Is the late forties too late to train to become a divemaster

[Phil_C]

Actually in the UK it can be very useful as you need a CMAS 3* if you're doing academic courses that involve diving such as marine biology or archaeology.
If conservation work is being overseen by HSE I would imagine the same would apply.

This is precisely why I am just finishing my CMAS 3* (in Cyprus) - at the grand old age of 50 - it has taken me just over a year and 100 plus dives. In the UK HSE class marine biology as scientific diving, and you require CMAS 3* (or equivalent) to do it for your employment, if you just want to volunteer on projects being run by other qualified persons then you don't, you just need to comply with whatever is required for their HSE assessment for the activities, which I think is pretty much likely to be recreational for the conditions.

I work as a consultant in the environmental field, mainly dealing nature conservation, habitats and marine protection which is my spur to get out and see what I am writing policy about.

But age is no bar, so long as you can still lift and rescue diviers into boats, meet the physical standards and so on then go for it. I guess it was (is) my late mid life crisis.

Good luck - P

 

[farsidefan1]

Don't quit your day job.

 

[Byrdie]

Level of fitness is more important than age. Getting my DM cert at 48

 

[-hh]

Of those responding, when you got your DM cert at 35-60 years old, how many of you work full time in the industry? Part time? Just did it as a whim for the training and the designation?

That question's core has the makings for a good SB survey question:

a) I have Certification Level X and am gainfully employed full-time as an 'X'
b) ...make a few bucks (ie, part time)
c) ...basically don't make any money (and/or barely enough to pay the insurance)

d-e-f) repeat for Certification level Y, Z ... (Instructor, AI, DM, etc)

I think it's a fine thing to do at any age. At some point you should ask yourself whether lugging 20-30 tanks around daily, spending time bent over a compressor at a fill station and doing physical, manual labor probably won't appeal to me. Not sure there's a specific age limit on it... but it's not easy work.

It isn't easy work and that's really going to be the crux of the matter for candidates who aren't young bulletproof kids: the typical 'full time' DM working at a Resort has a long day of menial labor that's also mostly unchanged from day-to-day. Sure, there's some "fun" in the diving (to whatever degree that happens while leading customers) and in the interaction with more interesting guests, but all told, what's mostly in it for an older person is a forced fitness program.

I've been acquainted/friends with a few folks who went into diving as a career as the typical Age ~50 'mid life crisis' point in their life ... the typical pattern was that they:

• lost a lot of weight by the end of the first year and looked great
• was still pretty happy by the end of the second
• had a major drinking problem by the third
• was gone before the fourth year was out.

FWIW, the more common "career after diving" that they seem to go into afterwords is Real Estate. Probably because of the 'feel good people interaction skills' that they developed are transferrable.


-hh

 

[Phil_C]

Just finished my CMAS 3* (Divemaster/IDC candidate equivalent) - I'm 50 now - but I'm not looking to work in the scuba industry full time - and at the moment there must be a hole in my wallet which money seems to be disappearing down, so I'm certainly not making any money from it. P

 

[leebutler]

As Devondiver said, the DM certification is not really necessary for what you would like to do, unless of course you will be training with someone with some expertise in this and you feel there is something past the curriculum to learn from them.

Start slowly, get the entry level qualifications done, log some dives and gain some experience. From there you might find diver level qualifications sufficient, and I agree with elguacho, there is a lot more to learn from a good Tec course, but that's for later after more training and experience.

 

[Rogersea]

I understand your main goal is to work in the field of Conservation and you are planning on getting your DM to compliment that goal. Getting a DM certification in two to three months is certainly possible but rarely the best route becaause you end up with little real life diving experience and you may be placed in situations where you wont have the requisite background to make the best decisiions....


But on the question of age it is never to late to learn something and make new goals.. Since I have been in the Philippines the oldest DM that I have certified was 60... He was a real smart guy and he did average on the watermanship portion of the DM program. If there is an alternate way for you to achieve the DM certification without a crash course I would choose the longer route......

Good Luck on whatever you decide to do!!!!!

Cheers,
Roger

 

[DMDavid]

Over the years I have met divers of all ages, some old, some young.
One of my original instructors is still diving almost daily as a tech instructor and he must be well into his 60's.
As has been mentioned over and over again, Zero to Hero is not a recommended route for many reasons but
it doesn't mean that it's not for everyone (just not for me).

As long as you maintain a decent level of fitness, agility and health you shouldn't have any problems with age.
The only difference I have noticed between the ages is that older divers tend to be a little more cautious and less
likely to act boldly, but not always true.
Just remember to always stay within your training limits and know your limits (with a few exceptions for controlled training purposes).

For the record I am in your age category and I don't consider my age to be a consideration at this point in my life.
I don't work full-time as a DM anymore, but I do guide divers on a regular basis and they lug their own gear and
I take care of mine own (with the exception of when I dive with my daughter, then I lug her gear as well).


Fulfill your dreams for there is nothing worse than regret when you truly are too old to chase them.

 

[Blackmore75]

I would say 40 is nowhere close to being too old to become a DM. However, I will say, based on the miniscule amount of experience I have compared to some of the folks on here, don't rush it. Every certification you achieve will build on the next, and take the time to learn from those experiences. I recently finished my DM, and am awaiting the paperwork and I'm 37. However, many of the dives I did as an AOW and Rescue diver were as an assistant to my instructors in Okinawa where I first got certified. Not only did it open my eyes to proper training procedures, It also exposed me to many of the situations one will run into as a DM or instructor. Just when you think everything is perfect, a student or less experienced diver can run into an issue, and you need to be able to fall back on the training and experience you have under your weight belt to assist them properly. Take your time, enjoy the training you complete, and advance when you feel you are ready to advance. Don't rush it....enjoy it!

 

[RTee]

I got mine at 50. My motivation...a target to reach and another tool in the tool box just in case. .