10 year olds and diving

[Teamcasa]

.. We parents have hard decisions to make all during our children's lives....
... and anyone who doesn't understand that a parent's decision is of primary importance is, in my opinion, immature, irresponsible, and shouldn't be allowed in a filled bathtub.

Agreed.

All too often people want someone else to make the decision for them. There are too many timorous parents that would much rather surrender their position to the (insert any authority figure) and let them tell thier child what they can or can not do. Then promptly hire a lawyer if that decision proved wrong.

 

[Sinbad the Diver]

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

What a great idea. My son will love that in a couple years.

My take on the initial question:

1. The fact that you are asking whether or not you are pushing your kid into something because you love it is a good sign that you are not. My experience is those that do that, would never think that they did.

2. With the right instructor I would think that the certification process would be fine for the right kid. As a parent I would want to observe the cert class so that I would know how well my kid did and what areas he was weak or strong in.

3. Post certification, I would not count on a 10-16 year old as a buddy and while I would have no issue diving with them I would always want at least 2 adults in the buddy team. I was one of the most mature and adult 15 year olds ever made (thank god I grew out of that ) but I can't imagine being in a position to be responsible for another's life in an emergency.

 

[H2odiving]

I have just been certified with my 15 year old son. Although he did a much better job than me, I can't imagine at this point relying on him to save me in an emergency. For that matter I don't think even if you are an adult that you learn enough in the OW certification to save anybody. So, I plan to dive very conservatively and only with a private dive master in attendance. I will teach my son if there is an emergency to stay close to the dive master without getting in the way. My son plans to eventually to become a rescue diver and perhaps then I would consider just diving with him as my buddy but I still would only do that in a group situation. It just isn't fair to a child to be responsible for a parent's life. Although, I am getting ready to teach him to drive and in my experience with my older child that can be scarier than any diving situation that I have been in so far. :dropmouth

 

[cgvmer]

My daughter and I did a snuba trip while on a cruise last year, she absolutely loved it. She has been bugging me to get certified since.

As for not diving with an under 16yo buddy. My 15yo is a certified and working lifeguard, my 19yo was put in the position to rescue a swimmer when he was 16(while working as a lifeguard). So yes I dive with a 15yo buddy, he is RedCross Lifesaving certified, PADI Rescue certified, and has the physical/psychological capacity to handle the dives we currently do.

On the other hand, I have dove with an older buddy, that I will never dive with again, that could not handle the simplest of tasks (a full mask flood at depth) without some serious panic.


BTW: I am , PADI Rescue, BSA lifeguard certified, have been assisting the training of Scouts for almost a decade in this training along with other water safety classes.

 

[DeputyDan]

I believe it is more the parental maturity than the child maturity at the core here. We parents have hard decisions to make all during our children's lives. For example, most (I hope all) of us do not let our children learn that fire is hot by letting them stick a limb into a fire.

As far as the decision to let my children dive, they must be 12 and show an appropriate amount of maturity. This is my decision, and my wife, who is neither a diver nor a swimmer, supports it. I have had P**I instructors tell me that since the minimum age established by the agency is 10, then that is all I need to know.

This is B*** S*** and anyone who doesn't understand that a parent's decision is of primary importance is, in my opinion, immature, irresponsible, and shouldn't be allowed in a filled bathtub.

My kids dive and I totally agree with 12 years old (minimum) and 40 feet the first couple of years.

 

[MeiLing]

I totally agree with you MeiLing. I have met adults that were more immature than a lot of kids. I grew up really fast and was responsible at an early age as my Son is as well. But you have to admit that as a whole, there is a difference in a 10 year old's thought process compared to, say 14 or 15 year old.

My main point being, most adults don't know how they will react in a crisis situation until they are in one much less a 10 year old. Someone may respond differently at different times to that same situation. Especially when it's their Mother or Father. It just seems, in general, to be quite a young age to me. That's all. I know my scenario is 1 in a 1,000,000, but it's plausible. I have no doubts about a kid's ability to absorb the skills and material of an OW cert. They're little sponges and are probably much easier to teach than most adults. I just have concerns regarding worse case scenarios and how responsible(me as a parent) it is to take that type of risk with them at that age. That's all.

EDIT: I've been thinking about this more and realize my thoughts were a little far out there. I was looking at it under the context of something happening to the adult that they are powerless over, like having a seizure, losing consciousness or having a heart attack. Something that the adult or skilled diver does not have control over. Looking closer at it this way, though possible, the odds are probably pretty staggering that something like this would happen.

To that end, I think that a lot of what you are exposed to as a child rubs off and sticks pretty well. I had a stepmother when I was young who was a volunteer paramedic. I used to read all of her manuals. I still remember a lot of what I learned from them on my own.

In addition, I was taught to be responsible and handle myself.

I think a lot of the things that could happen are things we can't predict are things that we don't think twice about the fact that they are just as likely to happen on the surface. While the possibilities of some of those things are horrific, you might be surprised at how well kids handle them at times. Perhaps put them through a rescue diver course. They may not be able to get the cert, but what is more important? The cert or the skills?

Then be conservative in your diving. Dive in a group of no less than four and practice skills repetively.

Not something I would consider for every kid, but if I felt my kid had the maturity, I'd go ahead if I had an instructor I trusted to train them.

For the record, I don't have kids, but I don't think that makes a difference. I have kids around me that I care very deeply for and would be devastated if anything happened to them. I am very conscious when kids are around me of the pitfalls of the environment and will frequently step in to prevent accidents. I figure that if we're all together, it is going to suck for everyone if one of the little ones gets hurt.

