Dive planning for older divers 70+

[drewh1]

Wondering if age affects nitrogen loading and if adjustments are needed for dive planning. I have a Suunto vyper that does have some adjustments to the algorithm. I generally won't be pushing things to max but you never know.

 

[Mobulai]

since DCI/S is a form of inflammatory reaction (to the perfusion/diffusion and inert gas loading etc) I’d make a wild guess that “older” cells react harsher to it
So maybe higher conservatism is warranted (but maybe also not needed but adds extra margin of safety)

Conservatism of the deco algo is something you tune (shooting on the dark) on case by case basis, but erring on the safe side is always a good idea

Most probably @Duke Dive Medicine or @Dr Simon Mitchell have better input/thoughts than I

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Wondering if age affects nitrogen loading and if adjustments are needed for dive planning. I have a Suunto vyper that does have some adjustments to the algorithm. I generally won't be pushing things to max but you never know.

It probably doesn't affect nitrogen loading per se, but there's evidence to suggest that DCS risk increases with age:

Relationship between age and susceptibility to altitude decompression sickness - PubMed

There is a trend toward increased DCS susceptibility with increasing age, with a particularly strong trend for individuals over 42 yr of age.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[halocline]

Wondering if age affects nitrogen loading and if adjustments are needed for dive planning. I have a Suunto vyper that does have some adjustments to the algorithm. I generally won't be pushing things to max but you never know.

There are several factors that are associated with decompression sickness and age is one of those, but each individual is different of course. I believe it’s a good idea for all divers, young, old, recreational, technical, whatever, to develop a good understanding of how decompression theory works on a basic level and what specific dive behaviors increase risk. Then you can hopefully adjust your dive behavior to minimize your risk within what you consider to be tolerable limits.

For recreational, no-stop diving, it’s been shown that an extended stop at 10 ft is pretty efficient at lowering your N2 loading upon surfacing, and a very slow ascent from your stop to the surface seems to help divers feel better after surfacing. So you could incorporate those two behaviors regardless of your computer settings.

You might read a bit about tissue compartments and gradient factors; if you can learn even just a basic amount how these things generally work, it might motivate you to pay closer attention to your dive profiles and how/when you surface.

Of course there are other increased risks as we age; we men in particular have a fairly increased risk of cardiac issues, so staying on top of your cardiac health can be pretty important as an older diver. As an example, you are likely more at a statistical risk of a heart attack or stroke than of DCI related issues.

I don’t mean to be negative or preachy; just the opposite! I’m not quite as old as you are, but I’m no spring chicken and I intend to keep diving safely well into old age, so I’m following the advice I’ve given you.

 

[scubadada]

...For recreational, no-stop diving, it’s been shown that an extended stop at 10 ft is pretty efficient at lowering your N2 loading upon surfacing, and a very slow ascent from your stop to the surface seems to help divers feel better after surfacing. So you could incorporate those two behaviors regardless of your computer settings...

@halocline makes some good points. As I grew older I started padding my safety stop when I was close to the NDL on the dive and made sure my final ascent was slow and well controlled.

In 2019, I began to dive a Shearwater Teric and this information became quite clear. This graph from the Shearwater cloud is a routine drift dive in Jupiter, FL. The orange line represents the current gradient factor in the dive (GF99). At the beginning of the safety stop the GF was 25% and after 3 min, it had fallen to 12%. During the 2 min final ascent, the GF rose from 12% to 61%. This rapid rise in the GF upon final ascent is the rule. One other tool available on my Teric that is not shown on the graph is the surface GF (SurfGF). Shown on my computer home screen, this tells me what my GF would be if I surfaced instantaneously at any point during the dive. I use this to pad my safety stop or my deco stop after light back gas deco to make sure I can surface with the GF I desire. No more guesswork.

 

[ofg-1]

I don't know about nitrogen loading, but damn those tanks are getting heavier.

 

[gamon]

I'm not a religious man but if there is a higher power please use your power to prevent anyone from posting on this thread about the potential benefits of deep stops.

 

[Wheeler925]

I'm not a religious man but if there is a higher power please use your power to prevent anyone from posting on this thread about the potential benefits of deep stops.

I'm certainly missing something. I heard those are not longer suggested?

 

[tursiops]

It is not about age, it is about fitness. There are plenty of 30-year olds that should not be diving.
Nitrox, stay away from NDL, ascend slowly, stay hydrated, long safety stops, mind your GF99 and SurfGF...all help.

 

[gamon]

I'm certainly missing something. I heard those are not longer suggested?

You are correct. Which is why I'm hoping no one suggests it.