Question How old are you and how long certified? Poll- please take part!

[Scott G. Bonser]

73 Yrs old, diving certified for 30, but I took a NAUI course over 50 years ago at college, however we never had our open water after all the classes and pool time (a whole semester!) Finally got certified by PADI so I could dive in the Bahamas.

Green Frog, it is Great to hear from all of the ‘mature’ senior divers out there. Dad (Bonser) was introduced in 1954 in Islamorada, FL. He always wanted to get certified so we could dive together. He finally did get PADI OW at age ( get this..) 78 and enjoyed the next 4 years traveling to SCUBA friendly places with his group and diving w/me in Florida Springs. A really cool time. He ‘shelved’ it when his arthritis made it difficult lugging gear, even already ‘donned’ with my assistance, in and out of the dive sites he loved. Lots of wonderful reminiscing for he and myself at ‘Molly Goodhesds’ in Ozona, FL and ‘Frenchy’s ‘ on Curlew Ave. in Dunedin, FL… You truly ‘Rock, my Friend ‘ Get wet whenever the opportunity arises.
giantfroginthepool
Scott G. Bonser, Harrellsville, NC

 

[Scott G. Bonser]

30, 12 years of diving.

Hey, keep up the great diving, S S. I so wanted to get my instructorship as I have assisted 2 sets of instructors during 2 bouts of PADI DM training and assisted them.. all very close friends teaching basic and Open Water classes and ‘designated’ in-the-water Divemaster on quite a few charter certification class trips to Bahamas, Keys, West Palm Beach and Florida Springs as well as offshore and in quarries in Southeast Virginia. My reason I had to redo DM from first instructors is…both of the first instructors died in a freak speedboat accident in a freak T-storm in the James River. All of the DM candidates were crushed as we were between 2 wonderful Florida Springs trips to certify current classes for OW certification. ..Dive on ‘Rick’ & John. Summer of 1983. I had to redo almost everything and take written exams again and I was certified in 84. I continued as DM for Chesapeake Diving Center, and my SCUBA Club I was prez of until I was wed. Responsibility and hard times ahead…but I am Back, with a ‘purpose !!!’
giantfroginthepool
Scott G. Bonser, Harrellsville, NC

 

[Scott G. Bonser]

I popped out around the time when all this sort of stuff was happening
Got straight into the water soon after then went snorkelling then diving



First course in 1976, spent a couple of hours with that instructor last week
If I am not diving I am building and buying gear or dreaming about diving

Not even close to a million dives but it's sure as heck starting to feel like it

Yes, and AMEN brother diver. Many of us have a trail of ‘Life’ and’GloryDays’ however, I have always been intrigued with DHR diving since my trial w/Voit Trieste in a neighbors pool at age 15. I have at least 20 ‘doubles’ now, many of them rebuilt and restored by me for my collection…All working and Safe to dive with. …assembling an Open Water double setup w/SPG, octo, and power inflator with a 1961/62. Waterlung Dual-Air by Sportsways and it breathes like a champion. My very best to you, my Friend.
giantfroginthepool
Scott G. Bonser, Harrellsville,NC

 

[WetLens]

71; 53

 

[ColoDale]

58, Certified in 1997 and 2000+ dives

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

The poll is growing but still is holding roughly the same shape. 60-69 group still rules!
Come on you youngsters, go get your friends certified and get them to take the poll so the younger groups get bigger!
I’ll keep this poll open indefinitely.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

The poll is growing but still is holding roughly the same shape. 60-69 group still rules!
Come on you youngsters, go get your friends certified and get them to take the poll so the younger groups get bigger!
I’ll keep this poll open indefinitely.

Us Boomers rule!

Now GET OFF OUR LAWN!!

 

[J-Vo]

45 years old
certified for 28 years (only the last 10 count)
~700 dives

 

[garyh]

Coming up on 66, certified in 1996 and went tech, bronze Wakulla Award late 2002.
Not doing so much up here in the cold water anymore but still head down to the warm caves of MX as much as I can.
How many dives..... who knows ?????

 

[chthonicly]

I have long noted that the ScubaBoard population does not in any way reflect the general diving population.

This was made particularly clear to me more than a decade ago, when a participant who was a major dive shop owner revealed that scuba industry statistics indicated that fewer than 1% of all BCD sales in the USA were BP/Ws, yet if someone started a SB thread asking for recommendations for BCDs, the majority of responses would have been BP/Ws. I am sure that majority would be even stronger today, even though all across the country you will see dive shops that do not sell BP/Ws run by managers who have never seen one.

This is also somewhat regional? I just learned to dive in Monterey, CA in 2022, and ~50% of the people I dive with are BP/W divers, which is random instabuddies from local dive clubs or co-workers. My OW, AOW, & Rescue instructors used BP/W. These people are under 50 (some barely). Also, the 3 shops I go to locally all have new BP/W on display and for sale. I did my first vacation dive trip in Dec '22, and was surprised to see only one other BP/W (and it was on a guide) since I had formed the impression from both here, r/scuba, and my real life local diving that the dive world was evenly split between jackets & BP/W.

And to answer this poll generally:
mid-40's, 10 months diving, ~85 dives. I bet the results would be really different if this poll took place on reddit.