PADI medical questionaire and waivers,

[vicocala]

to me, it seems like just about everyone could be disqualified from diving if you are over 40. Is the best bet just to talk to your doctor and bring along a "permission slip" if you ever want to go underwater?

 

I would like to get certified, always have from watching "Flipper" and "Sea Hunt" on television as a kid. I could also use the low impact exercise that Scuba/Snorkeling can give me.

 

Any advise or suggestions?

[bruce-r]

to me, it seems like just about everyone could be disqualified from diving if you are over 40. Is the best bet just to talk to your doctor and bring along a "permission slip" if you ever want to go underwater?

That really isn't a bad idea. There are a few things that would exclude you from scuba diving, but there are many things that are OK with scuba diving with a doc's OK. Many conditions treated by medication would best be discussed with your Doc before diving. The alternate is to lie on your application, but I don't recommend this choice.

 

BTW, I'm 43 and a good number of my dive buddies are older than I am. Age itself isn't an exclusionary factor for scuba diving.

 

I would like to get certified, always have from watching "Flipper" and "Sea Hunt" on television as a kid. I could also use the low impact exercise that Scuba/Snorkeling can give me.

You might like to try scuba in a pool just to see how the gear feels. Many dive shops offer a discover scuba pool experience. My Local Dive Shop charges $15 for a night of fun underwater.

[vicocala]

Thanks Bruce,

 

 

I will discuss it with my Doctor the next time I see him. I bought some snorkeling equipment for my trip to the Virgin Islands and will just snorkel then. I am going for a week to Cancun next summer and I have a week at my timeshare near Daytona next spring/summer and would like to take a course before or during one of those trips.

 

I considered a resort course but I need to get a doctor's ok if for no other reason than there have been people in my family who have died of a heart attack. I guess it wouldn't matter that they were 78 when it happened though. :rolleyes:

 

I also take a couple medications that are advised not to drive, etc when taking them until you know how you will react, but I have never had a problem. My lungs and heart are in good shape so I think my doctor would welcome my getting the exercise.

[Gaston]

My wife was certified years ago before we were married when she graduated from college. But it wasn't until my son was certified at his college two years ago that I really decided to take the plunge myself. I'm was certified this past summer in my hometown and will now dive in Belize and Cozumel after diving 8 times on Maui, Hawaii recently. I have over a dozen dives under my "weight belt" and hopefully many more to come. However, my real reason for this post is to say that I am 54 but in good health I must admit. So, I agree with the other poster that age might not be a negative factor with SCUBA. By the way, I did the Discover Scuba thing on Cozumel two years ago which was instrumental in my son wanting his certification in college. We did a RCCL Discover Scuba Excursion and loved every minute of it. Now, even my 15 year old son is PADI Certified. As a result, we have 4 PADI Certified Divers at home so we never need to find a dive buddy. Seriously, I would highly recommend Discover Scuba before going through the entire PADI Certifiaction process. Discover Scube allows you to try the sport and determine if being deep underwater is your thing. Good luck either way.

[MB_Diver]

Hi Folks,

 

I'm in my 40's and a DiveMaster (and soon to be SCUBA Instructor).

 

I strongly advise getting your training at home (check the yellow pages under Diving).

 

I feel there just isn't sufficent time on a cruise to teach you to be a good and safe diver.

[divadiverfl]

Hi Folks,

 

I'm in my 40's and a DiveMaster (and soon to be SCUBA Instructor).

 

I strongly advise getting your training at home (check the yellow pages under Diving).

 

I feel there just isn't sufficent time on a cruise to teach you to be a good and safe diver.

 

Ditto on everything. You are more mature the older you get!!!:D :D

[sportsterjohn]

I wouldn't worry too much about the medical thing. I am diabetic and have no problems getting my doc to give me a letter every year saying that I am ok to dive.

[KaC-Cruiser]

to me, it seems like just about everyone could be disqualified from diving if you are over 40. Is the best bet just to talk to your doctor and bring along a "permission slip" if you ever want to go underwater?

 

I would like to get certified, always have from watching "Flipper" and "Sea Hunt" on television as a kid. I could also use the low impact exercise that Scuba/Snorkeling can give me.

 

Any advise or suggestions?

Go for it!! I got certified at 45, and 3 years later I have 154 dives ....best thing my husband ever talked me into!!!;) Only wish we had done it years earlier!!

[vicocala]

I am going to be doing a lot of snorkeling on this trip. Locally we don't have PADI we have SSI. Any opinions on how SSI training is vs. PADI?

 

Thanks for everyones input!

[bruce-r]

SSI is as good or bad as PADI. The instructor is more important than what agency is the certification agency.

[vicocala]

Thanks for the prompt reply Bruce! :)

[NM_Eman]

Just to reinforce previous posts. Just get your doc's sign-off before you try to do anything. I'm 53, a PADI instructor and was in my 40's before I became an instructor. PADI and the certifying agencies are just doing risk management. The waiver shifts the risk from PADI and the instructor to you and your doc. Age alone is absolutely no reason no to learn to dive.

 

Get your certification at home, you really don't want to do the classroom and pool work on vacation. When my wife and I taught in Belize we'd get people at the resort that wanted to do the whole thing. We could usually get a motivated individual or couple through pool, classroom and 4 open water dives in 4 days. Its possible in three but It's long (more than 8 hour) days and you have to have open water available, something you will not have on a cruise. If you really want to do a whole cirtification in the tropics you'd be better on at a land based resort.

 

Finally, if you go to the scuba boards you'll see endless debate about which agency is the best. It really boils down to the instructor.