When do you stop cave diving....after 30-40 years of experience?

[phreaticus]

Have been wondering....as I know, after 3500-plus cave dives, over 40 years... many project dives (WKPP, Beacon Woods, Twin Dees, Weeki Wachi, and DiePolder guided and push dives) that the body gets to the point of not being able to be safe to react in an emergency (swimming...a long ways out) and...to a much greater extent....when you don't have the mental acuity (I'll call it "cave awareness"...meaning all the things you should have in your head.....distance, conditions, gas use, line location, deco situation, environment, equiptment capabilies...it's basically intuitive/mind reading with a long time buddy/buddies).......
When do you decide that you've pushed it enough?
How many 60 - plus cave divers do you know......that are still alive and diving (cave or otherwise?)?
Besides Forrest, of course....he's got a picture in the attic.....of himself....45 years ago.....slowely dissolviiiiiiiiiiing....
JK! He was my cave diving instructor Instructor....1980 or so!

[OutlawCaver]

You are still part of the cave diving community at any age. I suspect there are plenty of projects where you could be involved in the cave front end, ie topside support, surveys, etc. Imagine the cavern surveys you could generate. John Burge did just that.

[swadiver]

You our still part of a community at any age. I suspect there are plenty of projects where you could be involved in the cave front end, ie support, surveys, etc. Imagine the cavern surveys you could generate. John Burge did just that.

Great response, Vince

[FW]

FWIW, I still push sumps where you have to carry gear over 2 hours just to get to the water.

[snakedoc]

Have been wondering....as I know, after 3500-plus cave dives, over 40 years... many project dives (WKPP, Beacon Woods, Twin Dees, Weeki Wachi, and DiePolder guided and push dives) that the body gets to the point of not being able to be safe to react in an emergency (swimming...a long ways out) and...to a much greater extent....when you don't have the mental acuity (I'll call it "cave awareness"...meaning all the things you should have in your head.....distance, conditions, gas use, line location, deco situation, environment, equiptment capabilies...it's basically intuitive/mind reading with a long time buddy/buddies).......
When do you decide that you've pushed it enough?
How many 60 - plus cave divers do you know......that are still alive and diving (cave or otherwise?)?
Besides Forrest, of course....he's got a picture in the attic.....of himself....45 years ago.....slowely dissolviiiiiiiiiiing....
JK! He was my cave diving instructor Instructor....1980 or so!

When you have to ask that question, then you're too old. You've seen enough caves. It's time to race toward your impending demise. Now, I suggest you do the following:
a) Hire two young strippers.
b) Sit on your back porch naked with your new hires.
c) Watch them remove their clothing while you regale them with your cave diving adventures from years past.
d) Afterwards, have glorious caveman sex with them while breathing nitrous, er uh, nitrox.
e) You'll be dead in a week. Therefore, you'll never have time to regret your decision to stop cave diving.

That's right. You gotta problem. I have a solution.

[snakedoc]

FWIW, I still push sumps where you have to carry gear over 2 hours just to get to the water.

Sounds like loads of fun. NOT!!! Here's what you should do:

a) Hire two young strippers...

[Kelly Jessop]

How about the OFPP (old farts plains project)? Inorder to become involved with this prestigous organization we will have exploration divers,gas divers,and surface support. Inorder to advance to the next level you have to spend a specified period of time at the first level. Surface support will carry tanks of the OFPP exploration divers in and out of the water etc,and these people are recruited to be 20 somethings. How does a support person advance the next level,they must solve pi to the 800th digit with paper and pencil calculations. This plan if carried out,would increase the duration of diving for the older cave diver for another 10 years.

[Puttzer]

Forrest is a better diver today than you guys will ever be.

And please: I'm 66 years old. I would delight in having any of you challenge me to a 500 yard swim/race.

[Kelly Jessop]

Forrest is a better diver today than you guys will ever be.

And please: I'm 66 years old. I would delight in having any of you challenge me to a 500 yard swim/race.

You bring up a good point,but one thing we can't change is changing physiology that doesn't tolerate the same decompression dives I did 20 years ago.

[Puttzer]

I recall George Irving, ten years ago, laughing to my post on the GUI site. He said just the opposite of you comment. Lets have some real data or studies. Subjective logic says older divers can't be as young.

But show me the data.