Age - Open discussion

[NorthWoodsDiver]

There are several popular instructors pushing the 60ish age. My favorite dive "buddy" is 51 and plans to dive more when he retires then he does now. I wouldn't worry especially if your healthy and active.

T

[Coconutrhumb]

I'm not saying you should do as he has, but I have to ask..... have you seen everything there is to see within your current level of training?

thanks for the emoticon guys... nicely done.

No alcohol at all, not that I am down on it... just worked out that way. Active, yes, in such a big way if I spelled it out you would think me a liar... I hike and do a sort of jog in my doubles when not diving, so I am covered in those areas. I started diving lakes and quarries in upstate NY in 1963... progressed to NJ wrecks. I schooled in Ft. Pierce Florida in 1973 got my SCUBA instructor and Commercial Deep Sea qualifications to 190'. I hold several National open water certifications, Advanced, Rescue, Equipment Repair, Nitrox and have been recreational diving with my son and wife for the last 15 years, diving south Florida wrecks from Ft. Pierce to the Keys. In 50 odd dives on the Duane I am sure I've seen nearly every inch, not as many on the Speigle but working on it. Started my Cave training this past October with my wife and now going for some tech training.

I think I am ready for new horizons, can't really say I've seen it ALL within my current level but I am certain I've earned the right to continue in this direction.

I'd rather not mention the charter operator as I am not certain he was the owner or just an employee.

I can clearly see he was wrong to treat me that way and perhaps I'll start looking for some other ways to get out to the more technical sites.

Thanks for the input and I am betting there's more to come.

Charlie

[bletso]

There are more of old farts around than you'd think. I am 64 and seem to be able to out do most younger whipper snappers most of the time. Sure, you need to be reasonably fit, but technical diving also requires a large dose of common sense which the young in general seem to have misplaced until they seem to find it post 45.

Seriously, a lot of technical diving success in the long term hinges on mental attitude and the ability to access risk. That seems to be an acquired skill set built on years of real life problem solving and not just in diving.

Us old ones may not be the fastest hombres to the gate, but we are more often than not the ones still standing at the end of the run. It is not how fast you can get there, it's that you do indeed get there. Good luck in your endeavors, oh, and don't pick on poor Forrest as he has been to the grave and returned. They wouldn't take him, as he wasn't youg enough

Dale

[FW]

"Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty four?"

I am 64, my father is 87, and he is still diving. FWIW, I still can carry gear for 2-3 hours to get to a sump

[cavediver27]

Here's my situation for what it's worth.

I'm 58 and have been actively diving since the early 70's. I work hard to keep myself in excellent shape. I eat healthy and stay thin (5'-11 / 160 lbs) and I've never smoked. I ride a mountain bike regularly and at least once a week I do a 35-mile trip. I walk 2-3 miles every day at lunch.

As for my diving, I cave dive almost every weekend. I still do lots of deep mix diving. I'm usually in Eagles Nest (275'-295') at least once a month and sometimes more (I was just diving there yesterday). I can still SWIM to the Hinkle. Am I more conservative on my deco profiles? Of course, but that's a good thing even if you are 30-something. I plan on diving this way until the body says "no more" but I don't expect that for quite a while yet.

Bottom line; stay fit, eat healthy and exercise.

One more thing, don't stay out of the water too long or you'll start to rust.

[cavediver27]

"Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty four?"

I am 64, my father is 87, and he is still diving. FWIW, I still can carry gear for 2-3 hours to get to a sump

Now I have a goal! I'm going to dive at least 6-years longer than you Forrest. That being said, I hope you are still diving at 100!

[MORGAN]

One of the most respected and active cave diving instructors is 70 years old and in amazing shape. Not amazing shape for a 70 year old; amazing shape for a 25 year old!

Working in health care, it continually amazes me how variably people seem to age. We see people in their 40's who are physiologic train wrecks, and people in their 80's who are skiing, running, and swimming. This winter I had an 89 year old patient in the ER who dislocated his thumb when he fell while skiing. When I asked him, "Downhill or cross country?", he said, "Oh, just cross-country; my wife made me quit downhill skiing when I turned 85."

My fiddle teacher is 90, and is out playing for dances 2 -3 nights every week as well as teaching.

The OP sounds like a fit and active guy - I'm amazed that a charter operator would ask his age to begin with, and even more amazed that they would think that 64 was too old to be diving! Do they require a medical history and physical exam before letting divers on their boat? Is a morbidly obese 40 year old smoker with (perhaps undiagnosed) hypertension, diabetes, and coronary artery disease OK, but not a healthy and fit 64 year old? Who are these half-wits anyway?

Mike

[BabyDuck]

yeah, i was going to mention my cave instructor. he's older than the caves he teaches in.

i feel like a total cave diving baby, and i'm 40.

[sea2summit]

I met "slowdiver" this weekend at JB and he said he started diving caves in '65 so he's been around. I didn't notice anything slowing him down...except Russell talking to him and holding him up from getting in the water

[sskasser]

"Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty four?"

Absolutely!

I am 64, my father is 87, and he is still diving. FWIW, I still can carry gear for 2-3 hours to get to a sump

Forrest runs me into the ground on a regular basis (literally and figuratively!)...I'd love to see the idiot that tells him he's too old try to keep up with him.