How old is too old?

[northen diver]

I did DM at 53. Timmed swims were tough. My class consisted of 20 and 30 somethings. I had no problem keeping up with them. As Walter said age has nothing to do with it, it's your overall health and fitness. Oh, an by the way, I have a lot of people take me seriously although I have to admit dementia set in about 30 years ago.

Well, I was just speaking from my experiances.

 

[Teamcasa]

to become a DM or work towards being an instructor?

Get is done before any deep digging or sad singing, you sould be fine.

 

[GrandpaScuba]

I would venture to say around 45 or so. At this age, you are quite over the hill for anyone to really take you seriously. Your muscle mass has decrease significantly and dementia is setting in.

Oh pahleeeez!

 

[Walter]

If your age reaches the triple digits, then you might want to think about hanging up your fins.

Why? .

 

[fisherdvm]

I would venture to say around 45 or so. At this age, you are quite over the hill for anyone to really take you seriously. Your muscle mass has decrease significantly and dementia is setting in.

How the heck can you say this? There are men and women in their 50's and 60's who are in better shape than you or I...

Surely there is a well documented decline in stamina with age, but some of the best divers I've met are in their 50's, 60's and 70's. We dove with an elderly couple in their late 60's or early 70's who both swim several miles every week, and dove actively without any additional assistance. My son's scuba instructor was a retired physician in his late 60's.

Sometime, the most dedicated instructors are the one who has done it all, and is ready to share their experience with others. I don't want no cocky young man/woman showing off their stamina if I were a student interested in diving.

 

[Walter]

Save me from 18 year old DMs.

 

[Tanked]

Why? .

I have yet to meet someone over the age of 100 that I would feel safe diving with, let alone being the Divemaster.

 

[scubamickey]

Thinking outside the box here---but just because an instructor might be "too old" to dive anymore (illness or arthritis, etc) doesn't mean that he/she can't teach in the classroom or even the pool sessions. Especially if the person has a strong comprehension of physics and decompression theory. What a wonderful asset, imo.

 

[Rick Murchison]

When I was 20 I'd have probably said 40.
When I was 25, 50
When I was 30, 60...
Now I'm 60 - do the math
Rick

 

[j yaeger]

well said