Considering learning Scuba diving at 50 years old am I insane?

[Scubadam]

You are not insane at all. There are a lot of people who begin diving around the age of 50. Diving is a very relaxing sport which it sounds like you would want. I have never done underwater photography, but my instructor does a lot of underwater photography and loves it. He teaches a course for it. If you go to a representable dive shop with quality instructors they will take as much time as you need to feel comfortable in the water. They will generally give you extra time in the pool if you need it. In terms of prices for equipment, it varies depending on where you are, but I would plan on spending several hundred dollars on your own equipment, however, to begin I recommend just renting equipment. Usually the open water certification course price includes all the gear you need to complete the course except your mask, snorkel and fins. I hope this helps and thank you for your service!

 

[EdwardMH]

First off Edward, thank you for your service to our nation.

Thank you I did not serve long enough for my taste.

Ok so far. Divers who are totally paralyzed and can only move their heads get certified to SCUBA dive and have a great time. You don't have to be a great swimmer. You will want to ensure your instructor is Handicapped SCUBA Association (HSA) International certified. I say that because there are things about teaching individuals with a disability that are not readily apparent and if you have not been specifically trained to do it, you don't even know you don't know it.

I will check.

SCUBA is great for PTSD. It has helped many to archive a respite from the flashbacks, and to find a small space of peace. The being bone tired at the end of a day and the solid night sleep doesn't hurt either Many things, but most of all how to have a whole lot of fun and to do it safely. Part of the training focuses of the mechanics of diving, buoyancy control, not holding your breath ever, clearing ears, fining technique, clearing mask and regulator, and a whole bunch of it focuses on what to do if something happens (goes wrong) drills. These you will practice until they are simply natural reactions to the emergency stimulus. These include regulator recovery, regulator free flow and the ever popular "I am a dumb ass who doesn't check his/her air gauge and ran out of air drills.
The PTSD is probably not the culprit here. It is most likely your Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) formerly called a concussion. How many times were you blown up? Each time takes its toll. Any time you work up after an incident you may have gotten a TBI. This means your short term memory is damaged. In about 2 weeks it moves to long term memory and you an access it. So you need to read it 3 times. The first time don't do anything but just read to get the overall picture. Reading 2 weeks ahead of the class will allow you to participate more fully in the class too.

I do not have TBI but PTSD and MDD (Major Depression Disorder) I do have short term memory issues and my future Dive instructor is aware of it.
My Doctor about hit the roof when I showed her the dive pirates website and others talking about how Scuba can help relax someone with PTSD all she kept saying was those people were irresponsible and putting people in danger that at any moment can have a panic attack and do something dangerous ie remove the O2.

A bunch. Oceanic has a grant of mask, fins, and snorkel available to you. Fins are the expensive part $80-300 with $180 being about right for a decent pair of fins.

The fins I liked (The look of) were almost $250 figuring on getting bright yellow everything to start so the Instructor can find me LOL

Enjoy and if I can help you find one of the many non-profits teaching near you let me know in a PM.

I looked into Dive Pirates but am not handicapped enough for their program for 1. Which I am grateful and 2. Am grateful they are there for those that are.

P.S. hope i did this right never replied via quotes before.

 

[Diver0001]

the VA Doctors here refuse to sign off on the medical release form NOT for medical reasons but LIABILITY. One Dr. Told me the only reason for the medical release form is so the instructor and student do not have to take responsibility if something goes wrong and they can sue the Dr.

That's pretty paranoid and also factually untrue. If the *something* that goes wrong is that you, say, have a heart attack because of a condition that the Dr. missed seeing or misjudged then, yeah. The Dr. will have to answer for it. But if the *something* that goes wrong is, say, a training accident that causes you to drown then how, exactly, is that going to be the Doctor's fault?

You're right to be concerned that the doctor wouldn't medically clear you. It sounds like she may have decided that it not in HER best interest to assess your state of health, which if I were you, would really irritate me.

If I were you I would look for a doctor with a diving-medical specialty and get your medical done there.

Oh the same day the VA Dr. Told me that she would not fill out the release form she told me I could stay off my medications so no medications to be an issue now. (Service Dog helps a lot).

This would make me suspicious. It sort of looks like she did 2 CYA's in one; first telling you that she refused to cooperate with the medical assessment and then saying that should should get off the drugs she prescribed, possibly as a result of suspecting that you were going give the list to a civilian doctor and not wanting her name to come up.

R..

 

[pasley]

Edward MH,
So what is going on? Last we heard was you took a Try SCUBA class and loved it. Have you completed your training? Inquiring minds want to know.

As for your doctor freaking....the VA has a very diverse response to SCUBA. Some VA Hospitals have instructors on staff and own their own air compressors. Others freak. I have had mental health doctors advise their veterans to take SCUBA, and others advise against it. All I know is it helped me.