Aging: Scuba Forever. Almost.

By ERIC NAGOURNEY, NY Times

  February 11, 2003

Older scuba divers who are wondering whether it is time to hang up their flippers can take heart: as long as they are in good general condition, a new study reports, there is no reason to give up the activity.

Researchers writing in The Journal of Applied Physiology had theorized that because people lost lung function as they aged, older divers might be prone to retaining too much carbon dioxide under the water. The condition can lead to disorientation and even unconsciousness.

After studying older and younger volunteers placed in a hyperbaric chamber, which simulated a depth of 60 feet, the researchers concluded that there was no reason for concern.

"Physiologically, there doesn't seem to be any reason why people can't keep on diving until they just get sick of it," said the lead author, Dr. Heather Jane Frederick of Duke University. (She wrote under the name H. J. Mummery.)
Excess carbon dioxide in the bloodstream is a safety issue for all divers, the researchers said, especially when they are physically exerting themselves.

But the study — which compared various physiological measurements from 10 divers ages 19 to 39 and 10 others ages 58 to 74 — found little difference between the two groups. This was true even when the volunteers were asked to exert themselves.