How old is too old?

[Gallix23]

Thanks a lot for all the responses everyone, never imagined I'd get this many!! I told my mom what you guys said and it made her really confident and washed any of her worries away. In fact, we just did our first confined water dive this morning (our instructor managed to bump us up because he found another pool) and it went awesome. We did all the basic stuff, the physical tests, and got to free practice and she loved it and was perfectly fine.

Tomorrow is our next lesson, and we're both really excited about it (my mom actually suggested that we do our open water dives next weekend )

As for my dad, he's an avid tropical fish keeper so I was like shocked when he said he wouldn't scuba dive (he thinks he would die if he did it). I just don't think he gets the concept of how safe it actually is, granted that you use the proper precautions. I'm sure we'll get him and my sister diving by next year

So thanks for the responses everyone, I really appreciate it and it's awesome how friendly this board is!

 

[thanksforallthefish]

That is great news, glad everything went so well ... keep diving

Thanks a lot for all the responses everyone, never imagined I'd get this many!! I told my mom what you guys said and it made her really confident and washed any of her worries away.

So thanks for the responses everyone, I really appreciate it and it's awesome how friendly this board is!

 

[allistoy]

I'm 62 and the youngest of some of the best divers I have dove with who are 72, 74 and 86 so your mother is just a baby in age.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Check out this thread for a bit of perspective with humour
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/whine-cheeze/300004-getting-older-just-stinks.html

 

[thedebinator]

I am 47 and just got certified. SOunds to me like your dad may not want to give your mom up to a hobby LOL

 

[Johan Broere]

I had some great students that were working on their "bucket list" They were in the sixty's and seventy's. They were very greatfull students and I won't forget them soon. Great people, that make all this worth it for me. This is the thruth, they could not stay longer, although they did want to. They were of to sky diving classes in Arizona. Good for them.

 

[Cudabait]

Hey everyone,

I'm 18 and in the process of getting PADI certified (have my two confined dives coming up next week! ). However, my mother, who is in her mid 40s, is also getting certified with me. It was our idea to do it, but my father seems to think that she's "too old" to do it and thinks that it's a dangerous idea for her.

Is this true? She's in pretty decent shape; she always freshwater snorkels with me when we get the chance, and her only medical condition is high blood pressure (which her primary care physician already approved on the medical form). So is there really that much more risk for someone who is older rather than younger?

Thanks!

I am not saying how young I am. Suffice to say that I have certified one grandchild as Advanced Open water Diver........two more (13 year old twins) who are waiting to do Open Water. I'm considerably older than your (young mother) and I would welcome her as a student.

 

[snowflake4727]

Depends on who you ask.
If you ask Donald Sutherland you get one answer.
Ask a large portion of the diving community (many of them are old farts), you get another.

 

[martha3]

I learnt to dive when I was 42 - I've just turned 46. Your mom sounds fit so she should have no problem.

I found it a bit difficult to get the bouyancy right as some of us maturer ladies tend to be a little curvier. But I persisted and I've just passed my advance PADI open water course.

As has been said before dive with in your limits and go with your gut instincts - if it doesn't feel right don't dive.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

You have been certified four years and have posted almost 15,000 times??? That is incredible...

and thank goodness for that TSandM :worship:is one of the greatest assets this board has IMHO and I know a heap of others who agree!