Gollygosh, What Have I Done?!

[Heffey]

i think i may be too old (45) and fat for this. do you think 45 is too old to do this?

Hi,
I know where you are coming from.
I’m 43 and I start my scuba course in two weeks.
I have switched back and forth between excitement and anxiety ever since I paid for my course three weeks ago.
As the scale begins to tip closer to anxiety I search through the forums to find the answers my questions to ease my fears.
As for being fat, the forum has not helped me on that one yet. I may have to get my butt away from this computer and go for a walk.
Good Luck,
Jeff

 

[DandyDon]

Hi,
I know where you are coming from.
I’m 43 and I start my scuba course in two weeks.

10 years younger than I was when I started. :laugh: I have to fly to any realy diving I do, but 3-1/2 years and 200+ dives later, I'm planning out 6 trips for 2005.

I have switched back and forth between excitement and anxiety ever since I paid for my course three weeks ago.
As the scale begins to tip closer to anxiety I search through the forums to find the answers my questions to ease my fears.

Yes, Scuba has potential dangers, as does getting your car out of the garage. We manage our's better than the driving public. Glad you're able to use this board for help.

As for being fat, the forum has not helped me on that one yet. I may have to get my butt away from this computer and go for a walk.

Walking is okay; swimming is best.

Do laps to build up the ol' cardiovascular. Take your mask, fins, and snorkel to practice using this basic equipment. Getting used to wearing a mask and breathing thru the mouthpiece will help on the scuba pool training sessions. too.

Yes, all my advise comes from a stumbling amateur, and you certainly need to already have your physicians okay on this, but you guys probably worry to much. Might also talk to your doc about 12 hour decongestants, to pre-handle the equalization complaints common to newbies. PM me direct if you have something you'd like to discuss in private.

 

[STUEY2]

I have been promising myself for years to do my open water certification. last week out of the blue i booked and paid for one. Tomorrow i will be off to sodwana bay for the week to do it. Im quite nervous because i think i may be too old (45) and fat for this. do you think 45 is too old to do this?

I have been on numerous liveaboard trips around the world but always as a snorkeler
now i wont have to feel left out!

its a good thing im not married or my wife would be accusing me of having a midlife crisis. I assure you, there is no crisis, just midlife. and middle age spread. :11:

NEVER TOO OLD! I HEARD OF A GUY 65 BEING CERTIFIED HERE IN TASSIE BY MY DIVING BOSS AND IS STILL DIVING TODAY AT 70. GO FOR IT YOU MADE YOUR SELF THE PROMISE STICK TO IT!

 

[CaptSaaz]

NO WAY TOO OLD!! I'm 43 and just certified OW and now doing my AOW. Your physical shape and mental attitude matter more. Seems you have the mental, now just get out there and lose that fat. BTW I'm a bit overweight but diving has inspired me to lose it. Maybe this will do it for you too.
Good luck!

 

[pasley]

I... Im quite nervous because i think i may be too old (45) and fat for this. do you think 45 is too old to do this?

Well, so far you are smarter than I was. I started at 48. The important question here is not how old the calendar says you are, but how old you feel.

its a good thing I’m not married or my wife would be accusing me of having a midlife crisis. I assure you, there is no crisis, just midlife. and middle age spread. :11:

As for too fat….. Probably not. But if you are, that can change. I know lots of divers who resemble the Michelin man. What ever your body type or shape, you can dive.

Fitness is important for diving. The fitter you get the lower your DCI risk and the less air you will use on a dive. But then diving is a good way to get fit! Diving weekly (166 dives since May 2001) for the past three years without dieting, I have dropped 12 pounds (155-143 lbs @ 72 inches tall) reduced my waist size (32 to 29 inches) and improved my 2 mile run time from 18:30 to 14:30. I also lost my love handles somewhere along the way and the old abdomen is looking pretty flat. Not bad for a man of 50.

40 minutes of diving = 40 minutes of stair master, but a whole lot more fun. True, as a diver you should pay attention to your fitness level. Drink lots of water every day, run or bicycle or swim several times a week (Cardio), dive (also cardio) often. I recommend once a week or more.

So what is the bottom line?…. Welcome to diving, sit back and enjoy it. Don’t stress over what is now, just enjoy the diving and think about what will be (or could be). Never too old to learn or change.

AS for Midlife and Middle Age spread, you have already taken the first steps toward resolving those. By diving often, and adopting a healthy lifestyle including exercise you will be reducing the spread. Now about middle age, well, so far so good. Everyday you wake up, you are a day closer to old age. :11: So don't sweat middle age, it will disappear on its own.

 

[STOGEY]

I just started diving myself at 45. Although I'm not in bad shape by any means, I do enjoy diving and consider it part of my fitness plan. It may not be as physically stressful as swimming for two hours without stopping or boxing. It is very stress free and relaxing to me, specially once I'm in the water. So enjoy!:14:

 

[Aquadoc68]

Good call Pasley in fact Bump All. How fat is Fat??? A 4'11" man who is 300 lbs should prob not dive. BUT If you do some workout I'm not talking running 5min miles but at least be able to climb 10 flights of stairs without passing out you should be OK. Plus the thinner you are the less weight you have to buy and less air you have to use. Then
ENJOY THE NEW/OLD WORLD

 

[Indybob]

I'm 60, wife 57.........completed our PADI OW last March; while
each person is different, your age is only one factor to be considered.

 

[DandyDon]

Just in case y'all didn't notice - he certified!

http://scubaboard.com/t76993-i-did-it.html

Got his license to learn! :banana:

 

[Geezer]

At age 55, I was the youngest of four divers from our LDS on a trip to Panama City, where we all picked up AOW and Wreck certifications with our 65 year old instructor. We were dubbed the Geezer Group by everyone else in the shop (but that's just because they were jealous!)