Diving into Celebration: A Scuba Woman’s Birthday Wreck

As a recently certified Scuba Woman, my weekend has been planned around my 55th birthday. Proving there is no age limit for scuba diving, I am in my fifties, my son in his twenties, and my sister in her forties. To celebrate my approaching 55th birthday, I have bought my own scuba gear, and I will be diving my first wreck with my son and sister. We have come together to share our love of all things scuba. Still very much a novice diver, I am both excited and apprehensive to be diving my first wreck. The dive gear shopping didn’t go as planned; the weather is looking ominous, and as a newly certified Senior Scuba Diver, I hope to match the skill and energy of my more experienced, younger dive companions, reaffirming that scuba diving knows no age bounds.

It’s Never Too Late to Become a Confident Scuba Woman – Take the Dive with Me, Tanya.

Senior Scuba Diver Marks Birthday with Deep Sea Celebration

Anticipating my birthday with enthusiasm, I envisioned leaping out of bed to savor a delicious breakfast before embarking on my inaugural wreck dive. However, reality hit hard as I struggled with stiff muscles, aching back, and even sore cuticles.

I haven’t embarked on a marathon or even a gym session. I spent yesterday wrestling my body into wetsuits as I bought myself all new dive gear for my birthday. The exhaustion that follows is depressing, but I refuse to give in.

I am reclaiming my youth. I am proving there is no age limit for scuba diving. I have decided I am in the body of a 35-year-old, and I am proving it on my birthday dive weekend. 55 is the new 35 when you dive!

A small concession – I enlist the help of my sister Natalie to tug on my wetsuit before heading to the dive center. Josh my son, having seen way too much the day before, quickly disappears. He is more than likely shaking in a corner somewhere – traumatized by images of his half-naked mother being pulled out of a wetsuit in the center of a busy dive shop.

Female Scuba Diver Gears up for a Thrilling Wreck Dive.

At the dive center, nervous excitement fills my body as I look around at the Scuba Women next to me, competently setting up their gear.  Out of breath and a little overheated from putting my wetsuit on so early, I try to look confident as I put my BCD on my tank. I put it on backward – not once but twice. Flustered, I make a guess at how much weight I’ll need and slip the integrated weight pockets into my new BCD.  “At least I won’t have to wear a weight belt,” I console myself.

The weather is looking stormy as we head out to sea. My nerves have morphed into raw fear as we head out into the unknown.

Woman Scuba Diving – Dive Anxiety – the Nerves are Winning

At the dive site, the boat lurches in the swell; bending over to rinse my mask, I watch in dismay as my snorkel is ripped off and disappears under the boat. Disconcerted, I am determined to be exhilarated, not nervous.  My Buddy Check is slowly completed as I painstakingly go through BWRAF. I tell myself I am ready to dive.

The strenuous surface swim through the rolling waves to the mooring line is exhausting. I am reconsidering the wisdom of this dive, but I am in the water, and putting my doubts aside, I begin to follow the line down. As I start descending along the line, poor visibility and a strong sideways current add to the challenge. Overwhelmed by the conditions, I continue my descent, determined to complete this dive.

Eerily through the gloom, the wreck looms into view, its hulking silhouette cloaked in the blue darkness. As I let go of the line, my heart pounds with a mixture of excitement and unease. The silence of the deep weighs heavy on my ears, broken only by the sound of my own breathing echoing through my regulator. The sheer size and imposing presence of the sunken vessel dwarfs me, making it feel ominous in the water. I drop to 23 meters and hug the hull. I notice an increase in my air consumption.

Each passing moment feels like a test of my capabilities. Huge schools of baitfish dance in front of me, quietening my mental chatter and entrancing me with their sheer numbers.  Two enormous eagle rays cast a shadow as they glided above us. Natalie looks at me, clapping her hands. I try and relax into the dive, though mentally, I am continually running a checklist through my head; doubts gnaw at my confidence as I try to appreciate the enormity of what I am seeing.

