Age 10 Seems Too Young for Certification
- Thread starter Bogie
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Here is my son finishing up his OWD course (aged 10). He had a blast (saw a 5' blacktip shark on his first OW training dive), and he is really enthused about the sport. Everything was done in benign conditions and shallow depths, well within his nascent skill levels. It helped that he had 1-on-1 instruction for most of his course.
Diving is clearly not for all 10 year olds, but I don't have any regrets about supporting and encouraging my son to do it. He had been champing at the bit to do it since he did his PADI Seal Team course in a pool, aged 8.
My daughter when she was 10, in the Red Sea. Her buddy, her father is on the other side of her. All you can see of him is his leg. Haley was a terrific diver, right off the bat.
ding dang
Contributor
then don't have your children certified at 10, simple as that.
i think i might be the only member on this board who was actually certified at 10. any my c-card picture was quite hilarious. totally worth it.
i think i might be the only member on this board who was actually certified at 10. any my c-card picture was quite hilarious. totally worth it.
It's the "lowest common denominator" approach. Many folks feel that since every 10 year old isn't mature enough to dive safely then no 10 year old should be allowed to dive. It's "flat earth" thinking but it's today's paradigm.
One of my favorite quotes from my youth was my Grandfather telling my Grandmother "Agnes, how're these boys ever gonna learn anything if you don't let 'em do anything?"
I reckon we had the best of times - my situation wasn't that unusual -
Hunting at six (with direct supervision)
Going fishing with my buds at 7 in "my" 3 horse skiff without direct supervision. (at 7 I knew how to change a shear pin)
Hunting on my own by 10.
Off-road driving at 12.
Private Pilot at 18.
Commercial ASMEL & Flight instructor at 19 (well, that one's a little unusual)
Rick
adurso
Contributor
Between the ages of five and ten my children had fired, on a regular basis, everything from a .22 up to various subguns. Due to the nature of my employment, as well as my wife's, we had many weapons at home. Having young children the safest approach was to familiarize them with the weapons.
I built a range behind the house and the kids practiced with us on a regular basis. With the heavier calibers and longarms I would stand behind them and help.
Rick Murchison:
Then some of us feel there are too many unknowns about how diving migh affect physical development.
While they may be rare, I'm sure there are 10 year olds who are mentally and emotionally mature enough to dive safely. I don't believe there are any 10 year ols who are physically mature enough to dive safely. For that reason, I will not teach them. On the other hand, there are other agencies and instructors who will. I do not think they should be prevented from the practice.
That's why there is a 15 FSW limit on 8 & 9 year olds and a 40' limit on 10 & 11 year olds, and tight control protocols. Combined with proper training and supervision I believe those are prudent and reasonable limits. To my knowledge there have been precisely ZERO cases of DCS or other pressure related ailments (earaches excepted) in the 8 - 11 year old diver community. I haven't noticed any higher incidence of diving related ear problems in the youngsters than in the general diving population.
Rick
Rick Murchison:
I wasn't aware anyone was certifying 8 & 9 year olds.
The 40 ft limit is an excellent idea, in my opinion. It does greatly reduce the chances of DCS and does address, but not adequately in my opinion, the possibility of problems in bone development.
Let's keep in mind that all depth limits, even for children, set in place by any agency is a limit only as long as the class is in session. After certification, depth limits become recommendations.
Don't tell me that earth isn't flat? Is it?? No way.
Paladin
Contributor
It's the "lowest common denominator" approach. Many folks feel that since every 10 year old isn't mature enough to dive safely then no 10 year old should be allowed to dive. It's "flat earth" thinking but it's today's paradigm.
One of my favorite quotes from my youth was my Grandfather telling my Grandmother "Agnes, how're these boys ever gonna learn anything if you don't let 'em do anything?"
I reckon we had the best of times - my situation wasn't that unusual -
Hunting at six (with direct supervision)
Going fishing with my buds at 7 in "my" 3 horse skiff without direct supervision. (at 7 I knew how to change a shear pin)
Hunting on my own by 10.
Off-road driving at 12.
Private Pilot at 18.
Commercial ASMEL & Flight instructor at 19 (well, that one's a little unusual)
Rick
Rick,
You are right, of course.
By the time my oldest was 4 years old, he was reading whatever he wanted. A year later, we enrolled him in the local school's state mandated kindergarten program. The first day, his teacher sent home a note asking for a parent-teacher meeting. At the meeting, I was given a dressing down for having taught my son how to read (and do basic arithmetic). Her stated reason was that, because my son could read and was reading aloud in front of the other children, it was making the other kids feel bad about themselves. She then told me to hold my son back and let the other kids catch up so he would "fit in" and conform to the standards set for kids his age.
I told her I was not about to hold my son back and I took him out of public school. I taught him at home until high school, then enrolled him in a private school. He is now doing well in his third year of college.
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