How much of a factor is age in scuba deaths

[DandyDon]

And then there is the guy sending morse code in posts.

 

[LarryR]

Part of the problem is, we don't know what we don't know.
Meaning, a number of us are walking around with no history of a cardiac condition for example until it hits us between the eyes.
As our diving population gets older, these conditions become more pronounced.
I am a prime example.
61, pretty fit when compared to other 10 years younger. No history of high BP, cholesterol, exercise routinely.
Heart attack 6 weeks ago. Full blown total blockage. Or better known as a STEMI
Another potential problem blockage was found while being treated for the HR.
I had ZERO symptoms leading up to it.
I was to leave for a dive week June 1.
This could have just as easily happened at 80 feet in Roatan as it did in my house.
I don't know what the answer is here, but I am looking for it.
I will say if you have ANY doubt about your conditioning and your heart, talk to your doctor about a stress test.
They are reasonably cheap and can tell you things you don't know.
Consider this my PSA.
And oh yea, it can happen to you !

 

[ibj40]

Part of the problem is, we don't know what we don't know.
Meaning, a number of us are walking around with no history of a cardiac condition for example until it hits us between the eyes.
As our diving population gets older, these conditions become more pronounced.
I am a prime example.
61, pretty fit when compared to other 10 years younger. No history of high BP, cholesterol, exercise routinely.
Heart attack 6 weeks ago. Full blown total blockage. Or better known as a STEMI
Another potential problem blockage was found while being treated for the HR.
I had ZERO symptoms leading up to it.
I was to leave for a dive week June 1.
This could have just as easily happened at 80 feet in Roatan as it did in my house.
I don't know what the answer is here, but I am looking for it.
I will say if you have ANY doubt about your conditioning and your heart, talk to your doctor about a stress test.
They are reasonably cheap and can tell you things you don't know.
Consider this my PSA.
And oh yea, it can happen to you !

I started getting treadmill stress tests when I was 40 (employer requirement for managers). Since I was a runner at the time, was a non-event, as was the one I got when I turned 50.

Lost that perk so haven't had one since then, but subsequent annual physicals with blood work tell me and my primary care physician that I'm still okay.

As I approach 70, I continue to pursue a healthy lifestyle so that I can continue to enjoy life.

Was visiting with a shrink about six months ago and we started talking about inevitability, and after he and I shared our respective interests, I actually placed a higher value on the fact that I still mow my own double lot lawn with a push mower.

While it might seem unthinkable, but if my epitaph were to say I died doing what I loved most, hopefully my hand slipped off the handle of the lawnmower on my way down and shut it off.

 

[michael-fisch]

Old fashioned manual (motorless) push mower, or the kind that has powered blades and stinks of gasoline while in use?

Michael

 

[DandyDon]

Old fashioned manual (motorless) push mower, or the kink that has powered blades and stinks of gasoline while in use?

You're trolling or at least kidding. He mentioned his lawn being large. I'm not mowing any grass without a self propelled mower, and I don't guess you ever rode a horse or mule to school.

 

[michael-fisch]

You're trolling or at least kidding. He mentioned his lawn being large. I'm not mowing any grass without a self propelled mower, and I don't guess you ever rode a horse or mule to school.

No and I never trimmed the edges of my lawn with a pair of fingernail scissors either but I have mowed lawns of 100x200' with an unpowered push-mower.
Sure you get hot and sweaty, especially after you're done raking up the cuttings, but its exercise and good for you. Otherwise you should take up golf with a rental golfcart as a hobby.

 

[leadduck]

When you look at the DAN Annual diving report (2018), the largest group are men aged 50-59, but as long as we don't know the distribution of the overall diving population we don't know the risk.

Regarding the solo diving aspect of fatalities, most dives in DAN list "Unknown", while among the known cases, the majority is "separated" and "solo", vs "not separated". This matches the BSAC reports where being alone in the water without help is a key factor of fatal accidents.

For many fatalities the details are unknown, but at least there are 24 detail fatality reports in the 2018 DAN diving report. Among them, only 1 was initiated by gear failure, whereas 12 started with a medical problem (medication interactions, hypertensive heart disease, neglected hypertension, coronary disease, exertion with cardiac risk factors, diabetes, cocaine, morbidly obese in rough waters, HASCVD, sudden cardiac death, myocardial infarct, artherosclerotic cardiovascular disease).

 

[Miyaru]

One of the best things in scuba diving is that there's only a lower age limit.

Looking at other sports, most sportsmen are in their twenties, especially when the competition element is important. The mortality rate is extremely low, once their physical condition takes a tiny step back, the competition element will take these sportsmen off the field/track/etc.

Diving has no competition element (although the lack of this is often compensated with ego) so this sport is open to a much larger group, where age is no restriction.

Looking at mortality rates in scuba diving compared to other sports is useless. Compare the mortality rates to traffic. Driving a vehicle is an activity that is open to roughly the same ages (you can start scuba diving much younger) and compare the age factor in scuba deaths versus traffic deaths.

It's safer to be under water than behind the wheel. Even when you're 85 years old.

 

[MrVegas]

It's safer to be under water than behind the wheel. Even when you're 85 years old.

Not sure this is actually true. According to Wikipedia, your chances of dying per dive are about 100 times greater than your chances of dying per drive. (Not sure how they did the math, exactly.) Scuba diving fatalities - Wikipedia Depending on which study you look at, I think, overall, though, your chances of dying in a car are (very roughly) about the same as dying scuba diving. (You drive a lot more than you dive.)

Interesting chart here, with a substantially higher chance of dying in a car than diving: Your Chances of Dying There is a sobering note down at the bottom about your chances of dying just getting larger as you get older. Ugh.

 

[ibj40]

Old fashioned manual (motorless) push mower, or the kind that has powered blades and stinks of gasoline while in use?

Michael

I have to admit that I haven't used a push-type reel mower since I was about 7, mowing the lawn for my Dad.