 

[Jim Ernst]

To that end, I think that a lot of what you are exposed to as a child rubs off and sticks pretty well. I had a stepmother when I was young who was a volunteer paramedic. I used to read all of her manuals. I still remember a lot of what I learned from them on my own.

In addition, I was taught to be responsible and handle myself.

I think a lot of the things that could happen are things we can't predict are things that we don't think twice about the fact that they are just as likely to happen on the surface. While the possibilities of some of those things are horrific, you might be surprised at how well kids handle them at times. Perhaps put them through a rescue diver course. They may not be able to get the cert, but what is more important? The cert or the skills?

Then be conservative in your diving. Dive in a group of no less than four and practice skills repetively.

Not something I would consider for every kid, but if I felt my kid had the maturity, I'd go ahead if I had an instructor I trusted to train them.

For the record, I don't have kids, but I don't think that makes a difference. I have kids around me that I care very deeply for and would be devastated if anything happened to them. I am very conscious when kids are around me of the pitfalls of the environment and will frequently step in to prevent accidents. I figure that if we're all together, it is going to suck for everyone if one of the little ones gets hurt.

I just want to tell you that I agree with you...and your ideas, Great post's

I am in the process of certing my 11 yro son ,Who is driving me nuts to please hurry up and make more time for him to finish and go diving with him.


I do have concerns........what if what if...I also sometimes wonder if his Dad should be his instructor but I know him better then anyone else... So we move on.

Zen_man And I are very good friends and have had many conversations about all of this, We agree on some and we think different on other's.

This thread has had a great deal of great info.

I will continue to finish my son's Open Water cert!

 

[MeiLing]

Thanks, Jim! If you ever plan to come to Oahu, let me know. I dive with a great group of folks who really look out for each other. There are kids in our group, but none are certified yet. The oldest is 12, but he won't quit growing long enough to buy him gear. Size 12 feet already. At this point, he's lucky if he can borrow booties & fins to snorkel with! The others are little ( 9 and 6) and play with the Bubblemaker rig in the tidepools. We have a 2 yr old two whose next in line for the bubblemaker. Likes to look at the fish from outside the tidepool but won't get in. But wants to follow his Daddy so bad to see Nemo!

We go out nearly every weekend, primarily shorediving.

 

[Jim Ernst]

Thanks, Jim! If you ever plan to come to Oahu, let me know. I dive with a great group of folks who really look out for each other. There are kids in our group, but none are certified yet. The oldest is 12, but he won't quit growing long enough to buy him gear. Size 12 feet already. At this point, he's lucky if he can borrow booties & fins to snorkel with! The others are little ( 9 and 6) and play with the Bubblemaker rig in the tidepools. We have a 2 yr old two whose next in line for the bubblemaker. Likes to look at the fish from outside the tidepool but won't get in. But wants to follow his Daddy so bad to see Nemo!

We go out nearly every weekend, primarily shorediving.

Thanks very much.

You may hear from me soon as my cousin lives in Kawi (Forgive my spelling as I don't know how to spell the Island) She wants me to come there and stay with her and her husband and go diving...

Oh... I would love to come there with my son and camera.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

I know this is a week old, but I was just reading it....

I am an instructor, so is my hubby. We did not and will not teach our own children any course.
My son certified at 12. My daughter certified last year at 10. They had both been scuba rangers and future buddies.

Both are waterbabies. They could swim before they could walk well, and have never changed. I also made them practice safety rules and rescue techniques as swimmers in the pool(even though they were NEVER left unnattended). I believe that you must know how to self-rescue in many situations...

Haley has her advanced now. She is one of the most self-sufficient divers I have ever see. As a parent, I insisted that she be capable and good at All aspects of the dive. You better not try to carry her gear or tanks even. She won't let you and does it all herself. She usually has an audience of other divers on the boat. She had to take the class with adults. I made her. Because if she can't do it, she doesn't belong under the water. She answered most all questions in class before any adult. She can teach you how work the tables, and she can calculate all needed work for her repetitive dives. Even better, she understands. I have run her through scenarios to check her resonse in emergency situations. Calmer than most adults and she can handle and adult with no problem. This was my minimum requirement for her to dive with me in the sea. Last week, we had to cancel the boat to all inexperienced divers wue to wind and weather. Haley's name was left on teh list.

She makes negatively bouyant entries for drift dives like a pro and has, in fact, had to use her skills. She was ripped off a wreck when the current turned (unpredictable and fierce. We brief all divers on this dive about this current at the stern). I was right there with her and watched her get pulled away, like many divers on this site. She signalled OK and was gone.... I let myself get pulled right after her, and watched her calmly ascend, stop at her safety stop, deploy her sausage on her reel and send it up.... She then timed out and surfaced. She didn't notice me in the distance, because she knew her procedure and was doing it. I came up about 10 meters away. She said,"Mom! I thought you were smarter than this. Did YOU get pulled off too?"

My son, does not dive as much because he is in an honors academy and not with us during a lot of the school year. He is just as naturel and calm.

I think this decision depends on the individual kid, the parents, and the instruction. Parents know their kids. Many are better divers than adults, and I would rather dive with them any day. Others, I would not trust to go to the bathroom alone for fear they would drown. Just like us adults. Watch their limits, stay within them, and model good diving. They will learn what ever we teach them, good or bad. And the benefits are unbelievable.
DAN and other research has not shown or found any threat to younger divers who stay within safe limits set and dive safely. That is why they are not supposed to dive without a parent or guardian. I wouldn't let my kid dive without me anyway... At the end of the day, make the decision that is right for you and your child. YOUR choice and belief here is the only one that counts.