Newly Certified Old Farts

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Just curious--are you still actively DMing?

Nope! It became pretty apparent that I was talked into the course just to sell courses. I did DM for the LDS for a few months, but their attitude was that they were doing me a favour.
It just wasn't worth the insurance and PADI fees to be an instructors' b**ch.
I don't even belong to PADI any more. ...but I'm not bitter...:wink:
 
Hi All –

My wife and I (old farts – 50) were PADI OW certified in Maui this past September (2014). We are now ready to start rockin’. Living in Atlanta doesn’t afford us many diving opportunities so we have to travel. Our LDS has a trip planned to the FL Keys in March that we would really like to go on. Yet we have some concerns. Mainly being new divers and it being our first real dive (and 6 months from our cert). Our concern is that we will hold back or get in the way of the rest of the group that has more experience. (ever heard of the book “Scuba Snobs” – well I read it and now I’m worried that we might do something that would end up in the next version&#8230:wink: What if we have some unexpected issue in the middle of the dive and everyone has to go back? Or equipment issues on the boat? Etc, etc? We have come up with a list of hundreds of things that could go wrong that could ruin the trip for everyone else. We have access to a heated pool at our LDS and have started using it to practice our skills. Our LDS helped us pick out some very nice equipment (all Scubapro) so we are getting used to it as well. But I really don’t think any measure of pool practice would get us ready for the “big dive”. So my question is, how do we really get prepared? I’ve wondered if I should call a DM in FL and try to line up a private trip or something like that beforehand. Sounds very expensive though – haven’t checked that out yet. I’m open to thoughts, ideas, suggestions, opinions, hints, plans, etc. If you got ‘em, I’m interested.

Thanks much!

Go dive, you'll be fine. You're young whippersnappers. Funny thing, I'm a decade older, I'm not an old fart. I am plenty of other things.
 
My hubby and I were certified at the tender ages of 46 and 49. Six years later we are heading towards our 400th dive each. We have been offered DM spots more than one occasion, and I cannot remember when we last used more air than our guides. In Asia in particular we have often seen families learn together....parents sometimes well over 50. ....so this is no longer rare. It's an expensive hobby that many young people cannot afford.

For our first one or two trips we hired a private guide, which was fantastic for confidence and just learning to enjoy this wonderful hobby. I would book a trip some where warm and just dive and dive.

Happy Diving
 
Old Farts at 50?! I represent that remark!
 
I met a Japanese lady in Lembeh last August who started diving when she was 68, she is now 73, dives side mount and has over 1,000 logged dives.

I am now 61, been diving for some considerable time but certainly do not consider myself old, but I do fart a lot according to my daughter.
 
It's an expensive hobby that many young people cannot afford.
This is actually one of the things that needs to be busted; is the belief that scuba is expensive to get into.
I don't mean to hijack the the "Old Phart" thread but in light of all the recent threads on why scuba is dying etc. I use any opportunity to try and debunk these myths about the cost being prohibitive.
If someone goes through all the conventional channels to get into scuba including buying everything at top dollar from a full retail LDS, then yes more than likely you will get fleeced.
But there are many other alternative routes at obtaining the gear and cert other than through the commercial channels.
A new thread should probably be started about this before it becomes too big of a hijack to this thread.
Sorry.
 
Welcome to the 70% of the Water Planet that relatively few get to experience first hand.

As for being "old farts," you're just spring chickens in my book! I've been diving for over 50 years and my most intense diving didn't start until I was in my early 50s. You've got plenty of time (hopefully) to enjoy this wonderful activity.
 
Remember that every single diver on the boat made his first boat dive trip. If you are polite and honest, you shouldn't have any problems. Let the dive operator know ahead of time that you are new and would prefer to dive within your certification limits, so you don't get taken somewhere completely inappropriate.

As for old farts . . . I got certified at 51, and my husband, who was recertifying after a long lapse, was 57. He is now an instructor and I am a DM, and both of us have tech certs, and we are leaving on a cave diving trip tomorrow. You are not "old farts"!

:happy: Very well said
 
My wife got certified at age 50. Now, 12 years later she has dove all over the world, and as recently as last month in Mexico. To many of life's pleasures are wasted on the young. Be active ans stay active with your diving. It is a great sport for us fully adult people. And by the way, she and I wrote the Scuba Snobs books, and be assured, as one who has read them, your will be a cut above the rest! Happy diving and person best wishes from Dennis and Debbie Jacobson, the ScubaSnobs.
DivemasterDennis
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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