Diving effects on kids
- Thread starter texangal
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Dr Deco
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Hi texangal:
Am am sure that the physicians on the board will have comments (or refer to other sites).
That is a young age for much in the line of deep diving, I believe.
Dr D.=-)
Am am sure that the physicians on the board will have comments (or refer to other sites).
That is a young age for much in the line of deep diving, I believe.
Dr D.=-)
NOT A DOCTOR or other EXPERT, Only my Opinion.
Factors to consider:
1. PFO - occurs in about 20-30 percent of the adult population and is higher in children. The doctors will address this more I am certain.
2. How many times have you shown your children something and they swear they are doing it that way, when you can clerly see they are not. Will they really understand the critical, life threatening need, not to hold their breath underwater?
3. I'm sure your kids are great, but are they really mature enough for diving? How will they handle a true emergency underwater when they have to make life and death decisions and no one can help them? (If they take off for the surface in a panic can you really catch them in time?).
4. How mature is there reasoning ability. Can they face a situation, remain calm and consider all the options before acting? At 20 my kid was challenged by the there may be more than one solution and the first one you think of may not be the best one problem.
5. Bodies and minds are still growing, and at that age hormones are kicking in making for some interesting times and thought processes on dry land. What are the effects of pressure on all of this? Not yet fully established or understood.
My vote, wait. Introduce them to snorkeling or shallow free diving for now.
Factors to consider:
1. PFO - occurs in about 20-30 percent of the adult population and is higher in children. The doctors will address this more I am certain.
2. How many times have you shown your children something and they swear they are doing it that way, when you can clerly see they are not. Will they really understand the critical, life threatening need, not to hold their breath underwater?
3. I'm sure your kids are great, but are they really mature enough for diving? How will they handle a true emergency underwater when they have to make life and death decisions and no one can help them? (If they take off for the surface in a panic can you really catch them in time?).
4. How mature is there reasoning ability. Can they face a situation, remain calm and consider all the options before acting? At 20 my kid was challenged by the there may be more than one solution and the first one you think of may not be the best one problem.
5. Bodies and minds are still growing, and at that age hormones are kicking in making for some interesting times and thought processes on dry land. What are the effects of pressure on all of this? Not yet fully established or understood.
My vote, wait. Introduce them to snorkeling or shallow free diving for now.
Fortunately, my 12 year old is cautious, thoughtful, athletic and mature (moreso than several of the adults in her class). She is also advanced open water certified with about 15 dives up to 70 ft. Given the confidence that comes with experience, I am trying to understand the practical/medical limits of deep and repetitive diving so we don't do something stupid. This is especially important as she looks for new experiences with diving, which she likes very much. PADI just says wait until 10 and to get certified. I am hoping someone has seen some articles or has other information that suggests smart limits. Thanks for your thoughts.
redseal
Contributor
This reply is opinion, based on experience to date...
My twin daughters and I started scuba diving together last summer, at age 12 then. They are excellent swimmers, having been on the swim team since age 6, and are comfortable in the water. During the OW course, they had to demonstrate all of the required skills and complete all of the knowledge reviews, and then they had to complete all of the open water dives in 7mm neoprene, hoods, gloves, wearing almost their body weight in gear! They weren't given their C-cards, they earned them.
Having said this, one of the girls and I have done about 24 dives together since June 2002; the other sister has done only 9 dives. They both know their abilities and limitations, and among those, they know that the OW limitation is 60 feet, AOW 70 feet. Have we exceeded those limits? No, not yet, because our instructors strongly imparted to them (and me) to not exceed the limits of our training until we have additional training and experience. Plus we practice our skills with just about every dive trip we do together, especially at the local quarries (skills such as AAS, signals, remove/replace scuba unit).
They have earned the respect of their instructors and DMs over the months, as well as my respect. Just because they're "kids" doesn't mean they won't respond properly in an emergency anymore than an adult would respond properly.
I wouldn't consider taking them deep until they've had deep training. Multiple dives I certainly do do with them.
Hope this helps.
My twin daughters and I started scuba diving together last summer, at age 12 then. They are excellent swimmers, having been on the swim team since age 6, and are comfortable in the water. During the OW course, they had to demonstrate all of the required skills and complete all of the knowledge reviews, and then they had to complete all of the open water dives in 7mm neoprene, hoods, gloves, wearing almost their body weight in gear! They weren't given their C-cards, they earned them.
