Ageing
- Thread starter Tim Wong
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
miketsp
Contributor
I just made a relevant post in another thread:
http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=855124&postcount=11
http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=855124&postcount=11
madeline
Contributor
Our dive club here in the Villages, Fl is comprised of divers 55 to 78+ years. We are a retirement community, we dive, we are happy, we are not using walkers to get into the water. We do tip heavily if some young man carries our tanks to the boat. but we still can and do dive. and dive well. sheesh!!!! 40 old??? we have lots of years left. thank you very much.
- Messages
- 54,124
- Reaction score
- 8,270
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
:lol:
I'm 57. But I got 15 or more younger divers from several states to the right hotel last weekend, then out on time every morning, to 3 different, correct boats, and lead them on the most challenging, deep divers. I'm not a very good diver, but I'm learning.
I could not get them all to the respective restaraunts on time for dinner, but I got to each one first to make sure thngs got done.
Older. :lol2:
Older! Harumph! Fresh young whippersnapper I aint old, just mature.
Well let see, I will be 51 in December so I really don't qualify as older.
What affects me most? Well, I beach dive mostly. So far this year I have logged 75 dives in Southern California waters (52-66 degrees usually. Sometimes we hit 70 above 15 or 20 feet). I did 6 of those dives off a boat, or dingy. I will probably only log another 10 or 15 dives this year (unless the wife lifts the limits on my diving
. I don't own a cart, I just hump the stuff down and back up. Now back to the question what affects me most? That would be:
1. Having to wait on the 20 somethings to huff and puff their way down to the dive site.
2. Having to wait on the 20 somethings to huff and puff their way out on the short 300-500 yard surface swim to the drop down point.
3. Coming back with 1000-1800 PSI in my AL 80 tank because the 20 somethings have only 400-800 PSI in their tanks (often Steel 110-120s) so we had to surface (I really don't mind as long as we have fun).
4. Losing my dive partner on the underwater swim back in because the 20 somethings could not keep up, complaining "you were swimming too fast.
5. Having to wait on the 20 somethings to huff and puff their way up the short hills back to the car.
6. Trying to find pants in a 30 inch waist because the stores seem to want to stock the 36-56 sizes for the, well, uh, 20 somethings.
In short, so far so good, havent really noticed anything, except the 20 somethings need to get out and dive more.
Seriously, age is just a number. It is how you feel and how you live that counts. If you sit around and get out of shape, then 35 is old. If you are fit, active and involved, then 70 is still quite young. I know several divers in their mid to late 70s who are in good shape and quite active and doing better than many in their 20s.
Wait, I just thought of one age related thing. I have noticed my vericose veins fade after a dive and are much better for several days.
Well let see, I will be 51 in December so I really don't qualify as older.
What affects me most? Well, I beach dive mostly. So far this year I have logged 75 dives in Southern California waters (52-66 degrees usually. Sometimes we hit 70 above 15 or 20 feet). I did 6 of those dives off a boat, or dingy. I will probably only log another 10 or 15 dives this year (unless the wife lifts the limits on my diving
. I don't own a cart, I just hump the stuff down and back up. Now back to the question what affects me most? That would be:1. Having to wait on the 20 somethings to huff and puff their way down to the dive site.
2. Having to wait on the 20 somethings to huff and puff their way out on the short 300-500 yard surface swim to the drop down point.
3. Coming back with 1000-1800 PSI in my AL 80 tank because the 20 somethings have only 400-800 PSI in their tanks (often Steel 110-120s) so we had to surface (I really don't mind as long as we have fun).
4. Losing my dive partner on the underwater swim back in because the 20 somethings could not keep up, complaining "you were swimming too fast.
5. Having to wait on the 20 somethings to huff and puff their way up the short hills back to the car.
6. Trying to find pants in a 30 inch waist because the stores seem to want to stock the 36-56 sizes for the, well, uh, 20 somethings.
In short, so far so good, havent really noticed anything, except the 20 somethings need to get out and dive more.
Seriously, age is just a number. It is how you feel and how you live that counts. If you sit around and get out of shape, then 35 is old. If you are fit, active and involved, then 70 is still quite young. I know several divers in their mid to late 70s who are in good shape and quite active and doing better than many in their 20s.
Wait, I just thought of one age related thing. I have noticed my vericose veins fade after a dive and are much better for several days.
colonelchuck
Contributor
I qualified at 60. At my current 62, I have 86 dives and just qualified as a Master Scuba Diver (PADI's badge for knowing just enough to be dangerous). Seriously, someone in good shape, without somekind of degenerative condition should be able to do the same stuff as everybody else. A good drysuit makes cold water diving in Puget Sound very doable irrespective of age.
One hint. I have both my adult sons qualified as Rescue Divers and they are along on many trips. They will occasionally pick up my tank (especially the steel ones) and hold it up while I get in it. I don't need that, but it is appreciated.
I figure I have at least another 10 years of this stuff - maybe 20
One hint. I have both my adult sons qualified as Rescue Divers and they are along on many trips. They will occasionally pick up my tank (especially the steel ones) and hold it up while I get in it. I don't need that, but it is appreciated.
I figure I have at least another 10 years of this stuff - maybe 20
ArcticDiver
Contributor
Maybe it is because I have a birthday this Sunday that makes me a bit sensitive in this area. But my experience is that the whole idea that a person's capabilities decline as age advances is just a lot of unadulterated hogwash.
In today's world we have discovered and are finally acknowledging that most of the "age related" loss of strength, flexibility and mental ability is the result of life choices, not aging. If a person takes reasonable care of themself and persists in using all their faculties there is only a little difference in their mainstream abilities over their youth well into what is considered "old age". At the margins there certainly are changes; some for the better and some for the worse. But core abilities are little changed until very late in life. I know that is the case for me and for the vast majority of the people I personally know; and medical research is also verifiying this thought.
Personally, my biggest obstacle in diving and in life is other people's biases that result in a lack of respect. They mistake gray hair for frailty. We "seniors" are no more homogenous than the 'young whippersnappers". All should be treated as individuals both socially and medically.
In today's world we have discovered and are finally acknowledging that most of the "age related" loss of strength, flexibility and mental ability is the result of life choices, not aging. If a person takes reasonable care of themself and persists in using all their faculties there is only a little difference in their mainstream abilities over their youth well into what is considered "old age". At the margins there certainly are changes; some for the better and some for the worse. But core abilities are little changed until very late in life. I know that is the case for me and for the vast majority of the people I personally know; and medical research is also verifiying this thought.
Personally, my biggest obstacle in diving and in life is other people's biases that result in a lack of respect. They mistake gray hair for frailty. We "seniors" are no more homogenous than the 'young whippersnappers". All should be treated as individuals both socially and medically.
Will be 50 in Jan. 05'.....no problems and I keep up and out dive some of the younger set!!
Similar threads
