Older guy Certification

[edhjr]

I went ahead and purchased a Bare Trilam Pro Dry custom fitted that will be ready the first of November. The shop I bought the dry suit from originally tried to sell me a higher grade and more expensive drysuit I could not afford. I asked about the Trilam Pro dry and to my pleasant surprise they were happy to oblige. If the Trilam Pro Dry was an option to begin with I would have bought it right away.

Thank you to the older divers for sharing your diving experienced as older guys and respectfully older gals.

 

[yle]

Ok, your post made me sad, so I looked at your profile and some of your prior posts. Seems like it has been an ordeal for you to get certified near home. Also looks like you are retired, so why wait and hope?

Personally, rather then jump into a drysuit purchase, I'd be inclined to take that money and fly to Cozumel for a week and knock out your OW (and can do Nitrox in an afternoon) and get some great first dives in warm, crystal clear water.

On the surface, this might seem like a fine plan. But for an older diver, there are a few important considerations that might not be compatible with getting certified in Cozumel. For one, they might want and/or need to spend extra time in their confined water (i.e. pool) sessions to practice and master their skills. This would require a flexible schedule and could extend the actual time (i.e. the number of days) beyond the length of the planned trip. At home, it is much easier to extend the "pool time" schedule and adjust the open water schedule. Trying to get this done on a trip, especially out of the country, could get frustrating if everything doesn't go exactly to plan.

Second, health care infrastructure. If an older diver is at all concerned about access to medical care during their dive training, being close to home is probably going to be preferable. I am sure Cozumel has excellent facilities (fortunately I've never had to use them, except for a covid test last April so I could return home...) but home will always be better in that regard.

This is just my opinion, but it comes from having taught a number of OW students in the 60+ age range.

 

[edhjr]

My certification is at a standstill for lack of contained water space. The dive shop I am affiliated with has cancelled training until a suitable pool location can be found. This is another delay of many since I started June 2020 but I will be worth everything I've been through to experience life underwater.

 

[<*)))><]

My certification is at a standstill for lack of contained water space. The dive shop I am affiliated with has cancelled training until a suitable pool location can be found. This is another delay of many since I started June 2020 but I will be worth everything I've been through to experience life underwater.

Great attitude! Minor bump in the road. It will be worth it once you get underwater.

I've enjoyed reading this thread and will be looking into a Bare Trilam Pro Dry. Keep us posted as the adventure continues and best of luck.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

@edhjr,

One of my students was OW certified at the age of 73. Given how bulky dry suits are, shoulder flexibility becomes increasingly important. You may want to talk to your doctor or a physical therapist to help you improve this. From an equipment side, if you decide on a backplate and wing, I recommend strongly against a Hogarthian harness, but rather an adjustable one like this from Subgravity: Adjustable Harness System - Subgravity. I have one for my rebreather unit and like it a lot.

Whatever you decide for a BCD, winter is a great time for wearing your dry suit and kitting up inside your LDS and seeing how their different options will work for you.

 

[100days-a-year]

Older buddy turned 82 today, still dives. Up til he was 70 he was knocking out a hundred a year or more.
Hope you have a long and enjoyable dive experience in front of you.

 

[Subcooled]

@edhjr,
Given how bulky dry suits are, shoulder flexibility becomes increasingly important.

Bulky? May I respectfully disagree. I have been diving dry since I got certified some 10 years ago. Personally I do not feel that drysuits would be "bulky". I do have some wetsuit experience, about 10 dives, and I must say that wetsuits are more difficult to wear. Some thick tight neoprene to squeeze yourself into! And out! And in! It's especially hard when the suit is wet already. They also restrict movement a lot. Trilaminate drysuits on the other hand are nice, spacious, easy to don/doff (open the zipper), do not squeeze... If the suit restricts movement then it is just too small. It is not meant to be a second skin. It is meant to allow you wear warm clothes underneath. It is a piece of clothing after all - it needs to fit.

Rubber drysuits can be bulky.

From an equipment side, if you decide on a backplate and wing, I recommend strongly against a Hogarthian harness, but rather an adjustable one like this from Subgravity: Adjustable Harness System - Subgravity. I have one for my rebreather unit and like it a lot.

A jacket style buoyancy compensator is nice for many types of diving. I have even used one on ice dives. Some people want a steel plate with an attached buoyancy compensator "wing" on their back though. The latter offers the benefits of not squeezing your waist (because it is on your back and does not inflate around you waist) and making perfect horizontal position easier to maintain (because it floats above you) and beeing one-size-fits-all (just adjust the straps) but it is also more rigid and hard and rigid... and did I say rigid Just my biased opinion! And then we have sidemounters (like me) and what ever else there is.

Adjustable straps are really nice if you choose a back plate -style system. Even Halcyon (the most expensive dive gear brand under the sun? Good too, though) offers adjustable options (Halcyon Cinch) and my knowledgeabe friends have praised it. No personal experience.

The possibilities are endless.

 

[oly5050user]

My certification is at a standstill for lack of contained water space. The dive shop I am affiliated with has cancelled training until a suitable pool location can be found. This is another delay of many since I started June 2020 but I will be worth everything I've been through to experience life underwater.

This is why we have a heated pool in our facility here in Yonkers. If you started in June 2020 and did PADI eLearning the eLearning may have expired as you had 1 year to complete course work

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Bulky? May I respectfully disagree. .

Oh when I dive in warm water I love being in a 5 mil or less. Though I do miss my p-valve!

It's all relative.

 

[Nemrod]

My certification is at a standstill for lack of contained water space. The dive shop I am affiliated with has cancelled training until a suitable pool location can be found. This is another delay of many since I started June 2020 but I will be worth everything I've been through to experience life underwater.

May I suggest that you quit buying stuff and go to a resort, an example, SCUBA Club Cozumel, and get certified and have a nice trip all in one. Or drag it out forever. It would be cheaper to go to a destination resort and get it over with and have a nice trip along the way. And actually get to see how much you like diving before investing more in the sport/avocation/hobby/obsession.

And leave the drysuit at home. You can use it when you are finally certified and go visit the St Lawrence area for shore dives to some shallow wrecks up there, maybe?

James