Having said this, one of the girls and I have done about 24 dives together since June 2002; the other sister has done only 9 dives. They both know their abilities and limitations, and among those, they know that the OW limitation is 60 feet, AOW 70 feet. Have we exceeded those limits? No, not yet, because our instructors strongly imparted to them (and me) to not exceed the limits of our training until we have additional training and experience. Plus we practice our skills with just about every dive trip we do together, especially at the local quarries (skills such as AAS, signals, remove/replace scuba unit).
They have earned the respect of their instructors and DMs over the months, as well as my respect. Just because they're "kids" doesn't mean they won't respond properly in an emergency anymore than an adult would respond properly.
I wouldn't consider taking them deep until they've had deep training. Multiple dives I certainly do do with them.
Hope this helps.
blacknet
Contributor
texangal,
When you say "deep dives" how deep are we refering to here?
Ed
When you say "deep dives" how deep are we refering to here?
Ed
It is proven that N2 at high PO2's effects your joints.
How it affects the joints of a growing child are not completely understood or known (my experience). Because of the unknown I will not allow my daughter to dive until she is 18. It breaks my heart that my little buddy who at 6 helps me haul gear, spend hours in the bathtub face down breathing off a regulator, spends hours reciting the names of fish and what they look like and talks about the day she gets to be my scuba buddy, to not let her dive until she is finished growing.
Better safe than sorry, till proven otherwise.
You can also do a search here on this site. This topic has been discussed many times.
Dennis
How it affects the joints of a growing child are not completely understood or known (my experience). Because of the unknown I will not allow my daughter to dive until she is 18. It breaks my heart that my little buddy who at 6 helps me haul gear, spend hours in the bathtub face down breathing off a regulator, spends hours reciting the names of fish and what they look like and talks about the day she gets to be my scuba buddy, to not let her dive until she is finished growing.
Better safe than sorry, till proven otherwise.
You can also do a search here on this site. This topic has been discussed many times.
Dennis
The Chairman
Chairman of the Board
set 14 as the earliest they will allow kids to participate in Scuba under their aegis. This is due in part to the unknown effects that pressure has on growing kids as well as their inability to think "under pressure" (pardon the pun).
While NAUI allows me to teach as early as 12, I find the lack of maturity a real hindrance in them understanding the significance of the dangers inherent in scuba. I used to think that my son was the exception to this as well (he was certified at 11 by PADI), but have since rethought my position. He did not dive during the last half of his thirteenth year as I had growing reservations. Even now, I will be limiting his depths to 60 ft or shallower until he is 16. There is a lot of ocean and he has a life time to explore it. There is no compelling reason to push the envelope and let my son be the guinea pig.
Let me hasten to note here, that I am NOT a medical doctor. I heal sick networks, and not people!
While NAUI allows me to teach as early as 12, I find the lack of maturity a real hindrance in them understanding the significance of the dangers inherent in scuba. I used to think that my son was the exception to this as well (he was certified at 11 by PADI), but have since rethought my position. He did not dive during the last half of his thirteenth year as I had growing reservations. Even now, I will be limiting his depths to 60 ft or shallower until he is 16. There is a lot of ocean and he has a life time to explore it. There is no compelling reason to push the envelope and let my son be the guinea pig.
Let me hasten to note here, that I am NOT a medical doctor. I heal sick networks, and not people!
Sorry, but 12 (and ESPECIALLY 10) is way too young to be nearing 100 ft.
There are reasons that agencies like PADI won't let you enroll in a deep or nitrox course until you're 15. This type of diving is more complex and has the potential to be more dangerous. Why do you want to unnecessarily expose your children to the risks inherent with deep diving?
Sure, you may be impressed with your daughters' maturity and ability (isn't every parent?) but what's going to happen when something goes wrong at 95 fsw and one of them freaks out?
There are reasons that agencies like PADI won't let you enroll in a deep or nitrox course until you're 15. This type of diving is more complex and has the potential to be more dangerous. Why do you want to unnecessarily expose your children to the risks inherent with deep diving?
Sure, you may be impressed with your daughters' maturity and ability (isn't every parent?) but what's going to happen when something goes wrong at 95 fsw and one of them freaks out?
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