10 year olds and diving

[Gen San Chris]

I am an Instructor and have 3 kids, the oldest was certified at 10 years old and my other 2, both bubblemakers are nearly ready for training!
Someone said that the agencies were lowering their standards but I do not agree with that as they are just lowering the age for certifications with junior diver restrictions!
When I teach Junior divers I do not allow parents to join as the kids will be worried about them being there!
With carefull teaching, I do not see any problems at all with 10 year olds training and being certified!

 

[center10]

As an SSI certified DiveCon, I have had the opportunity to assist with certification classes and the "Scuba Ranger," program. I also have a 10 y.o. daughter who was certified on her 10th birthday. She recently made her first boat dives (backroll from a six-pack) and had the time of her life. Was she ready to dive at 10? Definitely.....and here's why:
1. She had been snorkling from age 5.
2. Completed PADI's Seal Team at age 8.
3. Completed SSI's Scuba Ranger program at age 9.
4. She loves to dive .... after two years in the pool, we knew it wasn't a passing interest.
5. She respects the rules for responsible diving (we're working on other areas).
6. Iam a certified Dive Control Specialist....if you are going to dive with your child .... I would strongly recommend you become a certified DM or DiveCon. As was stated in the forum before, you are essentially diving solo as no 10 y.o. can be expected to function as a true "buddy," in an emergency situation.

"There is just too much we don't know about how high partial pressures of nitrogen affects bone growth. Additionally, children at that age are not mature enough, IMO, to handle the possible problems of diving." While I respect this opinion, you should also note that it is for this very reason that the 40' limit is imposed .... and must be respected. As for mature enough, that's determined by the individual's emotional maturity not age. Many adults do not posess the maturity to dive.

Start with either the SEAL Team or Scuba Rangers and see how it goes. You'll learn the answers to your questions as they progress through the program. BTW......my 7 y.o. had been on SASSY since age 5.

 

[badour]

My son received his PADI SEAL certification at age 8 and absolutely loves diving with me. I have looked all over the internet and through his SEAL material, and have not found anything that says he is confined to pool diving. I even called the president of our quarry association and he said as long as he has a certification then he can dive in the quarry. I limit him to 12 feet of water until he turns 10 and gets his junior cert.

 

[knotical]

My son received his PADI SEAL certification at age 8 and absolutely loves diving with me. I have looked all over the internet and through his SEAL material, and have not found anything that says he is confined to pool diving. I even called the president of our quarry association and he said as long as he has a certification then he can dive in the quarry. I limit him to 12 feet of water until he turns 10 and gets his junior cert.

What your son has is not a certification.

I don’t have copies of the material provided to students and parents, so I can’t speak to that but:
from the PADI Instructor guide:
“Location - Swimming pool only”

Additionally:
“Finishing AquaMissions 1-5 is equivalent to completing the skills in Confined Water Dive One from the Open Water Diver Course”

And from the Seal Team Assumption of Risk and Liability Release Agreement signed by the parent or guardian:
"We understand the PADI Seal Team program is a series of AquaMissions which will be conducted in a swimming pool or confined water dive site."

If some one is treating this as a certification, they are doing a disservice. The Seal Team member has not done the academics, nor confined water dives two through five, nor the open water dives included in a normal Open Water certification course. That is far from being certified to dive in open water.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I took my 10 yr old for his first night dive this weekend. He was a little apprehensive about the dark, but we got in at dusk and he (and I) had a great time. I noticed that he was actually checking his air more frequently. He really liked the bioluminescence.. I explain it before the dive, but it was something that he just had to see.

This is the second son that I've taught to dive. My daughter of the same age has no interest in it and I am not pushing her at all. Personally I think 10 is too young for all but a relatively few kids.

 

[cgvmer]

My daughter(10yo) started her scuba camp today, only 3 other kids in the camp for a 5 full days (9:30-3:45) then ready for OW dives.

 

[bfw]

"There is just too much we don't know about how high partial pressures of nitrogen affects bone growth. Additionally, children at that age are not mature enough, IMO, to handle the possible problems of diving." While I respect this opinion, you should also note that it is for this very reason that the 40' limit is imposed .... and must be respected.

And just what SCIENTIFIC basis do you have for your belief that an arbitrary (and yes, it's arbitrary, because it's not ethical to do the expirements needed to determine a proper limit for children) depth limit will protect your kids? All the data that is available points to effects you may not see for years. What will you say to your kids if 10 years from now, something does surface? "but it made you so happy!!" Yeah, it's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.

The single most important thing any parent can do when their kid wants to do/have something, is exhibit the skepticism to contemplate the "why nots" of the matter. In all the testimony I've heard from thrilled parents of 10 year old divers, I've never heard from one who really wrestled with the decision, and that's the real problem.

 

[seibert.kyle]

I have been diving since i was 10. I would never go back. In my class, i was probably the best student(not to brag) because i took it so seriously. Most poeple believe diving is easy and dont care to listen. I have dove with my dad for 6 years now and would not trade those years in for the world

 

[MattC007]

PADI lowered it to 10 several years ago. Other agencies followed suit. NAUI recently lowered their standards to match the minimum age of 10. As far as I know, YMCA is the lone holdout (please tell me there are others with integrity on this issue) who has not lowered their minimum age to 10.

There is just too much we don't know about how high partial pressures of nitrogen affects bone growth. Additionally, children at that age are not mature enough, IMO, to handle the possible problems of diving. Why rush?

i'd just like to say that I started diving a month after I turned ten and I love it!!! I'm thirteen now and I have absolutely no ill affects from diving. not trying to detract from your opinion I'm just saying However, I do agree with you that some ten yr. olds may not be mature enough. Some kids I am sorry to be aquainted with would probbly attempt to stab any tiny little shark they see :11:

 

[MattC007]

I took my 10 yr old for his first night dive this weekend. He was a little apprehensive about the dark, but we got in at dusk and he (and I) had a great time. I noticed that he was actually checking his air more frequently. He really liked the bioluminescence.. I explain it before the dive, but it was something that he just had to see.

This is the second son that I've taught to dive. My daughter of the same age has no interest in it and I am not pushing her at all. Personally I think 10 is too young for all but a relatively few kids.

awesome, you guys are a scuba family now!