Divers are a fairly rare breed, and older female divers are even rarer. (That makes me special!) I thought it would be fun to have a place where divers like me (and those who aren’t like me, for that matter) can share their adventures. I did come to diving late, not getting certified until I was over 40, so I’m especially interested in talking about the rewards and challenges facing older divers. Feel free to dive into the discussion!
–Brenda, Scuba Diva 
Posted by: Brenda | January 19, 2008
Let’s talk diving!
Posted in adventure, diving, scuba, scuba diving | Tags: older women, women divers
I’m 48 and just this year getting certified. When are any dive shops or masters going to learn that any woman has different concerns? I hated the tight hood around my neck and was told to stop whining! Forget it, I was very vocal and got the hood I wanted, even if they thought it was too big. My zipper is in the front in case I need to cool off from a hot flash. My ears don’t respond as quickly as someone maybe a bit younger and it takes me longer and more often to equalize. Wish I’d taken lessons from a woman, but there just aren’t any around this neck of the woods! Where do I get the little beanie cap I can wear instead of a hood?
By: Susan on May 15, 2008
at 4:46 pm
Susan, you might try DiversDirect.com–that’s where we’ve bought our wetsuits and dive computers. I haven’t dived with a hood or beanie cap because I really don’t want to dive anywhere cold enough to require them! My only miserable moments while diving have involved getting cold (mainly on the boat, but once while diving) so WARM is one of my main requirements for a dive site.
Good to know that my problems equalizing might be age-related and not just that I suck at it!
Thanks for sharing that!
By: Brenda on May 15, 2008
at 7:23 pm
Oh let me be the first to let you know, age has alot to do with equalizing and how the ears respond to pressure. After I get my certification all done (one more dive to do in Lake Tahoe!), I’m having a super-stretch suit done for me. I want a 2 piece and since I’m only 5′2″ and have the middle age hips…..LOL! That’s the only way I can get a suit that really fits me the way I want it to and may allow for a bit of growth.
I’ll look at the website and see what they have. Thanks! And trust me, I’ll never go anywhere cold again after I go at least once to Monterey.
By: Susan on May 15, 2008
at 9:15 pm
Oh my gosh! That website had the beanie I wanted! Thank you, thank you! I ordered one.
By: Susan on May 15, 2008
at 9:30 pm
That’s great, Susan! I’m so glad I could help. Happy diving!!
By: Brenda on May 15, 2008
at 10:57 pm
Well, it won’t help in Monterey as that water is pretty cold. But it will sure help on future dives. I hate the full hood as it feels like it’s going to choke me in the front. What I did finally was take my husband’s dry suit hood. It’s alot more stretchy and feels much better. Are you diving this year at all?
By: Susan on May 16, 2008
at 9:05 am
I sure hope to dive this year! We’ve been talking about either Bermuda or Grand Bahama (I’m just dying to dive with dolphins!) sometime this summer, if our schedules will allow. Then we’ll probably do our annual dive trip in winter, either just before Christmas or over New Years. We haven’t started talking about WHERE yet, though, so I’m open to suggestions!
(At the moment, just walking is a challenge after spending the whole day weeding and mulching the back yard. The thought of moving effortlessly through water sounds very appealing right now!)
By: Brenda on May 16, 2008
at 8:14 pm
I haven’t begun to think about warmer places yet. Cabo is closest to us. The next closest is all along the coast of Mexico and Hawaii. My real dream is to dive in Fiji! I know some people who have gone Grand Bahama. They loved it! Deep diving is just a bit out of my reach at this point.
By: Susan on May 16, 2008
at 11:08 pm
Ok, why is it that these instructors all want you to do these skills things on top of the water when all the equipment is designed for under the water?! My legs don’t want to stay down, waves make me sick….geez, just let me dive please! 4 people quit yesterday. I didn’t, but they really should make you practice with all of the stuff on before the open water. What a surprise!
By: Susan on May 19, 2008
at 10:36 am
All instructors don’t do it that way, Susan. We did most of the skills stuff in a swimming pool–putting on and learning to use the equipment, mask clearing, regulator recovery, buoyancy control, etc. Then when we did the open water dives, we did some of the same skills stuff on the bottom. I know there were a few things that had to be done on the surface–I think we had to take off our weights and put them back on, for example–but not much. I also get queasy bobbing on the surface, so I’m glad we didn’t have to do a whole lot up there! Bummer that four people in your class actually quit. But good for you for hanging in there!
By: Brenda on May 20, 2008
at 1:04 pm
I still have a bit more to go though. It just wasn’t much fun. Cold! And even though Tahoe is a lake, there are waves like the ocean. Then a boat decided to cut through while the divers were under water. Good thing they were on the bottom! I have an integrated BC so the taking off/on part is easy. It’s fun to sit on it and just float like that too.
By: Susan on May 21, 2008
at 9:09 am
I haven’t used an integrated BC yet, but when/if I buy one, that’s what I plan to get. I hate messing with weight belts! Since we always fly to wherever we dive, we’ve so far only bought our own wetsuits, fins, masks and snorkels and rented the rest. (And now that airlines are starting to charge for checked bags, there’s even less incentive to buy more equipment!)
I definitely agree that COLD can take all the fun out of diving, though! My wetsuit is a shortie, and I pretty much refuse to dive anywhere that isn’t warm enough to wear that. 76 degrees F is about my lower limit for diveable water temp.
Yeah, I admit it, I’m a wimp.
By: Brenda on May 23, 2008
at 12:22 am
Me too! But the only places around here are cold. I’m thinking I may wait and when we go somewhere after our wedding we’ll go someplace warm and I can do the 2 day cert. class in warm water. I just don’t like being cold. Try out the integrated BC first before buying if you can. It is much easier to take off and put on in the water. Especially if you already have the weights in it and the tank on it. Inflate it, throw it in, jump in and sit on top of it and just lay back and let it slide on. Just be sure to adjust the straps and stuff before and after inflating so you don’t end up with a BC that feels too small after you inflate it and then you can’t breath.
By: Susan on May 25, 2008
at 9:12 pm
I’ve discovered, once we really started diving (after we were certified) that the better dive operators take care of so many things for you that it’s easy to forget some of the stuff you learned in class! But it sure is nice to have someone else set up your BC, reg and tank for you, help you to the back of the boat with it (or, in some cases, put it ON you as you sit at the back of the boat!) and then help you out of if when you come back on board. So easy to get spoiled!
Oh, that’s one other advantage to renting (besides not having to pack so much equipment for a flight)– usually when you rent your stuff from the dive operator, after the dive you can just GO. Okay, we do have to wash off our wetsuits, masks, camera, etc. but we don’t have to mess with the BC, reg or tanks, which is nice.
Did I mention I’m spoiled AND a wimp?
By: Brenda on May 26, 2008
at 11:00 pm
Yes you did! And I’m going to end up that way. After all, I’ll be paying someone else to do all the heavy equipment moving. It’ll be nice to actually get to that point. Our weather here has turned very stormy and cold again.
By: Susan on May 28, 2008
at 10:48 pm