Need Advice/Intervention

[g1138]

I need advice on something.
Recently my dad has decided to get into scuba.
It'll be a few weeks before he has his open water certification. Here's the problem.
In the beginning (Feb '10) when I was getting started and buying all my gear (with my dad's money) he made the comment: "oh now I can borrow your gear to scrub our pool with."
I tried to convince him it was a bad idea, both because I didn't want him using my gear (selfish of me I know) and also because I was kinda annoyed that he thought he could bypass the whole certification process. Needless to say the LDS told him he wouldn't get airfills unless he was certified, and they also warned him of barotrauma if you were to hold your breath and surface.

He still mentions it ever once in a while now that he's taking classes. When I tell him it's a bad idea his only defense is (quote for quote): "Oh I'm a good swimmer, I won't hold my breath."

Just tonight however, he brought back a full scuba set from his pool session, and came to me talking about how he would dive in our pool to scrub it all clean. Once again I had to tell him it was a bad idea. I asked him how much air he had left and he told me "about 1700[psi]" ( I think the tank's a Steel 80). I asked him if he had to use the exact gear and tank for the next pool session and he said yes.

Basically he has no weightbelt, only has SWIM fins, an old 80's BC and reg set with gauges (which even HE doesn't have much confidence in). And to top it all off he doesn't know what a CESA is, or even the ins and outs of his gear.
I can't get through to him that diving uncertified w/o and instructor is a bad idea.

The LDS he's going with is an oddball as well. It's literally a one man shop in Berkeley, CA which doesn't stock much gear, and has really outdated rental equipment. The guy running it is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable but his business ethics really take on a more neighborly approach as opposed to an actual business for profit.

So overall in a nutshell I'm just asking how would you convince my dad that what he's implying to do (dive uncertified to scrub an 8ft pool) is something he should not do.
Thanks in advance.

Edit: I realize this is a little vague, so I'll post a few more details below

[Dominantly]

So he survived his pool session with that gear? They gave him the tank to take home, vice taking it back to get a fresh fill? Is he familiar with how much bottom time he has at 8' for a NDL dive? I agree he should really see if he can get the instructor to the house for the pool dive (if they both fit of course) as you never know what could happen.

But seriously, the hazard I see here is a weighted newbie(but you said he has no weight) that's unfamiliar with the gear. In the event they run out of air and cannot figure out how to remove the weight, or inflate their BCD, they could be stuck at the bottom (assuming they couldn't kick either). True a man at 6' in an 8ft pool only has two feet of water above their head, it's still there and plenty enough to drown you.

If it were me, and my dad had been through a pool day and knew the gear, I would just chuckle and not say a word. I would also sit there with a chair and lemonade to watch over the event. Better yet I might just lend a hand to dear ol pops.

[Aerosynth]

Is he SERIOUS, or is he joking? I only ask because my father asked something similar after I was certified: "Now that you've bought all that expensive gear you can clean the deep end of the pool." (He was joking.)

But I am a little unclear as to his training status. Is he in an OW class now? If so, he should know about equalizing, NDL, and holding his breath well enough to stay safe in an 8-foot pool (with you as his dive buddy, of course).

How would you log that one, anyway?

LOCATION: Backyard pool.
ACTIVITIES: Scrubbing all the crap off with my dad.

[g1138]

Continued:
So far my dad's only had 2 pool sessions.
Even so however, I do not believe he knows how to use the gear fully.
He continually asks me questions such as how an air dump works or when to use the rear air dump VS you're inflator. Questions I believe should have been asked or covered in class.

When I asked to see his regulator set, he pointed out to me how his depth gauge is filled with a fluid and a small bubble. He stated he wasn't sure if it was working.
I then had to ask him if he looked at it at all during his pool session and he said no, that it wasn't covered in class yet. I also asked him if he brought it up with his instructor, and he also said no.

I just feel like he's just sitting in class and going through the motions, and coming back home to me to give answers all his questions.

