Age 10 Seems Too Young for Certification

[Walter]

It should be noted that NAUI still has the minimum age for training children at 12 years old.

I believe they also lowered their minimum age to 10 a couple of years ago.

 

[oldnotdead]

My Daughter was certified in Hawaii this summer at 12. She was ready, in my opinion, her opinion, and her instructors opinion. We dive together, as we will until she is much older. Her younger brother, turning 10 this year, may not be as ready at 12 as his sister. He does not have the composure or calmness in the water as his sister does. When he is ready, the opportunity will be there.OND

 

[Rhone Man]

I can argue either side of the age minimum coin. Some food for thought:

• Why the rush to train and certify?

• Many dive operators will not allow divers under a certain age to dive. (If you plan to dive with a child under the age of 15, call ahead to the dive operator.)

• What opportunities will the child have to keep current and learn new skills?

• Will the child have opportunities to relate diving to their academic studies? Find a school assignment, project or presentation where the child can use what they learned.

• Ask the child why they want to learn to dive. Have them put it in writing.

I plan to take my son out with me when I go diving on weekends once he is certified. But I preferred that he learned from a professional dive instructor rather than just being taught by me.

I don't think the academic side is a problem. Kids are like sponges. It took my son about 3 minutes to master his tables. It is the physical side I worry about. Some kids are just not strong enough to handle the gear, particularly if conditions become adverse. But I think that is more about being careful where and when you take the kids diving, rather than giving them the opportunity to learn.

My son's school does scuba diving as an after school activity and it is crammed full of 10 and 11 year olds. God help the DMs.

 

[flots am]

I guess PADI approves this but I would not let a 10-year-old dive in the cold Monterey waters. I just find it hard to believe that a 10 year old has the mental and emotional maturity to handle the intensity of scuba diving and dire results of panic or foolhardy behavior of a pre-teen.

I wouldn't trust a 10-year-old with a pointy stick and can't imagine even considering training one.

flots.

 

[ringmod65]

I can argue either side of the age minimum coin. Some food for thought:

• Why the rush to train and certify?

• Many dive operators will not allow divers under a certain age to dive. (If you plan to dive with a child under the age of 15, call ahead to the dive operator.)

• What opportunities will the child have to keep current and learn new skills?

• Will the child have opportunities to relate diving to their academic studies? Find a school assignment, project or presentation where the child can use what they learned.

• Ask the child [-]why[/-] IF they want to learn to dive. Have them put it in writing.

FTFY.

It's been my experience in several instances that children are certified at a young age because a parent - and NOT the child - wants them to dive. The child simply wants to please the parent.

Best.

 

[ReeferBen]

My son was certified last spring, he was 10. The instructor made it clear it was a day by day thing and if he could do it great if not we would try again the following year. He did very well and we dove all summer in the quarry. We are leaving in a few weeks for the BVI to do a bunch of diving. I have dove there a lot and have been reviewing my log book to pick appropriate sites both in currents and depth.

Over the summer we did lot of OOA drills, buddy breathing drills, etc... I know his skills are above that of many new divers and adults that don't dive much already. My only concern is picking appropriate sites he can handle. Of course in a rescue situation were he had to pull my 220lbs butt in the boat I would be screwed but in other areas I am confident he will be a perfect buddy.

 

[ReeferBen]

BTW when he is asked what his least favorite thing about SCUBA is he replies "carrying all the weight." He uses a al80 and I use a lp 95, he could go forever he uses so little air. He is going to love just rolling off the boat and not needing to schlep all the weight to the lake lol.

 

[The Kraken]

"Age 10 Seems Too Young for Certification"

I agree.

the K

 

[knowone]

The looking in the mirror approach could be used by some
and should be avoided by others.

Like the really young person sitting at the dinner table in the high chair minding Its own business trying to get what's going on and getting pretty good at just about to get it.

And then all the big people turn towards the young person and start speaking a different language.

 

[Guba]

Over the summer we did lot of OOA drills, buddy breathing drills, etc... I know his skills are above that of many new divers and adults that don't dive much already. My only concern is picking appropriate sites he can handle. Of course in a rescue situation were he had to pull my 220lbs butt in the boat I would be screwed but in other areas I am confident he will be a perfect buddy.

Hence the trepidation I expressed in my earlier post. The real truth, however, is that it is not just the adult that would be "screwed" in the event of the adult being stricken by a debilitating injury. The child would likely, of course, attempt to stay with the adult and attempt a rescue, whether that was physically possible or not. That would very likely put the child at as much a risk as the adult. Even if the rescue were completed, yet the adult didn't survive, the child is then internally "screwed", believing that he was somehow inadequate for the task of saving a loved one. It's a tough call, so that is why I continue to feel uneasy about two-person dive teams in which one of the "buddies" is a very young and small child.