SCUBA Diving Age Restrictions: At What Age Should You Stop SCUBA Diving?
Candace Reno January 7th, 2025 Posted In: Articles Tags: SCUBA
SCUBA diving is a wonderful adventure of the exploration of the underwater world that many people are lucky enough to do for almost their entire life! But what are the age requirements for SCUBA diving? How old is too old to SCUBA dive? Are there really SCUBA diving age restrictions?
Luckily for everyone reading this, there is a great chance that you can SCUBA dive or even first learn to SCUBA dive even at a much older age! However, there are risks and safety concerns for seniors that SCUBA dive.
Minimum Age To SCUBA Dive
There are different organizations out there that have courses for SCUBA diving and their age requirements may slightly differ. For common certifying agencies such as PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors), the minimum age to get a certification for diving is 10 years old. At 8 years old, there are SCUBA programs available to take in the pool. The younger ages have different requirements such as depth limits and who they can dive with.
Maximum Age To SCUBA Dive
What is the oldest age you can SCUBA dive? This question is much harder to answer than the minimum age to SCUBA dive. The reason is that there is no number. How long you are able to to SCUBA dive depends on your personal health.
At What Age Should You Stop SCUBA Diving?
The age at which you should stop SCUBA diving is very much dependent on your health and the risks associated with diving at an older age. People refer to physiological age rather than a number for age because your physical fitness will be a big factor into when you should stop SCUBA diving. Regular exercise can help maintain your fitness. Annual doctor’s checkups can also help assess your readiness to dive.
Considerations For Diving At An Older Age
The biggest considerations for diving when older is the increased risk of decompression sickness and other health conditions that may make you at risk for a heart attack. The depth and time spent underwater should therefore be limited. The types of dives should also not be too strenuous. The Divers Alter Network has recommendations for seniors that are diving.
Depth
As you get older, you should consider is it worth the risks to dive deep? What is so important to see down deep? If you limit your dives to 40 feet or shallower, then you minimize nitrogen exposure and the efforts involved in case an emergency should arise.
Time
Since the risk of decompression sickness risk increases with age, limiting the amount of time spent underwater will help because you will limit your nitrogen absorption. How long to limit your dive time will depend on factors such as the dive profile including the depth of the dive.
Annual Doctor’s Checkups
It is very important to be aware of your underlying health conditions and the medications you take for your health. These things can impact your diving and put you at increased risk for decompression sickness.
SCUBA Diving Gear
Having the right gear is important for any SCUBA diver but especially for senior SCUBA divers. Seniors tend to get colder faster so proper thermal protection, like a SCUBA diving wetsuit, is important. You might opt for the 5mm wetsuit versus the 3mm wetsuit you use to wear in the same environment.
Proper fins that limit over exertion are also important to help reduce the exercise needed while in the water. Other equipment should factor in the total weight of all the gear. As you age, you might not be able to stand on land with all that heavy gear. Finding the right BCD and weight system is essential.
Who is the Oldest SCUBA Diver?
Now that you know you can SCUBA dive to pretty old ages, what is the oldest age anyone has gone diving? According to the Guineas World Record, the oldest person to SCUBA dive was William Lambert at 100 years old and 2 days. He performed his dive on September 7, 2020 at Pearl Lake, South Beloit, Illinois. He spent 27 minutes underwater.
In case you were wondering, for a dive to count for submission for the record, it needs to be at least 20 minutes. There are records of other divers in their mid to upper 90’s that enjoy the sport of SCUBA diving. For the most part, these people are physically fit and what age they decide to stop SCUBA diving will depend on their own health.
SCUBA Diving Age Restrictions: How to Safely SCUBA Dive at Any Age
Overall, one of the biggest considerations for what age you should stop SCUBA diving is that when you’re older you are at risk for many health problems. Getting dizzy while riding your bike versus SCUBA diving are two very different things. You need to be able to handle yourself underwater with any problem that may arise.
Using good judgement and consulting with a doctor are the best ways to SCUBA dive safely for as long as you think you are safe to do so. Personally, the thought of what age I need to stop SCUBA diving does not really bother me. I know that if I stay physically fit, then I will increase my chances of SCUBA diving well into my golden years!
