Divers of a Certain Age: Part I

"On our first charters with NAI'A 30 years ago, most of the passengers were older than me. They still are today."

Rob Barrell, the owner of the highly regarded liveaboard NAI'A in Fiji, has described the change in diving demographics pretty clearly.

Thirty years ago, the industry didn't give much thought to older divers because there weren't many. But, a lot of divers certified in the 80s and 90s (even the 70s) kept right on diving it. And while they did, empty nesters - people in their 50s and older - began to see scuba as an sport they could handle and a ticket to visit faraway places. Certification numbers increased, and divers' demographics changed remarkably.

Today, scuba diving is as much a geriatric sport as is bocce and competitive putting, though it's far more exotic, demanding, and dangerous. Readers Dave Marchese and his wife flew from their Pennsylvania home earlier this year to dive Bonaire and were surprised to see an average diver aged at least 65. "Many divers appeared to be 75 to 85. We've done almost exclusively liveaboard trips where the average age has been about the same."

Having money and spare time has something to do with being able to head off to Indonesia for 10 days of diving and four days of flying. But to do so, you have to be able to carry 40 pounds on your back, roll off a boat, spend an hour 80 feet down, and then do it all over again, and then again, before you can order your first Tequila Sunrise. Diving ain't for sissies, especially if you battle surge or four-foot waves. So, really, the only similarity to bocce and golf is that you can stick with it until your body says "no more." And when a diver's body says no more, the golf course beckons.

It was tougher back in the day. Sweating divers in wetsuits schlepped their tanks from the dive shop across the road to the boat while carrying a mesh bag with all their gear. Then, it would be a walk back to pick up their Nikonos packed in a Pelican case. These days, liveaboards and dive resorts cater to the aging. We luxuriate in valet diving - may I help you with your tank? Would you like help slipping on your fins? - luxury accommodations with mints on pillows, chicken cordon bleu (or special vegan plates), with a bottle of fine Napa or Australian wine. What's not to like, other than the price for two for these trips that could also buy you a Mini-Cooper?

Are Aging Divers Free to Dive?

As divers get long in tooth, knees get wobbly, breath gets short, and backs get pinched, they still want to get wet whenever and wherever they want. To do so, many work hard to stay in good shape, like 76-year-old Angelica Litteken (Tavernier, FL), who told Undercurrent, "It is hard to think I am getting older, but it is reality! I am in good shape for my age - I exercise three or four times a week by swimming at the pool, going to the gym, walking, bicycling, and kayaking. I will dive for as long as my body says OK."

We asked our subscribers to write us about whether they have faced any issues with diver operators regarding their age, and most - but certainly not all - reported no problems.

Long-time Undercurrent subscriber Todd Lichtenstein (West Orange, NJ) said, "I am 75, and my wife is 73. We have never been turned away from any dive operation for being too old. I have 700 dives. Our 85-year-old friend has never been turned away, either. We were recently in Silidan and Lembeh - no problems in either place.

Ninety-one-year-old Robert Yin said, "I go on 2-3 month-long dive trips a year with 2-3 hourly dives daily - skipping a day or two. - with no issue. I dive mainly in the warm waters of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia with live-aboards and dive resorts. I have never been turned down in my 60-plus years of diving."

Joe Dank (Silver Spring, MD) writes, "We're 78 and 79 and have been diving not quite 20 years. We both have about 800 dives. DMs probably watch us closely on the initial dives, and they have helped us out of the water, but not once have we been denied diving nor even questioned about diving because of our age."

But Angelica Litteken, whom we mentioned earlier, while never having been refused by any dive shop, is like many aging divers - she's more cautious these days. "You have to be aware of the conditions. Asia's waters are wicky, and currents are super strong. I am glad I did it in my sixties. Now, I would think twice."

What About the Operators?

Most operators who contacted us don't discriminate because of age. Jeremy Anshel of Cozumel's Living Underwater, a favorite with Undercurrent subscribers, says he has never turned someone away because they were too old. Still, he has conversations with some people to let them know they need someone diving with them or should consider hanging up the fins. "There are different reasons to create this conversation, but age has not been one of them. Buoyancy, leg strength (if currents were to pick up, they would need someone to help them swim), awareness/memory. We can't be 22 forever, even though some try. We have had the pleasure to be part of a few people's last dive before hanging up their fins."

While age, per se, may not be an issue, health indeed is, and more and more operators require that divers over 70 provide evidence of their good health. Rob Barrel says, "While an aging cohort is a problem for the dive industry, we haven't had many issues with customers too old to dive from a liveaboard. Stan Waterman started diving with us at 72 and did 20 expeditions until he hung up his fins. More important than age is health. We have adopted the medical criteria that PADI and others use that includes a self-evaluation of medical issues, including age, that may trigger the need for a doctor's certificate."

Annabel Thomas (Annabel@AquaMarineDiving.com) says AquaMarine Diving Bali would never decline a booking from a diver based solely on their age. "For us to take into consideration that someone is older, slower, a 'rusty' diver, a macro-photographer who barely moves underwater, someone who wants to stay shallow (but maybe dive longer), or dive their own schedule -that's just day-to-day for us."

She says, "It's a good idea to have medical check-upsas you get older, especially with a doctor who focuses on scuba diving, "to be sure that none of your medications are no-goes for scuba diving." She told us she recently had a couple of episodes of skin bends after conservative profiles and a cardiologist found a PFO." I got it closed and back to (but not always so conservative!) dive profiles!"

