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!
"You're too old to dive when they put you in a box. Even then, you're not too old, you're just incapable" - K Barrick
I said this to a customer not too long after doing a live-aboard trip with a group of Senior Citizens in the Sea of Cortez. It was a group out of Detroit Michigan,
Aside from my wife and I who were in our 40's at the time and one or two others younger than us... the rest of the people on the boat (about 14 of them) were all seniors. A handful of them were in their mid and upper 80's, including Estelle - who proudly announced she was 89 years old.
We were dodging a hurricane and seas were fairly rough all week (3 - 5 footers) even in the protected areas. We did every dive... and I mean we - everyone. They donned their gear and boarded and unboarded the pangas, did their backwards rolls and swam past me in currents. Without over-speaking - "they kicked A$$."
So yes, tell your dad to go pound sand - or better yet, to get off the couch and explore the world with you...
Enjoy!
