At what age do you call it quits?

[Rhone Man]

My Dad decided to call it a day at 79. But his friend of the same age is still trucking along.

I think it really depends upon your physical and mental fitness levels.

 

[ibj40]

I'm 67, been diving for over 30 years. As everyone else, I've had my physical ups and downs, but I guess my perspective was that diving was the last thing I would give up, clearly not the first.

 

[dlofting]

I'm 62 and got into diving 5 years ago as something I could do into my 70's and possibly longer. I know there are other outdoor activities I will no longer be able to do as I age, and felt that diving would be a great "replacement".

 

[justadyver]

started to dive in 1968 now 66 years old plan to dive at least another 10 years

 

[ScubaBobCancun]

58 years young, very good physical shape, no medical problems (cholesterol or blood pressure), on no meds, walk about 6 miles a day at work (yes every day), 6'3" and 200 pds so good body mass ratio. But I know my diving career is limited, less ahead than behind (especially since I was certified at 19 years old). So how old are you or at what point in life did you give up diving? I can't imagine not being able to dive but keep know that someday I will have to call it and say I am done. Sad but realistic...bill

Stan Waterman, one of the greatest underwater photographers ever, dove until he was 92. I am 65, keep myself in good shape but I take cholesterol meds and have had neck surgery and I still get in over 100 dives a year. After neck surgery I could not carry the tank on my back or do a Giant Stride for a year so the crew would toss my tank / BCD into the water and I would jump in and don the gear. After the dive I would take the gear off in the water and the crew would lift it into the boat. Bottom line is that if you feel good and your doctor says it is OK to dive you can dive until you want to quit.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Just turned 65. Been diving for 16 years, and logged nearly 4,000 dives. I plan to dive until either my body tells me to give it up or my brain decides that there are more interesting ways to spend my recreational time. Most of my diving is in the Pacific Northwest, which means drysuit, heavy undergarment, gloves, hood, and lots of weight. I work out at the gym several times a week to keep my body in shape for diving. I often dive solo, and often using sidemount and twin steel 100's.

I have a friend in his late 80's who still dives ... although he only dives warm water these days ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Rhone Man]

I have a friend in his late 80's who still dives ... although he only dives warm water these days ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I think people do dial it back by degrees. My Dad gradually increased the list of the types of dives he wouldn't do, until eventually he just pulled the plug completely. I am actually a bit glad - it was one of my great fears that he might over exert himself on a dive and I would be forced to bring his body back.

 

[oldschoolto]

I'm 56 and have been diving since I was 12... Spent 30 years skydiving before my back was blown out and had to hang up the parachute... Scuba diving is the last place I can find peace.. I have a crap load of medical problems and still get myself in the water, Be it slow and carefully... In the summer I try and dive a few times a week in the cold lakes of Maine and then spend 5-6 weeks in Bonaire shore diving twice a year... So , I'm still doing okay... Like others, I don't plan on death in a hospital bed... My plan is to spend my last dive in the wreck of the Andrea Doria on air narc'd out of my mind with my last stage bottle having a mix of 20% CO2... Just go to sleep and Narc'd I think is a very nice way to go...

Jim.....

 

[boulderjohn]

. I notice no one who has already quit has responded yet.

Just taking a wild guess, I would bet that the majority of people who have quit diving are not active on ScubaBoard.

I'll be 67 this spring. I had a bad year last yer with only 100 dives, but a large percentage of them were deepish deco dies, and I was only doing one of those a day.

 

[redacted]

I am 71 and I might be done. I am still physically able to dive but have been losing interest over the last 5 years. First I gave up local lakes and rivers. Then I quit making the 2 or 3 trips per year to the Flower Gardens. Then a local spring where we worked pulling weeds decided to remove all diver facilities, stopped providing air and started to charge for parking. That left me with 3 trips per year to the tropics. Now my buddy has some health issues so we will have to see what the fall brings.

UW is still great but seldom anything new. Topside is getting to be more and more a hassle. The thought of never doing another dive is not very troubling, unfortunately.