New Scuba Diving Gear Put to the Test by Fearless Senior Diver

My new dive gear is feeling very foreign, not what I have been using to diving in; my BCD is comfortable and seems to fit, but I am unsure where everything is. My fins are a lot larger than what I am used to, but I appreciate their power to help me cut through the current. My legs, though, are feeling the weight of them.  My anxiety and the added depth of the dive means my tank is low on gas. Natalie and Josh, both with plenty of air, penetrated the wreck and continued the dive.

Our guide takes me back up the line for me to complete my safety stop. The current roars around me as I cling desperately to the rope, counting down the agonizing minutes of my safety stop. The pain of my left calf cramping is excruciating as I continue to fight the current and stay in position. After what seems an eternity, the safety stop is complete. I haven’t been able to stretch out the cramp, and swimming to the boat is debilitating.  Twisting to pull off my fins at the bobbing ladder causes my other calf to cramp. I am in agony. Wryly, I think, “There is an age limit for scuba diving, and I am past it.” Relief rushes through my body as I finally make it up the ladder and onto the boat.

Senior Scuba Diver’s Safety Tip: Dive Within Your Limits

I wait for Natalie & Josh to surface. Both come up looking worse for wear. Natalie, who suffers seasickness even in calm water, is very green around the gills, and it isn’t long before Joshua is hurling off the back of the boat. I wasn’t the only one to struggle with the taxing safety stop.

Natalie is keen to get back in the water just to get off the rocking boat. Wanting an easier descent, I add extra weights to my integrated pockets. Josh is hiccupping loudly and nauseous and sensibly decides to sit the next dive out. I secretly envy him, but I am determined to put on a brave face and be a confident Scuba Woman. Conditions have worsened during our surface break, and my anxiety levels are high. The ocean is looking formidable as we roll back into the water.

” Swim, swim, swim,” the guide yells to me as I desperately try to pull myself to the mooring line. As we begin our descent, my body becomes lopsided, and I start to spin around the line. “Did you see that?”I hear Natalie call. I have lost my integrated weight pocket. The guide has a spare weight and slips it into my wetsuit pocket. All the weight is on the right side of my body. I am lighter than the first dive and have to fight to descend. My breathing is labored as I try to get straight and descend.

My lungs are screaming for air, and my calves are cramped viciously. I can feel waves of panic engulf me as I think I am going to drown. I can’t manage it; exhaustion is flooding my body, and I am in a world of pain. I have no choice but to return to the boat, unsure if I can even swim back. With help, I get back on board. They offer to weight me correctly and get me back into the water, but I am done.  Every inch of my body is shattered.  Mentally and physically, I am exhausted. Both miserable, Josh and I watch as Natalie surfaces from the second dive. She spends the return trip at the back of the boat, throwing up.

Back from the dive, I hobble around like an old lady. It feels as if my calves have been attacked by a nail gun. My lungs are sore, and every cell of my body is in pain. I will certainly remember my 55th birthday, but not for the reasons I imagined.

Empowering Women Scuba Divers: Dive Safely and Confidently

Venturing into unfamiliar waters with new gear, this dive marked a departure from my usual dive spots in the Keppels. Out in the vast expanse of the open ocean, I encountered strong currents and depths that tested my limits. It’s an experience I won’t soon forget, one that taught me valuable lessons about both diving and myself.

My first wreck dive underscores the importance of diving within your limits. Despite the support of a reliable company and instructor, I found myself grappling with anxiety and feeling out of my depth for much of the dive. In hindsight, I recognize that I should have taken the time to familiarize myself with my new gear in a more controlled environment and waited for more favorable conditions before venturing into unfamiliar waters. I put myself at risk and those that I was diving with at risk. I have since done the dive again without any issues at all. I was more experienced, knew my gear, and was more familiar with diving at depth.

Is There an Age Limit for Scuba Diving?

I am back to believing there is no age limit for scuba diving, and I am sticking to my mindset – 55 is the new 35 when you dive.

With each dive, I learn and grow as a Senior Scuba Diver. I almost always suffer nerves on a new dive site, but I now have confidence in knowing my limits. I am comfortable missing a dive if I am mentally or physically compromised. I will practice, learning from every dive until I am a confident, relaxed, competent Scuba Woman. I love diving and owe it to myself and the sport.

It’s Never Too Late to Become a Confident Scuba Woman – Take the Dive with Me, Tanya.

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