DIR- Generic Age and Demanding Diving

[FundiesGuy]

Hello,

I just finished my fundies with a provisional a couple of weeks ago. For background purposes, I have been diving for around five years now and have progressed up to the deco pro level at TDI. Needless to say, the provisional was a bit of a disappointment. While I knew I was no elite diver, I expected at least a rec pass out of the course.

Despite that, I tremendously enjoyed the course and have made it my mission to complete and obtain my rec and tec passes. Seeing the quality of GUE instruction and course material firsthand, I am also interested in continuing further up the GUE tec stream especially as it relates to CCR.

That said, I am 38 years old and fundies was very demanding physically. I am in relatively good physical shape (keen runner at least), but I wonder if I have many years of physical capacity left to learn and do such demanding tec diving and training. I guess I’m looking for some inspiration from people who started their fundies in their late 30s or older and progressed up the GUE stream of courses. Would appreciate the encouragement (or alternatively, reality check!) from people who have been down that path before.

Cheers to all

 

[PfcAJ]

Hello,

I just finished my fundies with a provisional a couple of weeks ago. For background purposes, I have been diving for around five years now and have progressed up to the deco pro level at TDI. Needless to say, the provisional was a bit of a disappointment. While I knew I was no elite diver, I expected at least a rec pass out of the course.

Despite that, I tremendously enjoyed the course and have made it my mission to complete and obtain my rec and tec passes. Seeing the quality of GUE instruction and course material firsthand, I am also interested in continuing further up the GUE tec stream especially as it relates to CCR.

That said, I am 38 years old and fundies was very demanding physically. I am in relatively good physical shape (keen runner at least), but I wonder if I have many years of physical capacity left to learn and do such demanding tec diving and training. I guess I’m looking for some inspiration from people who started their fundies in their late 30s or older and progressed up the GUE stream of courses. Would appreciate the encouragement (or alternatively, reality check!) from people who have been down that path before.

Cheers to all

im personally younger than you, but there’s no shortage of guys MUCH older doing very demanding tech dives.

be in shape, develop good skills, and you can dive for another 20 years plus.

 

[helodriver87]

I know guys in their 50s and even 60s doing multi hour trimix depth rebreather cave dives. Stay in shape and you're still young enough to go about as far as you want to go with this.

 

[rjack321]

Hello,

I just finished my fundies with a provisional a couple of weeks ago. For background purposes, I have been diving for around five years now and have progressed up to the deco pro level at TDI. Needless to say, the provisional was a bit of a disappointment. While I knew I was no elite diver, I expected at least a rec pass out of the course.

Despite that, I tremendously enjoyed the course and have made it my mission to complete and obtain my rec and tec passes. Seeing the quality of GUE instruction and course material firsthand, I am also interested in continuing further up the GUE tec stream especially as it relates to CCR.

That said, I am 38 years old and fundies was very demanding physically. I am in relatively good physical shape (keen runner at least), but I wonder if I have many years of physical capacity left to learn and do such demanding tec diving and training. I guess I’m looking for some inspiration from people who started their fundies in their late 30s or older and progressed up the GUE stream of courses. Would appreciate the encouragement (or alternatively, reality check!) from people who have been down that path before.

Cheers to all

38 is young lol

The majority of tech and cave diving - especially the actual exploration projects, is done by people with established careers and enough disposable income to be able to afford it. Plus vacation time. 40+ is the norm not the exception.

 

[PfcAJ]

38 is young lol

The majority of tech and cave diving - especially the actual exploration projects, is done by people with established careers and enough disposable income to be able to afford it. Plus vacation time. 40+ is the norm not the exception.

For the rest of us, we use a technique called “debt”.

 

[Compressor]

Hello,

I just finished my fundies with a provisional a couple of weeks ago. For background purposes, I have been diving for around five years now and have progressed up to the deco pro level at TDI. Needless to say, the provisional was a bit of a disappointment. While I knew I was no elite diver, I expected at least a rec pass out of the course.

Despite that, I tremendously enjoyed the course and have made it my mission to complete and obtain my rec and tec passes. Seeing the quality of GUE instruction and course material firsthand, I am also interested in continuing further up the GUE tec stream especially as it relates to CCR.

That said, I am 38 years old and fundies was very demanding physically. I am in relatively good physical shape (keen runner at least), but I wonder if I have many years of physical capacity left to learn and do such demanding tec diving and training. I guess I’m looking for some inspiration from people who started their fundies in their late 30s or older and progressed up the GUE stream of courses. Would appreciate the encouragement (or alternatively, reality check!) from people who have been down that path before.

Cheers to all

Welcome to ScubaBoard @FundiesGuy. Don't be too hard on yourself. I'm sorry you did not pass. I am sure you put the effort into it; both physically and mentally. Most people do.

I was 55 when I took the course and got a provisional as well. At the time, I had been diving over 30 years. Did I learn a lot: yes. Would I take it again: yes but not from that instructor.

 

[EireDiver606]

Well done and glad you enjoyed it. Get out diving loads now and the will turn into a tech pass within a year if you're practicing skills (not specific skills) on every dive. Have an aim in the back of your head before each dive. Try to be the best you can on every dive while not straining yourself. Remember, you're there to have fun.

 

[Hartattack]

I’m 38, but my Garmin says my V02 Max fitness age is 20, so I’m going by that metric.

 

[RedSix]

Hi FundiesGuy,
I did my Fundi with 36, four years ago.
I found the Fundi quite physicaly demanding, too. But with progressing (getting the tec pass and going on in C1, C2, T1, ...) it got much easier, since I got more and more stable and effective in moving in the water. So from my point of view the courses get less physically demanding the more experienced you get.
Just work on trim and bouyancy and the dives will get less physically demanding. And then everything is possible

 

[seeker242]

but I wonder if I have many years of physical capacity left to learn and do such demanding tec diving and training

As long as you maintain a basic fitness level, I would say about 30 years.