I'm sorry if this is turning into a rant, I'm just tired of constantly having to remind him that I'm not an instructor and that I only have less than a year of experience under my belt.

I'm just looking for a list or a few examples to discourage him from thinking that he dive in a pool on his own without a lot of knowledge or experience; and just because he "won't hold his breath".

If you think it's alright for him to do so then please enlighten me.

[g1138]

He's dead serious.
He's taking his basic OW class.
Like I said I told him it was a bad idea but I also told him that if he were to do it that he HAD to let me know so I could at least watch him.

[Aerosynth]

Here's my disclaimer: After my final OW certification dive, I had to keep my rental gear overnight and I TOTALLY played around with it in the pool and finished the tank down to 500 PSI before I returned it. LOL...

My two cents... whatever it's worth...

Tell him this: You have 1700 PSI left in your tank, if you play around in the pool and deplete all your air... how are you going to explain it to your instructor at your next pool session? Go for the embarrassment angle.

If he's dead set on doing it (and not joking) and you can't talk him out of it, go fill a couple tanks under your cert card and do it with him. That might actually be helpful, as you could do a little private tutoring with him before his next pool session.

[Aerosynth]

FWIW, I just put 8ft into my eRDPML. (LOL) - Your NDL will be 205 minutes with no safety stop required. ;)

[Dominantly]

I could have swore there would be a safety stop at 3' :dontknow:

Now, that would be something to work towards, hovering in the 8ft pool at 3'.

[ZenDiver.3D]

Why don't you just scrub the damn pool for him? That would solve all problems. It would also give him time to finish his course before the next grout cleaning is needed.
Is this gear his gear? Or is it shop stuff? If so, what were they doing sending him home with it and a tank of air? That is just begging for trouble.

[g1138]

Why don't you just scrub the damn pool for him? That would solve all problems. It would also give him time to finish his course before the next grout cleaning is needed.
Is this gear his gear? Or is it shop stuff? If so, what were they doing sending him home with it and a tank of air? That is just begging for trouble.

I would if the pool looked green, which it doesn't.
I think it's overkill, the pole brush does a great job imo.
PLUS we have a really efficient pool sweeper running around the bottom 2 hours a day.
The gear is the shops btw.

[ZenDiver.3D]

I would if the pool looked green, which it doesn't.
I think it's overkill, the pole brush does a great job imo.
PLUS we have a really efficient pool sweeper running around the bottom 2 hours a day.
The gear is the shops btw.

So this means your dad just wants to play in the pool. If you are really worried about him doing it, then You clean the already clean pool, and he will have no excuse, however imagined it is. ;)
The shop's gear. They shouldn't be giving a student gear and a tank to go, without him already having finished class and all pool sessions. And Then, only if they have to drive to a quarry or shore for OW dives the next day. I think this was a really bad idea on their part. It's like giving a little kid fireworks and the lighter and saying, Just hang onto these until a few nights from now and I'll show you how to set them off." Just begging for trouble.

[vladimir]

Wow, how deep is your pool that Dad has to be prepared to do a CESA? ;) If he doesn't hold his breath and he's a good swimmer, as he says, I don't see what you're worried about.

[onefastpony]

I just think the dad is jerking the sons chain. Yea, the dad probably just wants to play in the pool, big deal. The dad is more than likely doing it because he knows it annoys his son. Now, I do agree on the shop giving complete gear to a student, a big no no. My shop gave me all my gear except the reg set, which I got the next day at the dive site.

[spectrum]

It sounds like he's well enough along in his pool work to have been exposed to the basics. If that's so then leave him to clean the pool. He's a grown man and has heard the lessons. If you're not comfortable with that then be his dive buddy son.

When we (wife & I) were training there was a lull between pool and check-out. Our instructor had no problem providing fills to go to a family pool to do weight checks and a little self refresher.

Just be glad he already sprung for his own gear to save you the angst of sharing.

