little slower with any kind of tech diving- cave-deep or the like but for general rec diving go dive your rear off. :)
 
My fiancee got certified just before her 57th birthday. She's now 60 and working toward her 300th dive. As a scientist, she is fascinated by everything underwater. She collects shells and takes microscopic photos and videos of animals, algae and fossils she finds. The ocean is her never-ending laboratory. I have a feeling she'll still be an enthusiastic diver into her 90s.
 
Depends. :D :joke:

Of course I mean that it depends on some things. I know of a lot of divers that are in their 50's and have even dove with some in their 70's. In your 50's I believe you are still young so you should be able to enjoy your new hobby a great deal. You might want to figure out what you want to do with diving (i.e. just clean your boat, search for stuff at your lake, dive around the world.....and then make sure that your training is suitable for that. I say this because many operators around the world will require certain training levels and/or experience levels to take you on certian dives. I also say this because I would think that somebody that wants to muck around on a dirty bottom in zero vis should have a little more expeience even if not AOW.

No matter what, I would say make sure that you are able to dive often so that you can get your expience level up and so that the skills you learned can become "part of natural thought". And, always dive within your comfort and training level. Never knowingly exceed either your comfort or your training. You have the right and responsibility to thumb (cancel) a dive at any time for any reason.
 
One part of me is saying " go for it...do it as much as you can while you still can" and another part is saying "you're no spring chicken, you need to approach this with more caution than if you were 30 or 40 years old".

Go for it! Just stay aware of your physical limits as you would at any age.
 
I'm 57 & say go for it......Think of it this way, with any luck, you'll hit your 2000th dive on your 75th birthday....Now, doesn't that sound better...
 
I am 65, started diving at around 58, did DM at 60, and am taking an air deco course now. Diving is a wonderful activity to age with and it will keep your mental and physical abitities honed as well as being very relaxing. I am not,in any way, an athlete - diving came along at a really good time for me and provides both challenge and entertainment. Have a ball....
 
I am in my 60's and am diving regularly.

My wife is 74 and is currently going through her OW certification. We will be diving in Hawai'i next month.

Go for it.
 
I am 65, started diving at around 58, did DM at 60, and am taking an air deco course now. Diving is a wonderful activity to age with and it will keep your mental and physical abitities honed as well as being very relaxing. I am not,in any way, an athlete - diving came along at a really good time for me and provides both challenge and entertainment. Have a ball....

Echoing what TSUNAMI said - started at 56, now 61. Presently Inst, TRIMIX, and full cave certified and enjoyed it all (well, maybe not a couple of the drillls in cave class:wink:)

Physical and mental condition have been GREATLY helped, but need some more improvement. Guess I gtta go dive!

Enjoy
 
Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill.

You just play the game with more finesse and better judgement. Re-certed in December, 2003; DM in 2006; I am 54. 420 dives since 2003. Congratulations. Welcome to our world.....
 
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