Diving with a Spouse

[Carl_F]

I dove for four years while my wife stayed on the beach as she didn't want to dive. Then she started snorkeling and once she got her hands on a camera, that was all it took. She got certified last year and has 130+ dives so far. Also, I have helped certify a family with two kids, one being Jr Open Water (11 yr old) and that was a lot of fun. It was definitely a family activity and they helped each other through the learning process. With a good instructor it can be a good family experience ... we had to modify our instructional method a tad ensure the youngest had the knowledge required as the parents would often interject when we asked her a question during the reviews. But the kid did great on the exam so all was well.

I echo the comment about the need for a will with provisions for a guardian and this being independent of diving. And looking at previous actuarials there is a greater risk of death due to an auto accident than recreational diving.

I recommend diving as a family or diving as a couple. The only time my wife and I are not buddies on a dive is when we have different objectives.

 

[archer1960]

Are you going to try to teach your wife? When I was a ski patroler, when we'd see couples where one spouse was teaching the other, we'd call them DIPs (divorce in progress).

I think there can be some application to scuba.

Just like kayaking or bicycling a tandem...

 

[RandomGuy1]

My wife tried to get certified at the same time that I did, but she just didn't have the water comfort required to do all the skills. My advice is if this is the case, don't push her to become certified just because you want her to. My wife never did get certified, and I am fine with that as I didn't want her to panic under the water and have issues.

 

[mhattenhauer]

I would really like for my wife to dive with me. However, she is not a strong swimmer which makes her a bit uncomfortable in the water. I'm hoping at some point she will give it a try. I would like her to experience what I have thus far.

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[Stoo]

Min age is 12 I think so the 10yo will have to wait a bit. To the OP: how often the 2 of you ride in the same car? Statistically the most dangerous part of a dive is the drive to/from dive site and/or airport.

That's it. Diving is an extra-ordinarily safe sport, but having said that, if the "excrement hits the oscillator" the consequences can be significant. Your concern is not entirely unreasonable, but the reality is that there are greater risks that you take on on a daily basis without thought.

Like any responsible parents, you probably have a plan set out in your wills to care for your children if you both died... When my kids were young, Mrs. Stoo ver 1.0 and I had a mutual deal worked out with her sister to each take in the others kids if the worst happened. (Talk about motivation to dive carefully!)

I do know people that take extraordinary steps to avoid a double parental demise. I know a couple (now older) that always took separate flights when they travelled...

My kids are grown now, but I can tell you that when they were young, their Mom pretty much stopped diving, but that was more due to lack of time and energy than out of a safety concern. On the odd vacation we were able to take without the kids, we always dove together...

 

[Russoft]

I know I've seen posts where spouses both dive, but I was wondering....do you all dive as each other's buddy or is it better to buddy dive with someone else even if you are diving at the same time in the same location?

I guess I'm trying to understand what the "best practice" is for spouses that dive

We don't have children yet, but the thought has crossed our minds. Our parents or siblings would care for our kids in the event of a fatal dive accident. But the reality is, diving isn't the only thing that could kill us. We could die in a traffic accident. That doesn't mean we each drive a separate vehicle everywhere we're going. I don't trust some stranger diving with my wife. There are a lot of idiots on dive boats. We both, together, strive to be better and safer divers.

 

[RJP]

Didn't read whole thread, so not sure if this has been mentioned... but how certain are you that the proposed reason is the REAL reason she doesn't want to dive?

I've dealt with plenty of DSD and OW student couples where one of them (usually the wife) clearly does NOT want to dive, but has been brought along by the other spouse. Often they will come up with all kinds of other reasons to try to get out of it.

 

[zain.fimmel]

I dive with my wife every chance I get! She is my favourite and safest dive buddy due to the trust and good communication and love we share for diving.
Tips for safety: Anyone can call off the dive for any reason. Keep constant communication during a dive. Never hold your breath! Check your air regularly. Always make sure you do your buddy checks! Pay attention to the dive briefing!
Enjoy!

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[mshahril68]

I have always wanted to dive since I was 18 and put it off due to studies and then after getting married I had the same concern as your wife so again I put off till I'm 47 and my children are off to college. My wife and I got certified together. After 100 dives in 6months I can say that diving is actually very safe. I am now doing my tech dive n divemaster at the same time. Looking back, I should have done it sooner.

 

[Freewillow]

Have been diving with my wife for 25+ and 500+ dives. Did all the same courses TOGETHER. My wife is my safest buddy