How to present scuba to 13 year old daughter without freaking her out...

[chickweed]

For her 13th birthday, I gave my daughter a trip to anywhere in the contintental US to do whatever fun adventure she would like. Her first thought was scuba and after telling her that there may be other less costly options for us and pursuing many other ideas, she still comes back to scuba as what she really wants to do.

She has no idea what is required of her for this (I am now learning, because I had no idea until visiting a shop yesterday and reading some of the threads on this board). She is an excellent athlete/swimmer, she is occassionally challenged in her academics, but studies hard and gets by. I know that if I say "let's do it" she will be all in as an eager 13 year old... until we get into the meat of the training and things get tough... so:

As we try to make this decision together, I'm wondering if I try to paint a picture of what I think may be the challenges of taking the online course and doing the pool and open water dives. Or, do I just let her jump into this without any pre-conceived notion of the potential anxieties. I don't want to introduce anxiety, but I want to be honest about what we are getting into?

Thoughts?

 

[adurso]

Reiterate that she will need to study the materials and pay close attention to instruction.

You should take the course with her

My children began diving at ten and an entire world was opened to them, for years I watched the looks on their faces as they saw something new and wonderful every time we went under the water.

 

[Cave Diver]

As we try to make this decision together, I'm wondering if I try to paint a picture of what I think may be the challenges of taking the online course and doing the pool and open water dives. Or, do I just let her jump into this without any pre-conceived notion of the potential anxieties. I don't want to introduce anxiety, but I want to be honest about what we are getting into?

Thoughts?

Kids are much more resilient than adults are. My advice would be to just let her do it without you coloring or influencing her in any way. Once the training starts, you can reiterate to her that it's serious and she needs to pay attention to what is being taught, but also that it's fun. She'll probably do much better than you expect...

 

[racerx_]

I don't think you have too much to worry about. The Open Water course isn't overly difficult. From what I've seen, the things that stress people out are the feeling of simply being underwater, and needing to take off your mask and replace it while underwater. It's by no means common to everyone. If you're comfortable in the water it shouldn't be a problem and even if it presents a slight challenge that's what the instructors are there to help you with.

Academically, I wouldnt think it would be a problem. There are a few things to remember, the difference being in.school if you forget you get a bad grade in scuba if you forget you could hurt yourself pretty bad. But again, the course is designed for recreational divers and I think presented in a way that helps you complete it and achieve certification.

I would recommend doing the course with an instructor rather than online as there are many things a live instructor throws in and helps you with that go beyond the course requirements, and they are able to ensure that you meet the requirements of the course. These forums can help you identify a competent one. I did the online route and while I'm fine and don't necessarily regret it, I can see I may have benefitted more from having an instructor.

It's a fun sport and an awesome thing to do for your daughter. She will have a great time!



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[diversteve]

Find a low-current safe dive location (SoFL or the Keys) and sign her up for a Discover Dive - sometimes called a Resort Course.

They'll spend some time in the pool learning the basics - then accompanied by an instructor will do a 1 on 1 ocean dive to a shallow depth. You could do it also.

After that you can pursue certification.

 

[dmoore19]

About the only question I would ask is, does she know how to swim?

 

[Scuba_Noob]

Does she have any history of panic or anxiety when things get tough? Does she quit if a challenge becomes too hard? If not, then there shouldn't be too much worry. Plus diving isn't difficult.

If you have an adequate instructor, he should be the one responsible for decreasing her anxiety and making sure she learns how to dive safely. It might be problematic if a non-certified person such as yourself (as of now) to give her information, as some of the information may turn out to be false. Make sure she reads the instruction books thoroughly and understands everything. If she understands everything, she'll know that there's little to worry about if you dive safely.

 

[kierentec]

For her 13th birthday, I gave my daughter a trip to anywhere in the contintental US to do whatever fun adventure she would like. Her first thought was scuba and after telling her that there may be other less costly options for us and pursuing many other ideas, she still comes back to scuba as what she really wants to do.

