ANATOMY OF A DIVER
Safe senior scuba
How does ageing affect diving ? While some of us mature like fine wines , others may collect conditions that need to be addressed , says Dr Rosie Stokes of DDRC
Many divers continue to enjoy the sport well into their older years ; Jacques Cousteau was still diving in his 80s , and a 100-year-old recently broke the world record in the US ! Officially , there is no upper age limit , but diving is an extreme sport and therefore we must take into consideration the aspects of physical health and mental ability that may change as we get older .
Diving is a strenuous activity , especially before and after the dive when hauling heavy equipment around . As we age , our muscle mass and bone density decrease , along with our aerobic fitness and physical capability . A balanced diet and regular exercise can help slow this change . Arteries can harden over time and cause hypertension ( high blood pressure ). This can be controlled using medication but , despite this , divers are still at risk of immersion pulmonary oedema ( fluid on the lungs ) and cardiovascular events , for example heart attacks and strokes . Eyesight , hearing , and reaction times can also diminish as we get older , which can reduce awareness underwater and slow response time in a scuba emergency .
Every diver should be able to react to an emergency and safely deal with a rescue , otherwise they are putting themselves and others at risk of accident . If a diving accident such as a decompression sickness or a barotrauma did occur , then the body may have less reserve to deal with this . This means that there is an increased risk of severe injury and death . Recovery would take a lot longer than it would do in a younger diver and there would be poorer outcomes , increasing the chance of permanent disability .
How do I know that I am safe to dive ?
As with a diver of any age , it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and have an awareness of any health issues that you may have . Any medical condition or medication that you take may impact your diving and it is important to speak to a dive doctor to discuss the risk .
There is no specific age in which medical assessment is mandatory but here at DDRC , as a rough guide , we tend to suggest the following :
Age
Interval for a face-to-face dive medical
60-65 years 5 yearly 65-70 years 3 yearly 70-75 years 2 yearly 75 years + Annually
The exact interval that medical assessment is needed will depend on your specific medical conditions , the type of diving you do and specific recommendations from your diving doctor .
DDRC Healthcare Medical Director Dr Doug Watts says : “ There are plenty of divers who are older , but while they may not be as sprightly as a newly qualified teenage diver , they have a huge amount of experience – in many situations I know who I would prefer as my buddy ! With that being said , the physiological demands of diving
The late George Brookes , a founder member of BSAC , remained active in diver training into his eighties
This page is produced with DDRC Healthcare , specialists in diving and hyperbaric medicine www . ddrc . org
are unique and as you get older the risks of a medical event underwater increase significantly . Divers are experienced in assessing risk and age needs to be a component of this – I think most people would agree that it is sensible to reduce your depth and adjust how demanding your diving is as you get older .
“ Eventually , all of us are going to have to hang up our fins . Exactly when this happens is a very individual choice . One of the most important parts of my job is chatting with divers about this and giving them the information to make a decision . When someone has done thousands of dives over their life and decides that the time has come to significantly change their diving , or stop diving altogether , it ’ s often a painful moment . However , having that honest chat and weighing up the risk is something that is important for safety , and improving safety for divers is what we , as diving doctors at DDRC , are here for .” �
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