Changes that Senior divers make?

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A senior is anyone older than me. (I’m 70)

What’s changed over the years?

Sometimes I forget to log my dives.

Sometimes I forget I even booked a dive.

I almost always have to pee between dives now.

When the DMs I know well invite me out for beers I now have to stop after 2 or so, and have to be home and to bed by 9pm

I stopped wearing a speedo under my wetsuit so as not to frighten others on the boat

I’m running out of people who are obviously older than I am to jokingly tell them “Wait until you get to be my age." Now I have to say to the younger folk, "Wait until I get to be your age."

I get really pissed off when the DMs I know well insist on carrying the “old man’s” gear on and off the boat.

The good news is that I can still do an hour every morning on the elliptical, lift weights 2 -3 times/week, and can still bench my body weight (good thing my weight dropped from 180 lb to 73 lb as I aged :wink:).
I am 67 1/2, same as scubadada, but we have some similarities too---
I always log my dives with OCD.
I haven't been on a boat since Florida, 2015.
I always pee before, during and after dives and during S.I.s. I pee all the time.
I never wore a speedo.
I carry my own gear but only to the car. And the car better be close to the water once it's (the gear) on me.
I still exercise but not quite as long as you do.
There rarely is anyone older than me because I dive alone.
 
I am 67 1/2, same as scubadada, but we have some similarities too---
I always log my dives with OCD.
I haven't been on a boat since Florida, 2015.
I always pee before, during and after dives and during S.I.s. I pee all the time.
I never wore a speedo.
I carry my own gear but only to the car. And the car better be close to the water once it's (the gear) on me.
I still exercise but not quite as long as you do.
There rarely is anyone older than me because I dive alone.
Love it!! You & I have much in common, except I use my DIY tank cart for all possible transport.
Keep it up!!!
 
Love it!! You & I have much in common, except I use my DIY tank cart for all possible transport.
Keep it up!!!
I've used a cart or two in the past but aside from age, I never gear up where my reg is anywhere near sand-- learned that lesson the hard way once. That's why I want the van right close to shore.
 
I think my biggest change with age is that I tend to avoid night dives. It's not that I do not enjoy night dives--I do. It's not that I think night dives are more dangerous--they aren't. The only problem with night dives is that you have to do them at night--no exceptions. While others are out doing night dives, I prefer an evening of cocktails, dinner, and quiet relaxation.
Do them at at night--no exceptions , cracked me up, spat coffee over the room :coffee:
And it is after 'beer o'clock' this night diving caper.
 
I'm almost 66 and haven't really changed anything. In fact, with the discovery of several new wrecks in my neighbourhood in recent years, I'm doing more deeper dives, including mix and way too much deco. I am diving somewhat more conservatively on the profiles after taking a wee shoulder hit earlier this summer. I don't think it was from the dive itself, but from hauling my ass back into my RHIB. Maybe it's time for a ladder...

I do take a little more care with lifting to protect my back. Back issues have always been a thing with me, so I don't know that that is technically age-related.

Having said that, I'm just back from northern BC where we did three, hour-long dives a day in fairly cold water and strong currents. Let's just say I didn't have any trouble sleeping at night.

I avoid shore dives generally, but then I always did. The exception being winter dives near my place in Tobermory.

Unfortunately, many of my long-time buddies haven't been as fortunate as I have and a few have drastically cut back or even stopped diving for health-related reasons. Obesity and perhaps a little too much partying over the years caught up to them I think.
 
Sort of. I retired from a job I loved, where I was working with people I genuinely respected a few months before I would have been forced out. I picked my retirement date (September 11th 2013) rather than it being my 55th birthday.
I own my own company so my intention is to work for 4 - 6 weeks then dive for 2 - 3 weeks several times a year. I was doing that before Covid ruined everything. IF things go back to more or less normal next year my plans are to get back to doing a few 2 week dive vacations to get back into diving then take the TDI Advanced Nitrox and Extended range course and later on the Solo diver course. I find being in the water brings me much relaxation and I like to have dive times of 60 to 75 mins or even 90 mins where possible taking photos and video. A lot of vacation divers and many diver centers are happy with a one hour time so that is also OK.

In Asia especially in Indonesia and Philippines Thailand dive centers want their staff to put your gear on the boat and even at end of dives I may remove my BCD and hand it to the boat crew if in choppy waters. Don't want to risk a broken leg climbing a ladder with heavy gear when there are people on the boat who are there to assist.

I've got some wear and tear and aches and pains which diving seems to cure. Like others who use the Shearwater I often find my Surf GF to be around 60 - maybe 80 at the end of a dive and perhaps that is because I may spend the last 15 - 20 minutes around 8m - 5m depth on a reef taking photos or / video's just being motionless watching the marine life. Also if doing a regular 3 or 4 dives a day I get a really solid sleep in all night which I do not always get because of my work as my company is open 24 ours a day.
 
I'm almost 66 and haven't really changed anything.

Unfortunately, many of my long-time buddies haven't been as fortunate as I have and a few have drastically cut back or even stopped diving for health-related reasons. Obesity and perhaps a little too much partying over the years caught up to them I think.
I am 67 and I have not changed much either other than earlier stated, being more conservative and cognizant that I am factually not what I used to be even once.

Yes, it is obesity in most cases. The obesity brings on a plethora of issues not to mention how the body reponds to viruses. Who knew that obesity was a killer? Well, the older you are, the more important it becomes to be on weight for continued activity and health.

I see grown adults still eating three square meals per day. And repeating clichés' about how breakfast makes your day and big noon meals are important. That may be true when one is growing up but once grown up the only thing three huge meals per day is going to do is to grow one out! We need to determine our caloric intake for a target weight and stick to it every day and that takes discipline. Exercise is great but it will not take weight off without cutting caloric intake. While the BMI is not perfect, it is just a tool, excuses for not being on BMI do not make it wrong.

N
 
I'm 66 soon to be 67 in a couple of weeks. Age is just a number! I still work out 6 times a week and eat healthy, trying to keep my body fat to 13% or less. We have 24 hours in a day, spend 2 of them on yourself and workout!
I was a Fire Department special ops diver for almost 30 years, when I retired and I swore I would never dive again with a dry suit in cold water with zero visibility. Now it's only diving for fun in warm clear tropical water. If it requires anything thicker than a 3 mil wetsuit I'm out!
There are times that the divers on a recreational dive boat scare me more than any rescue/recovery dive I have been on. I never worried about my team in the FD, but an unknown group on a dive boat keeps me on edge, LOL. I guess it's that "situational awareness" thing, kinda like common sense, it's becomming pretty rare.
My wife, 63, and I, still insist on carrying all of our own equipment, still beach dive, (Bonaire), and still climb back onto the boat with our gear on, (don't touch my sh*t).
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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