Pete

[Jim Lapenta]

Tell him before he does it to up his life insurance. The one where you are the beneficiary. But it does sound like he 1 wants to play and 2 clean the pool better. He paid for your gear? Are you over 18 and can move out? If not it is his gear. Get a job and pay him back for it. Get up off your butt and clean the damn pool. And if he does want to play get in the water with him and help him clean the pool while he plays. And cut the damn grass and clean the gutters out as well. And maybe wash his car for him to. Kids! DO stuff for em and they are nothin but a bunch of ingrates! WHat should have happened is you took the class together. While he paid you should have been doing whatever it took to make money to help. Cut lawns (undercut the illegals I guess you'd need to do in California) ,deliver papers, bag groceries, etc. Then you might have say in how he uses the gear that HE PAID FOR.

[ScubaSteve]

If it helps he can come clean my pool and I will give him some pointers and watch over him ;). I agree with a previous poster that if he already plans on doing it, he will do it. If he has already gone through two pool dives and some classroom then I think perhaps this is not as big a deal as it seems. Yes it would be better if he were to wait until he were certified however he is likely to do whatever he wants so offer to get wet with him. I do not understand why you take exception to answering his questions no matter how basic they are. He seems very eager to learn.....I would be far more concerned if he wanted to jump in and had the "I know everything already" attitude.

Get wet with him and have some fun.

[knowone]

Advice for you is that he won't be going far for long without a weight belt.
Interesting dive shop.
Advice for him is when he goes to the dive shop to pick up two weight belts which makes it easier to clean the pool, pick up an intervention as well.

[vladimir]

He paid for your gear? Are you over 18 and can move out? If not it is his gear. Get a job and pay him back for it. Get up off your butt and clean the damn pool. And if he does want to play get in the water with him and help him clean the pool while he plays. And cut the damn grass and clean the gutters out as well. And maybe wash his car for him to. Kids! DO stuff for em and they are nothin but a bunch of ingrates! WHat should have happened is you took the class together. While he paid you should have been doing whatever it took to make money to help. Cut lawns (undercut the illegals I guess you'd need to do in California) ,deliver papers, bag groceries, etc. Then you might have say in how he uses the gear that HE PAID FOR.:rofl3: Tell him, Jim!

[jonnythan]

I think you're overreacting a bit. Your dad will be fine in the pool, especially if he's already had pool sessions on his way to getting certified. You can be nice to him and show him the details and talk about emergency procedure, but, really, I think it's not worth really worrying about.

[11x]

quit being a kid that knows more than his parents, at some point in life you have to realize that thay actualy know more than you do. i say why arnt you in the pool with your gear cleaning it so he dosent have to. he did buy the gear for you so he does have some say in the use of it. quit being selfish. after all the man did raise you and proably put out alot more for you than he has himself while doing it. not trying to be mean but come on man quit being a selfish brat that has no appreciation for anything someone else does for you. you need to change the way you look at the world. if your dive buddy runs into a out of air problem at 60 ft will you let him use your octo? i dont know your dad but if i were closer i would come help him clean his pool, i need all the experience under water i can get, even if it is only 8 ft. now i understand why lions eat thier young

[awap]

If you are really worried about him, why don't you put his other set of gear on and help him.

[Paladin]

FWIW, I just put 8ft into my eRDPML. (LOL) - Your NDL will be 205 minutes with no safety stop required. ;)

There is no NDL for 20 ft or less. At that depth, as per the Navy tables, bottom time is unlimited. PADI just arbitrarily treats all shallow dives as if they are at 35 ft.

[gfyrasng]

Dude, seriously, it's 8 freaking feet. Show him how to ditch his weight belt, and start earning some money to pay him back.

[Herk_Man]

If your dad has survived all the things life has thrown at him so far, going for a dive in 8' of water with 2 pool sessions under his belt is not going to be a problem. CESA? Really? How about stand up and push off.

