10 year olds and diving

[MauiScubaSteve]

I have certified a number of 10 & 11 y/o's, and for the most part they were easier to train and became better divers quicker. Even with regard to tables, only one had difficulty answering the test questions (lower % than adults). Entry requirements are naturally higher for 10-11; they are usually better swimmers / snorkelers, more athletic, more aware, sharper, stronger and better motivated (good students!). At age 15 we (parents and industry) will attempt nearly anybody.

Most of the parents of these young divers are not interested in diving as a DM, with most planning to dive with a guide until the kids are much older. I am lucky to be able to do easy Intro Dives with most of my prospective students, and usually a kid who is not ready will understand that after the initial ocean experience.

I also find that motivating kids is much easier. If you are my best student ever; we can go look for sharks at Turtle Town, we can get our teeth cleaned by a shrimp, we can go on a scooter dive. The older kids know that money will get them those dives even if they are not the best student ever.

The one thing I do stress to the kids and the parents is knowing the difference between the correct answer on the test and the correct procedure in real life. For a child, the first priority with any unresponsive diver is get adult help / get them out of the water! Checking for breathing is a waste of time if you can't do in water rescue breaths!

 

[Hank49]

I think it depends on the child and the circumstances. My son turned 10 while I was living on Boracay and working in a dive shop. He'd grown up on the beach and could snorkel at age 4.
I was teaching a student one day in about 20 feet of water...yes, kneeling in the sand...and just behind her, my son and his friend were taking turns jumping off the boat with the anchor and sinking like rocks to the bottom. They'd let go of the anchor, swim back up and do it again. (Amazing how they didn't have to equalize...kids). So between all that boat time and swimming, and hanging around a dive shop and learning to hook up regs etc, he learned to dive pretty easily. But he always wanted to go deeper, which is a battle we still wage today.
my daughter was 12 at the time and she learned too.

 

[Teamcasa]

I plan on taking my 10 yo nephew on a Discover Scuba dive this July in Kauai. He is a terrific swimmer and is really excited about diving. I told him to read up and study before we go and if he is really interested, he will do the book work.

 

[ClayJar]

We've had some young kids in a couple of the classes with which I've assisted. I don't know their ages, but they did not appear to be middle school, much less high school. In all cases, they were like fish in the water...

...but therein lies the problem.

They were *so* at home in the water that they tended to treat water like you'd treat a playground. They were (mostly figuratively) bouncing off the walls of the pool. It concerned me, as I couldn't be sure they wouldn't be racing all over a dive site and going from 30' to 60' to 40' to 70' and everything in between. Sawtooth profiles, rapid ascents, and so on are all things that I've learned to consider as very discouraged behaviors. I'm still not sure they were mentally developed enough to be able to appreciate the gravity of the situation.

Of course, I've seen much worse from teenagers (everything from failing miserably when they take the test to *constantly* wandering off toward the deep end of the pool when they were repeatedly told to stay on the surface -- that one got a stern talking to when I had a private moment). It's not that young kids are incapable of the skills (far from it), but rather that they may be incapable of understanding and respecting the potential dangers of scuba diving.

 

[Tom Smedley]

If your child is 8 years old he is ripe for one of the many kids programs offered by the agencies. The PADI Seal Program or the SSI Scuba Rangers is an outstanding opportunity for you to get him involved.

10 year olds are excellent little divers within their scope and they are full of exuberance. I have noted a distinct improvement in overall self-image of those kids who dive.

The only problems that I have encountered are those kids who are doing it just because a parent or other family member is pushing. My friend is a reading coach and we both agree that some of the test questions are written above their expected reading level and we have brought that to the attention of the SSI Director of Training.

Also - small children who are basically skinny have no natural insulation and get cold easily. We try to do small ratios with them and not make them sit for long periods doing or waiting on others to do skills. We require that 10 and 11 year olds complete Scuba Rangers before they can do the junior open water class and give them a discount on the class if they successfully complete the SR program.

Please give your child the opportunity by seeking out and encouraging him to do a Kids Program.

 

[wreckchick]

Kids are great in the water. I'm not a kid person generally speaking but I love to teach the youngest divers. They can be a little overly enthusiastic in the pool, but my experience is that they stick to me like glue in open water. I've done a few dives with a couple kids hanging on me taking the human-propelled scooter tour as opposed to losing me. Every fish is exciting, every rock is the coolest ever, each dive is the best one yet. You just can't beat them for the excitement factor.

That said, I counsel parents to make sure that SOMEONE in the group of three that will include a child is at least rescue certified, because no kid is a true buddy as has been stated. I've gone so far as to get promises from new diver families that they will hire a dedicated divemaster to dive with them until everyone is comfortable doing it on their own. Most parents that dive fully understand the gravity and are willing to take the short-comings of their kids into consideration when they plan dive trips.

On the flip side, I've also had to pull parents aside to talk to them about WHY their kids have 'ear problems' or a 'stuffy nose' on dive days and to relax about how hard they push them to dive. As divers we think it's a fantastic thing and that everybody, especially our families, should agree, but they don't always and kids are magnificent at manufacturing reasons they can't dive when the reality is they don't want to. It is important that parents are 'trained' to recognize a lack of interest so they back off and take a more casual approach to whether or not a kid dives on any given day.

With genuine interest and good water skills, I think kids do great and as long as the pros around them adhere to the guidelines that have been established for our juniorest of junior divers, have fun! It's a fantastic family activity.

Rachel

 

[BarryNL]

What views do other people have on the subject? Either instructors who have taught kids, or people with children who dive?

Tricky - I've seen some kids around that age who are naturals and some who really lose all interest the moment the skills get difficult. Certainly one of the biggest problems is teaching kids that age in a group - they lose attention easily and in a group you can't stop teaching the rest every 2 minutes to make sure the kid understands what's going on. As you mentioned, they also find the theory more difficult, although if they have a parent who understands it all and can work on it with them then that makes all the difference.

For the skills part, well, you know your own kid - how will he do in a class; is he good at concentrating and working on skills or not.

You might consider trying to get an instructor for a one-on-one class.

 

[cuddlefish]

I agree with Tom. Programs such as the PADI SEAL team are fantastic. Of course it takes a great instructor who knows how to work with children to pull off a great program. There are dive shops out there that do an outstanding job with their kids camps, SEAL programs, etc.

 

[Tom Winters]

I started when I was 9 and taught myself out of the NOAA manual. Too bad this 10 year-old had to lose a whole year of diving.

 

[muddiver]

Just a thought, but you could give him a supplied air snorkeling rig so he can practice and learn about SCUBA gear.

Supplied Air Snorkeling Debuts