PADI....

Diving Seniors Find The Fountain of Youth Underwater

We're all kids at heart. With the comfort of modern scuba equipment and convenient access to diving locations, there's no better way for today's senior citizens to indulge the kid inside than to scuba dive. It's the fountain of youth.

New experiences, travel opportunities, and relaxation make scuba an ideal recreation for active seniors to enjoy. Modern equipment, training options, and convenience offered by today's PADI Dive Instructors, Centers, and Resorts have opened scuba diving to virtually anyone with good health.

Choosing a scuba course that allows progression at a comfortable pace may allow senior divers to master necessary skills at a stress-free pace. PADI diving courses are performance-based, rather than time-based, and allow for flexible scheduling designed to meet the needs of the individual students.

There are also opportunities for seniors who have no wish to pursue scuba or just want to get a taste of what it's like. PADI Discover Snorkeling, Discover Scuba, and Discover Scuba Diving are PADI Experience Programs tailored to meet the need of these individuals. Another PADI Experience Program, Scuba Review, is an excellent way for certified senior divers to tune their skills before heading off to enjoy their retirement on dive vacations.

In addition to offering opportunities to meet new people and explore new places with old friends, scuba activities offer enjoyable opportunities for sharing good times with family members. Along with scuba diving, an island holiday vacation can offer shell collecting walks along the beach with the grandchildren, the chance for leisurely family conversation over cool beverages at sunset, or even a little old-fashioned romance under a tropical moon. Dive travel vacations also offer a chance to explore other cultures and customs, shop for art and artifacts, and sample exotic cuisines.

Photo and video opportunities abound both above land and underwater, providing an excellent medium to share the excitement of dive travel experiences with friends and family back home. Photographs, slide shows, and video presentations are also great for sharing with local dive clubs. These clubs may provide active senior divers with yet another source of activity and a place to meet new friends and dive buddies. PADI Dive Centers are an excellent source for finding out about local clubs and activities.

Along with all of the seniors becoming newly certified divers, lots of certified senior divers enjoy pursuing continued education. Specialty courses, such as PADI Underwater Photographer or Wreck Diver, may be appealing and can even provide opportunities for developing interests in new avocations that may be pursued during retirement.

In addition to recreational diving pursuits, second full- or part-time careers as dive professionals may appeal to some retirees. Attributes such as maturity, stability, financial independence, and available time may make an active retiree a likely PADI Instructor candidate. Clearly, scuba diving is an activity that can offer many rewards for the interested active senior. Involvement in scuba diving, snorkeling. and related activities is a wonderful way to indulge the kid inside and explore the underwater world.