Jim's right. You're dad's a big boy and you're still a kid (and will be until you're in your 30's.) Let him have his fun.

[g1138]

The point of pointing our the CESA was not so he would do it but to show that he really doesn't know much about diving yet. I don't think he's ready, bottom line is my opinion.
I would NOT want him to be my buddy if we had to do a dive today.
Further more I do believe he is serious about scrubbing the pool.
And I do understand that although the gear he bought me was a gift, it is still his gear since he paid for it.
But that's not the case.
If everyone truly thinks it's not a big deal then ok I'll agree with that.

So lets say I do go in with him. I do not want to dive alone, under no circumstances, 8ft pool or 80ft open water. So if I brief him and we go in together how should I do it.
Scrub the pool with my back turned while he frolics around, or watch him like a hawk while he does it.
Keep in mind he has only had 2 pool sessions, and what I believe is very little knowledge of his gear.

[jonnythan]

This is scuba diving in a pool. My former club held "try out scuba" pool sessions all the time where we'd toss people in with gear and about 5 minutes of 'training.' Everyone had a blast and no one ever died.

It's not bomb disarmament. He's not going to blow up if he touches the regulator wrong.

[knowone]

Leave him alone.
Do you get it yet.
You have already been answered.
This is why he does what he does.

[RJP]

Just tonight however, he brought back a full scuba set from his pool session,

The LDS he's going with is an oddball as well. It's literally a one man shop in Berkeley...




Anyone else have a problem with a shop giving a non-certified dive a tank and gear to bring home?

Yikes!

[g1138]

Anyone else have a problem with a shop giving a non-certified dive a tank and gear to bring home?

Yikes!

Looking back my shop did the same thing. And I took my basic at a different LDS.
Both my LDS and my dad's uses a public high school pool and both had pool sessions that ended after the shop's closing time.
I gather that some shops do this and some don't by the lack of response to this topic.

[RJP]

Looking back my shop did the same thing. And I took my basic at a different LDS.
Both my LDS and my dad's uses a public high school pool and both had pool sessions that ended after the shop's closing time.
I gather that some shops do this and some don't by the lack of response to this topic.

Shop I DM for has a pool on site, so not an issue/question there, but I can't imagine taking on the liability of handing over gear to someone...

a.) Not yet certified
b.) Not completely trained
b.) Just itching to use it

Can see not wanting to lug the tanks around, but I'd at least take back the regs so they couldn't use the tanks for anything.

[diver 85]

Make him sign up for a(nother) good life insurance policy--with you as beneficiary, of course....then show him this article....(click link):
CDNN :: Student Dies During University of Alabama Scuba Diving Course (http://www.cdnn.info/news/safety/s070421.html)

[dburg30]

Only thing I get from that article is the person didnt listen very well. Broke the first rule of scuba, when breathing from your reg, always keep your airway open / dont hold your breath.

[gfyrasng]

The point of pointing our the CESA was not so he would do it but to show that he really doesn't know much about diving yet. I don't think he's ready, bottom line is my opinion.
I would NOT want him to be my buddy if we had to do a dive today.
Further more I do believe he is serious about scrubbing the pool.
And I do understand that although the gear he bought me was a gift, it is still his gear since he paid for it.
But that's not the case.
If everyone truly thinks it's not a big deal then ok I'll agree with that.

So lets say I do go in with him. I do not want to dive alone, under no circumstances, 8ft pool or 80ft open water. So if I brief him and we go in together how should I do it.
Scrub the pool with my back turned while he frolics around, or watch him like a hawk while he does it.
Keep in mind he has only had 2 pool sessions, and what I believe is very little knowledge of his gear.

:deadhorse:

[Can't swim]

I agree with Zen, clean the pool for your dad!
Sounds to me like he was hinting to you to do just that.

[Krenath]

My instructor hammered into my head the idea that an untrained diver should basically do nothing without an instructor nearby. Once he's certified, it's all on him. I fully agree with the OP that the dad is asking for trouble he wouldn't fully understand how to deal with yet.

