So who's an "older" dude? Someone in his 40's? I'm in my 60's, and still clamming every chance I get. Been doin' it for almost 60 years. The problem I have with shovels now is getting down on my knees (painful to me) and getting back up again.

One obvious advantage to shovels is the much better ability to tamp the sand with the end of the handle. I still use my tube to pound on the sand, but it doesn't work as well as a shovel.

One of my biggest problems now is pacing myself. It seems the older I get the more I like just being on the beach hunting the clams. Too often I get done too quickly and then wonder why the heck I dug so fast.

A few times I've been able to "borrow" a child from a group that obviously is "under gunned" (now that's an appropriate expression), and has too few tools for their group. It's really fun to show a novice how to dig, and what to look for.