Seventy-nine-year-old Neil C. Meston is a PADI Master Instructor and the Director of Diving at Utina Diving College on Gozo in the Maltese islands. He says, "We have no problems with age but suggest that divers over 60 either have a dive medical before coming to us or we can arrange for a medical locally with a diving medicine doctor. Customers appreciate that we care about their well-being." His annual medical includes an ECG, Chester Step Test, and Echocardiograph."

The Solution is Planning

Many who have never been questioned about their age arrive prepared in case they are.

Steve Clayman (Toronto, ON), 81, has been diving for 65 years. "My boots are older than most people on the boat. So far, I haven't been refused, but I stay in shape, so perhaps a dive operation takes a look at that. I also carry a 'fit to dive' doctor's letter from an accredited dive medicine organization. I've never been asked to produce it. Divers should know their limits and assess the conditions before taking the plunge. There is a degree of self-responsibility in this sport."

At 85, Betty-Ross Ekmanian (Bermuda Dunes, CA) says she always carries "my dive log with me when diving. It helps to show you're current."

Robert Levine (Boynton Beach, FL) says, "I am over 70. I asked for a signed note on my doctor's letterhead stating the results of my last yearly physical. 'I see no reason why Robert can't continue scuba diving.' I carry that with my DAN and C-cards. I have not had a dive shop or boat ask to see the note. I carry my ammunition. I've never been refused a dive."

Angela Litkin sees the writing on the wall. "It is always in my mind when the day will come when the dive shop will stop me! In the meantime, I will try to be the healthiest I can, and when I cannot carry a tank on my back anymore, I suppose that will be the day."

And she's right, and it's not far away. While age per se might not be the issue, required proof of health is in the wind.

The Problem

No operator wants to host an accident or death, and all are careful to prevent them. Divers don't want problems and are generally cautious when they dive. Still, many are much less so when it comes to knowing what their bodies can handle.

Cayman Island's John Bothwell says this creates a classic quandary "when someone has a heart attack from the stress of diving - often on vacation - and the operator worries they should have known.

The reverse is, 'How can we identify high-risk divers and stop them for their own good?' Even a doctor's certificate may be insufficient (there's concern that the average GP cannot do a diving medical, whatever that is). For many cardiac-related diving deaths, divers do not know their heart condition."

Maybe, he says, different operators should have different risk profiles based on whether they are resorts or liveaboards and their relative proximity to chambers and hospitals.

Indeed, it's one thing to be diving on Grand Cayman, where there are diving doctors and a hyperbaric chamber. It's another to be diving at Socorro Island, in Mexico's Pacific, a 36-hour boat trip to the mainland.

A Last Word from a Diving Doctor

Heart attacks are a significant cause of death in aging divers, and 76-year-old Randy Preissig, a diving physician in San Antonio (TX), says, "It wouldn't be unreasonable for a dive operator to ask for an MD to 'clear' an older or high-risk patient for diving. Requiring a cardiac stress test (treadmill) after a certain age (and/or weight) would not be unreasonable. Such a stress test would not only evaluate one's cardiac condition but overall fitness.

"Many other conditions can limit a diver's ability. Experience with a strong current is one, as is a requirement for a certain number of dives before embarking on a rigorous scuba adventure. Furthermore, dive trips to remote areas for a day or more from modern medical facilities should reasonably have stricter requirements than a day trip to the Florida Keys.

"I'm in exceptional condition for my age. I have routine cardiac and physical evaluations and keep my diving skills sharp - or as sharp as an amateur can. As Clint Eastwood is famous for saying, 'A man has to know his limitations,' and I'm recognizing mine and planning my future accordingly. I dive with companies I have a long history with, but it is my responsibility to 'know my limitations.' I support 'limitations, whether for the aged, obese, smokers, inexperienced, or others at increased risk.

"Divers with limitations - and this includes stupidity - not only put themselves at risk but also their dive buddy, their guides, and even the entire group. When someone is bent or seriously injured, the boat returns to port. Some trips may cost as much as $10,000 per diver and two weeks of vacation. The trip might never be repeatable for many on the boat. Sadly, divers with limitations not concerned for their own welfare probably won't be concerned about others."

In the last few years, the industry - that is, the insurance industry - has taken note, and today's divers are beginning to face some new rules. And not to everyone's liking. Perhaps it's for the good, but as Marchese notes,

"Based on our experience, the 65 to 85 demographic is probably 90 percent of the diving community. We are tough-as-nails and exceedingly competent underwater. We've never encountered age discrimination on our dozens of trips; frankly, we never imagined such a zthing. The industry better think long and hard before it decides to mess with us."

But not every diver takes care of himself as well as Marchese. And as bodies age, they become less able to handle the challenges of diving. And those who ignore that have affected us all.

Change is here. We'll cover that in our next issue.

- Ben Davison, Editor

PS: Just as I finished this article, I received an email from Michael Ludowise (San Jose, CA) who has been an Undercurrent subscriber for almost as long as I've been writing Undercurrent.

Dear Ben,

It has been a great 40 years, give or take, with diving and Undercurrent. As the saying goes, there ain't no old bold divers, and age has caught up with me. Last week, I schlepped my two tanks over to the local dive shop and donated them. Steel 72 was considered a quaint relic, possibly suitable for an adolescent diver; the aluminum 80, I was informed, had been recalled years ago. Both had been with me as long as Undercurrent. But the body is too battered and abused from a life well lived to chance a dive going sideways, and so with sadness, I say farewell to the sport and Undercurrent.

Michael