Sure, the guy's dad will *probably* be fine, but that's not close enough to *definitely* for comfort. Best to convince the dad to put off the pool cleaning session until after the cert card arrives.

I don't get all the people saying "Why don't you clean the pool?" You know the dad is just looking for an excuse to use the pretty scuba gear. A clean pool isn't going to slow him down. The OP could clean the whole pool and the dad'll probably say something with "I'll just go make sure you did it right".

A mere 8ft pool is right about 1.24 atmospheres of pressure at the bottom. SO if Dad takes a deep breath at 8ft, holds it, and surfaces despite having been told NOT to hold his breath, the air in his lungs will expand 24%-ish on the way up. Unless my math is way off, this is about the same percentage increase in lung air volume as holding your breath from 48ft(2.48ata) up to 33ft(2ata) or from 90ft(3.72ata) up to 66ft(3ata).

While dad may not necessarily drown, there is some risk of an air embolism if he screws up.

If the dad is that dead set on...
1. using equipment he's not certified on
2. without instructor supervision
3. and very likely doing it alone,
...then what are the odds that he'll follow any other training to the letter?

[ktomlinson]

My opinion of this topic is that you have concern for your dad, which is a good thing. If he knows that holding your breath is the # 1 no-no then like a majority of people say, just watch him, or do it for him. Not knowing how to operate your gear like an expert after two pool dives isnt something to be concerned about, thats what practice is for. Having liquid and a bubble in the depth gauge is normal. Just because gear is old doesnt mean its not good gear. The thing I am most surprised by out of all the comments is that the gear is still his dads...how is a gift still the property of the giver?

[g1138]

:deadhorse:

Haha. Took me while to get that.

[g1138]

Thanks to everyone for your input. I'm still going to try to keep my dad out of the pool until he's certified.

[highlandfarmwv]

I would be interested to see how you look back on this thread a year from now. I wonder who will be more at home in the water, you or your dad... I think he is gettng used to scuba gear in a nice safe pool and will probably do fine with diving. No safer way to get used to the feeling of being underwater. Take a pill and quit worrying.

[Krenath]

I would be interested to see how you look back on this thread a year from now. I wonder who will be more at home in the water, you or your dad... I think he is gettng used to scuba gear in a nice safe pool and will probably do fine with diving. No safer way to get used to the feeling of being underwater. Take a pill and quit worrying.

A year from now, neither one of them will be uncertified divers trying to play with unfamiliar equipment in an unsupervised situation. Their comfort level then won't help with the situation now.

And if the dad develops bad habits as a result of playing around on his own, chances are it'll be harder to train them out of him later.

We're all looking at this situation from the point-of-view of experienced, certified divers. Playing around in a 8-foot pool is the easiest thing in the world for us because we have the training and experience and have developed safe habits.

This guy's dad has had half an open water class and from the son's description hasn't been paying full attention during it, preferring to later ask the son questions about topics that had been covered already.

I don't think it would be beyond this guy to discover the useful and fun fact that he can surface super fast just by pressing the 'up' button on his inflator hose. Why swim when you can use the elevator?

[vladimir]

I don't think it would be beyond this guy to discover the useful and fun fact that he can surface super fast just by pressing the 'up' button on his inflator hose. Why swim when you can use the elevator?

"Berkeley Police, what is the nature of your emergency?

"I need a MedEvac chopper in here, right away!"

"Where are you located, sir?"

"At my Dad's house, where I live rent-free. I have my own entrance though. It's 555 Suburban Court. Please! Hurry!"

"What is the emergency sir? What happened?"

"My Dad's just floating on the surface of the pool! He just did an uncontrolled ascent from 8'--just inflated his BC. He really started to accelerate in the last foot or two!"

Is he conscious?"

"Yeah, uh, he's sipping a beer, but it won't be long now."

