Interesting comment from a fellow diver

[Power Scuba]

Not exactly a counterpoint to the OP, but... we just lost a 70 year old rebreather guy while he was diving Point Loma this past weekend.

If nothing else, it provided motivation for me to get frequent checkups and to get some kind of fitness regimen re-started. (I'm 57.)

Bill

 

[hilljo88]

Age is just a number. Diet, exercise, knowing your limitations, planning/choosing dive profiles wisely-all can keep you diving for a long time.

 

[doctormike]

That brings up an interesting question. At what point do you decide that you will just keep diving as you have been, and not push back the boundaries of the sport?

I'm 56. Certified on a CCR two years ago and I love it. Really revitalized my interest in diving. However, I have no interest in diving below normoxic trimix depths. If I had started at 36, I might have gone that route. I would have made it a point to hit the Doria, the U-869, and the other deep wrecks in our neighborhood. But I'm never going to do that, even if I had the time and money to do that training.

I have four good buddies in their 50s, all accomplished OC tech divers, who just certified on CCR this year. Not sure if they will make the same decision that I did about limits, but their age didn't stop them from taking that next step. But what if they were in their 60s? Not sure what the answer is....

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I didn't begin diving until I was 30, so all the years of diving deep wrecks are not that far behind me. I'll be 60 soon and have made a few deep dives in the recent past so I'm not at the point where I won't be going deep ever again. I told a friend last week that I hope to still be diving the same way I am now until my body can no longer handle the weight of scuba gear. I then plan to go back to free diving, where I began my underwater journey. I can't foresee a time when I don't get in the ocean any longer.

 

[MargaritaMike]

No wonder I solo.

No. I can look at your avatar pic and tell you why you solo! It's too damn cold to dive with you!

Cheers -

 

[Stoo]

No. I can look at your avatar pic and tell you why you solo! It's too damn cold to dive with you!

You aren't wrong.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I didn't begin diving until I was 30, so all the years of diving deep wrecks are not that far behind me. I'll be 60 soon and have made a few deep dives in the recent past so I'm not at the point where I won't be going deep ever again. I told a friend last week that I hope to still be diving the same way I am now until my body can no longer handle the weight of scuba gear. I then plan to go back to free diving, where I began my underwater journey. I can't foresee a time when I don't get in the ocean any longer.

Scuba gear doesn't really weigh anything once you get in the water

I found that it's easier to walk around with it now that it was a few months ago before my spine surgery so some things can be fixed (or at least postponed). I'll also be able to regain the strength in my back that was waning due to over-compensating with other muscles so it should get even easier.

 

[Stoo]

Scuba gear doesn't really weigh anything once you get in the water .

I still wear double steels diving at home, but I avoid shore diving like the plague. Most dives are in the 100' - 160' range, with the odd one to 190' or so. Lots of deco, but I dive conservatively. If my trusty Petral says I gotta do 20 minutes, I'm going to add another 7 or 8 minutes for good luck.

And ya, it's fair to say that I love my week in Belize... it's so frigging easy diving in warm water.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I still wear double steels diving at home, but I avoid shore diving like the plague. Most dives are in the 100' - 160' range, with the odd one to 190' or so. Lots of deco, but I dive conservatively. If my trusty Petral says I gotta do 20 minutes, I'm going to add another 7 or 8 minutes for good luck.

And ya, it's fair to say that I love my week in Belize... it's so frigging easy diving in warm water.

I knew a guy that brought double 72s to an Orange County beach with very high bluffs and lots of sand to walk across. He looked like he was going to die and he was 18. I'm considering getting a little boat so I can start doing more local diving again. Besides, I always did two tanks when I had a boat and only one tank when I had to carry everything back up the cliffs.

Where are you staying in Belize? We were going to go there and were told to avoid Belize City and picked a place that was going to be very difficult to get to and then we would need a boat to get to the dive boat. We went to Cozumel instead.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I used to dive twin 120s at Marineland before they built Terranea. That's one of the many reasons to buy a boat.