She has no idea what is required of her for this (I am now learning, because I had no idea until visiting a shop yesterday and reading some of the threads on this board). She is an excellent athlete/swimmer, she is occassionally challenged in her academics, but studies hard and gets by. I know that if I say "let's do it" she will be all in as an eager 13 year old... until we get into the meat of the training and things get tough... so:

As we try to make this decision together, I'm wondering if I try to paint a picture of what I think may be the challenges of taking the online course and doing the pool and open water dives. Or, do I just let her jump into this without any pre-conceived notion of the potential anxieties. I don't want to introduce anxiety, but I want to be honest about what we are getting into?

Thoughts?

wow, very cool, Dad (or mom, cant tell) got certified with my Dad when I was 17, and still 11 years later, it's something we share and are passionate about together.
My advice for the course would be let her do the online portion at her own pace, If she has any problems, let her know you will be there to help. Keep in mind, PADI's e-learning is designed in a way that 10 year olds are able to complete it with little outside help. When you show up for class, there will be a quick review quiz before getting in the pool, and any issues your daughter had can be worked out by the instructor at that point.
when it comes time to get in the water, try to let the instructor do their job. Try not to be too over bearing, let her make mistakes, it's the only way she will learn from them
it is a pricey activity to get into, but the memories will last a life time, and the experience may very well change your daughter's life. I know it changed mine!

don't rule out traveling a little further, like say, um... St. Croix... It's only money (and you might be surprised at how inexpensive it can be done) and again, the whole experience would be pretty amazing for you both.
Good luck!

 

[C P]

Both of my daughters were certified when they turned 10, at their insistence. The oldest has always wanted to be a marine archeologist and the youngest refused to be left behind. Diving with them for the last 12 years have provided some of the best experiences and memories for me. If she wants to and is comfortable in the water she should be alright. You should do the course with her. I don't know anything about Nashville but would look at the referral programs also. This is where you do your book and pool work, usually close to home, and then go somewhere with better diving for your open water dives. It is the instructor that makes the difference in the value of the course. Encourage her.

 

[Qnape]

My daughter expressed an interest in SCUBA and we tried a Discover SCUBA together on vacation in Jamaica, also at age 13. She absolutely loved it and decided she wanted to do it again on our next vacation. I took the course with her later that summer and we were happily both very comfortable with everything. I took her to Cozumel in February of the following year.

She was already very comfortable in the water from years of beach vacations - already a good body surfer and occassional snorkeler - big help. We took the full course with an instructor - not online, not the weekend course, because I wanted to be sure that at her age everything had a chance to sink in. Also, I had met an instructor at our local dive shop whom I felt would relate very well with her. The direct contact with the instructor was great. We did our check-out dives in a local quarry, and did a few additional dives there before our (first) trip to Cozumel.

My daughter also at the time was not a stellar student but got along; she had no trouble with the SCUBA material and won the instructor's bet for a t-shirt that no-one had ever gotten 100% on all the tests and the final in his class so far. This instructor, while always a positive influence, really did take time in class to talk about the risks of diving, including the risk, while slight, of a very nasty injury or death. He offerred to help ease any particular anxieties through additional pool time if it was needed, and did so for others in our class.

A discover SCUBA for your daughter might be great to see if she is comfortable and ensure her interest is more than passing. Many local shops do this in their pools if you will not be someplace more fun to try it. If you do try a Discover SCUBA in the caribbean or elsewhere, check out the dive operator as carefully as you can. Ask about them here! We used Dressel Divers in Jamaica and they were great, but some take discover divers places they should not go or give less than adequate, if any, pool time first

SCUBA turned out to be great for my daughter and I. We've seen great things together; we even made one trip without mom to Utila - an adventurous trip and great time together. We now have over 150 ocean dives each, and she is 18. We are heading back to Cozumel at the end of the month for one more dive trip before she heads to college!

As others said - SCUBA is no great challenge for a motivated 13 year old. Let her try it first if you can, and take the full course if you can swing it. Take the course with her if that works for you, and you'll have a chance to discover things together.