<dial tone>

[Krenath]

So you're implying that bad habits he discovers for himself in a pool would never carry over into open-water diving. That once he discovers the up button in 8ft of water, there's no chance whatsoever of him trying it from 50ft just because it worked in the pool.

And he's not going to do this why? Would that be because we've already established that Dad is just the kind of guy who listens closely to his instructor and does everything the way he's taught?

[ScubaSteve]

It takes all kinds to make the world go around.

[vladimir]

So you're implying that bad habits he discovers for himself in a pool would never carry over into open-water diving. That once he discovers the up button in 8ft of water, there's no chance whatsoever of him trying it from 50ft just because it worked in the pool.

And he's not going to do this why? Would that be because we've already established that Dad is just the kind of guy who listens closely to his instructor and does everything the way he's taught?You guys must lead dull lives if you look for hypotheticals to worry about. I am not implying that this is the optimal training strategy, and I'm not implying that there is zero possibility that something could go wrong, I'm just saying there's very little to worry about here. Check the backyard for killer bees, batten down the hurricane cellar, watch for tsunamis, but don't worry about dad in the pool. ;)

[ScubaSteve]

http://disney-clipart.com/Chicken-Little/Disney-Chicken-Little.jpg

Just because some guy on the internet says pops is a goner does not make it so. Perhaps those that are so certain that he will die from his rapid ascent or his bad habits picked up after 20 minutes in the pool with his son (if his son was not so selfish) should actually focus on what could realistically happen and leave the wild "The sky is falling" theories behind. Risk management.

[gfyrasng]

My instructor hammered into my head the idea that an untrained diver should basically do nothing without an instructor nearby. Once he's certified, it's all on him. I fully agree with the OP that the dad is asking for trouble he wouldn't fully understand how to deal with yet.

Sure, the guy's dad will *probably* be fine, but that's not close enough to *definitely* for comfort. Best to convince the dad to put off the pool cleaning session until after the cert card arrives.

I don't get all the people saying "Why don't you clean the pool?" You know the dad is just looking for an excuse to use the pretty scuba gear. A clean pool isn't going to slow him down. The OP could clean the whole pool and the dad'll probably say something with "I'll just go make sure you did it right".

A mere 8ft pool is right about 1.24 atmospheres of pressure at the bottom. SO if Dad takes a deep breath at 8ft, holds it, and surfaces despite having been told NOT to hold his breath, the air in his lungs will expand 24%-ish on the way up. Unless my math is way off, this is about the same percentage increase in lung air volume as holding your breath from 48ft(2.48ata) up to 33ft(2ata) or from 90ft(3.72ata) up to 66ft(3ata).

While dad may not necessarily drown, there is some risk of an air embolism if he screws up.

If the dad is that dead set on...
1. using equipment he's not certified on
2. without instructor supervision
3. and very likely doing it alone,
...then what are the odds that he'll follow any other training to the letter?

I understand what you're saying, but let's be realistic. Dad would have to lay completely flat on the bottom of the pool, breathe in as deep as he could, and then rise all the way to the surface. It just really doesn't seem all that likely.

[vladimir]

Perhaps those that are so certain that he will die from his rapid ascent or his bad habits picked up after 20 minutes in the pool with his son (if his son was not so selfish) should actually focus on what could realistically happen and leave the wild "The sky is falling" theories behind. Risk management.Yes. Focus on the real risks in life--that cigarette in your mouth, that gut hanging over your belt, that seatbelt you're sitting on, etc.

[vladimir]

I understand what you're saying, but let's be realistic. Dad would have to lay completely flat on the bottom of the pool, breathe in as deep as he could, and then rise all the way to the surface. It just really doesn't seem all that likely.We dismissed the embolism risk early in this discussion when we agreed that dad knows not to close his airway. If he doesn't know that after two pool sessions and some classwork, then he truly is at risk, sooner or later.

[Krenath]

I understand what you're saying, but let's be realistic. Dad would have to lay completely flat on the bottom of the pool, breathe in as deep as he could, and then rise all the way to the surface. It just really doesn't seem all that likely.

