Old people shouldn't dive... Really?

Thought it was about time I got in on this blogging lark – can't have that young whippersnapper Bruce having all the fun, now can we?

And for my first blog, I had to have a laugh (and a cringe) at a recent story in the Mail on Sunday, in which veteran actor Donald Sutherland talked about being taken seriously ill and found to have suffered an air embolism following a diving accident on the set of his current film, Fool's Gold, in Australia. He only learnt to dive for the role, so was a newby, but the bit that make me chuckle was the response of the specialist and the divemaster on set. They both said you shouldn't be diving if you are 50 years of age or over! Sutherland is 72, and is quoted as saying 'I wasn't happy' when told this bit of news.

Well, I can imagine hordes of 50-something divers who aren't very happy hearing that they aren't supposed to be diving! What a load of media hogwash! There is nothing in any training literature that says over-50s can't dive, and it is all down to personal fitness and health. I know several people still diving who are in their 70s and 80s, and even one in their 90s, so I think there is still plenty of scope for our 50-somethings!