Not likely a trained diver would do it, no.

Dad's not a trained diver yet. Dad's not been paying full attention in classes. Dad's intent on doing it his way.

Who knows what he would or would not do in the pool?

"Don't worry. He's had half a scuba class he wasn't paying attention to. He'll be fine."

I simply can not see where it wouldn't be better just to convince Dad to leave the pool alone until the classes are done.

[gfyrasng]

Ooops, obviously didn't take the time too review everything.

[hbhobby]

they way some of you guys talk I should have died years ago!!!
I dove for probably 10 years before I was ever certified! got all of my gear at a garage sale. the "vintage" stuff no BC just a back pack and a regulator (no pressure gauge just a "J" valve) not even a depth gauge (someone else beat me to it!) ("friends" that would fill tanks for me)
so yes I did dive to (not in a pool either) to 25 and even 50 feet before I was ever "certified" and there wasn't an internet to tell me that I would die if I did so (that is probably why I am still alive!!!)
but I have to agree if you are that concerned (I wouldn't be) jump in the pool with dad and have fun! I have even let my dad play in the pool with my gear (and he isn't certified either!)

[ScubaSteve]

Who knows what he would or would not do in the pool?

I simply can not see where it wouldn't be better just to convince Dad to leave the pool alone until the classes are done.


I do agree that it would be better if he left it alone until he were certified. However, the world is likely not going crash down in 8 feet of water if he jumps in after two pool and classroom sessions. If this were truly an issue, the son, who is supposed to know "all that a certified diver should know" would get off his butt and watch over him since he knows damn well he is not going to convince him to not do it. It is 8' of water folks. Things can happen but with someone watching closely, you mitigate almost all the risk.....that is kind of what pool sessions are for. The big difference is that he will not be doing any skills on this dive.....it is simply sinking to the bottom, crawling round and breathing.

[g1138]

Well something else came up so this thread it pretty much moot.
I'm making a follow up thread if any of you are interested.

[ReefGuy]

Hang on a sec, I've got to get my climbing gear on if I'm gonna attempt this molehill.

Dad will be fine.

And to the poster that suggested that because the dad didn't have a weight belt that he would not be going anywhere: My instructor class rescue buddy absolutely sucked. 0% body fat, would immediately sink in his 7mil wetsuit as soon as I took off his BC. Got all the girls' attention immediately anywhere we went. If he didn't own a dive shop in the carribean, I'd hate him.

[DaleC]

Someone should read the details regarding JYC's first dive...

From "The Silent World":

"One morning in June 1943, I went to a railway station at Bandolon on the French Riviera to collect a wooden case expressed from Paris. In it was a new and promising device... We hurried to a sheltered cove which would conceal our activity from curious bathers and Italian occupation troops...My friends harnessed the three cylinder block on my back... I looked into the sea with the same sense of trespass that I have felt on every dive... I went down to sixty feet. We had been there many times without breathing aids, but we did not know what happened below that boundary. How far could we go with this stange device?"

and he wasn't even certified yet!!!

[elmer fudd]

I don't really get the reluctance here at all. Let the guy play in the pool. If he really is a good swimmer and he knows not to hold his breath the only thing that's likely to happen is that he'll get more familiar with his equipment and become a better diver. It's not like he's talking about doing deep air dives or wreck penetration.

As for the old 80's gear, that stuff wasn't cheap back in the day and most of it was made to last a lifetime.

[diver 85]

Only thing I get from that article is the person didnt listen very well. Broke the first rule of scuba, when breathing from your reg, always keep your airway open / dont hold your breath.


Just showing him that sometimes **** happens-----& maybe his dad is a poor listener, maybe even deaf........

[Shinsen]

Bottom line... he changed your diapers so he's not going to listen to you - period.
He's going to do what he wants, so you can join in on the fun, sit back and watch, or leave him to fend for himself.