Certification for kids (or not?)

[sunnydays]

Hi, all. Looking for some advice/info on certification prior to a Hawaii trip.
I certified, advanced, many (25) years ago, and did a bit of boat/reef/shore/lake diving, but haven't done any in the last 20 years or so. My wife is certified also. We're planning on taking a trip to Hawaii this June, and would like to take our kids (15 and 18) diving. My wife and I could probably use a refresh, and the kids would need certification... But, it's not likely that any of us would use this cert again, it's really a one-time thing for this trip. So, I'm wondering about alternatives to save on time/expense. Is it possible to do some sort of resort certification in Hawaii that would let us dive a few times with a guide? Any info on this topic would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

KJ

 

[flyin01]

Research the resort you will be staying at and see if they recommend a dive operator that would work with you. You and your wife could also do a refresher at your local dive shop and have the kids do a discover scuba to see if they even like diving. Hopefully the kids will be hooked and you will be diving more than you think.

 

[CT-Rich]

Hard to speak for the kids. they may love it and take it as a lifetime activity. They are getting to an age when they make their own choices. If you could get them to try it out locally, you might be able to get them properly certified.

 

[TMHeimer]

Research the resort you will be staying at and see if they recommend a dive operator that would work with you. You and your wife could also do a refresher at your local dive shop and have the kids do a discover scuba to see if they even like diving. Hopefully the kids will be hooked and you will be diving more than you think.

This seems the best idea. I would think going to HI without the kids being certified would probably mean you couldn't dive with them--you would be on a regular dive while they did DSD--It's not likely or probably advisable for you to join them on the DSD. Side note--I think it's always good to check out exactly how a DSD is run--does the instructor strictly adhere to teacher/student ratios and depths?
If you could do a refresher yourselves and the kids a DSD locally as suggested, you'd be set and they'd have an idea if they liked scuba or not. If so, they may be interested in getting OW cert. (or do a referral) done before you travel in June (if a course is available). If all that happens the 4 of you could dive together in HI.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

What you are referring to is a Discover Scuba Diving "experience" wherein the participants get a briefing, some pool instruction and then go on a single dive, about 20 minutes, to limited depth- probably 10 meters of less in Hawaii. A number of resorts do this, as do local dive shops through which you can do it if the place you are staying does not. The "course" does not license or certify them to do any other diving except to repeat the same experience class.
DivemasterDennis

 

[freewillie]

First, when introducing any person to scuba the biggest question is "does that person want to scuba?" We ask about spouses, significant others and how best to certify them. The is the extra parental dynamic that a child might not want to disappoint the parent, especially a father, by saying no. If the kids really want to try then by all means let them try.

My wife tried a discover scuba course but hated the experience and won't scuba at all these days. My oldest daughter certified at 13 years after trying a discover scuba course while on vacation. My now 13 year old second daughter did PADI Seal team but does not like the heavy equipment and the dry air bothers her. She has no interest in pursuing scuba either. My youngest son is 11, also did Seal team and wants to continue scuba in a pool but is still a little intimidated by the notion of doing it for real in the ocean.

A discover scuba class is a one time scuba experience. You have a brief introduction to scuba gear and very basic scuba principles. You then get into a pool to work on basic scuba skills. You learn to clear a mask, do a regulator sweep to recover lost regulator, and then practice breathing off a regulator. Once you feel comfortable then you will be escorted by a dive master on your scuba dive trip. It generally lasts about 20-30 minutes and is limited to a depth of about 30 feet or less.

There is a resort course. It's a little harder to find the criteria on the PADI web site but you essentially have a more in depth training and experience that a strict discover scuba course. You will not be able to dive without a dive master and you will be limited to 45 feet. But you will have a limited C-card that you can use on any subsequent vacations. It's a lot like getting a learner's permit to drive.

Then there is the full Open Water certification. Depending on time and location you could get your kids certified at home. Or do the class work and exams with pool certification at home, then to the check out certification dives ocean dives on vacation.

The last option is the most time intensive and costly option. If you are not sure if the kids are that enthusiastic about scuba my recommendation is the discover scuba option. Another alternative is resort Snuba. You have a regulator with a very long hose attached to a tank that floats on the surface. You then swim around underwater with a BC style vest and breathing off the regulator. It's a bit of a cross between snorkeling and scuba. Your kids can try that and if they really like that experience can do a discover scuba course afterwards.

Good luck and enjoy your vacation.

 

[DarinJ]

I definitely agree that you & your wife need refresher course. I had been out of the water a few years when my kids did a Discover Scuba dive in Hawaii a few years ago. I signed up for that course as a student and was grateful for the details coming back before I hit the ocean. Now that I'm diving regularly, I am more aware of the things I know now that I didn't know then and wish I had done a full refresher course rather than a Discover Scuba.

After that Discover Scuba day with my two kids, my daughter decided she is happier snorkelling, but my son loved scuba. He and I now dive regularly here in Vernon, BC (Canada) and are looking forward to our next tropical vacation so we can dive warm water again together.

Definitely talk with your wife and kids about what they want and what they are comfortable with. Be prepared for whatever money you end up spending being 'wasted' if they don't enjoy it. I made sure my kids knew that it was okay to back out at any point. I specifically told them that it was okay and that I wouldn't be mad about the money. Discover Scuba, Resort Course, or full Open Water certification will all be expensive, but it could be worse... As it turns out, I have now spent about $10,000 on gear and courses for my son and I!

 

[diversteve]

Lahaina Divers does their DSD dives off their boat 5 days a week in the afternoons. It's in conjunction with their Turtle Reef dive so unless you both do the DSD also - you likely won't be allowed to participate with the kids but nothing says you can't hover 50' away and watch. The vis is likely going to be double that. I do agree with the others - after 20 years you should do some sort of refresher. They'll either provide/rent you a computer among other things. Their DSD is $200+tax. 4 DSD divers per Instructor.

It might make sense for you to go private with one of the shore based operations also. 4 of you is probably a full class. Price will certainly be cheaper - usually it's $99pp. Try Tiny Bubbles or In2Scuba in Kaanapali or Shaka Divers or Maui Dreams Dive Co. in South Maui. There's about a dozen or so other options also.

Since I had them all bookmarked:

Scuba Dive Lanai, Molokini, Molokai, and Maui | Lahaina Divers
Scuba Dive Maui Ka'anapali Lahaina Hawaii Snorkel | 808.870.0878 | Tiny Bubbles Scuba Diving Specializing in Private Scuba Dives.Snorkel Tours. and Scuba Diving Instruction on Maui | Let's Get Tanked
Scuba Diving Maui Kaanapali Black Rock Sheraton Lahaina #1 Tripadvisor | In2Scuba Diving Maui
Welcome to SHAKA DIVERS Web Site! Home of Maui's Coolest Shore Dives!
Maui Dreams Dive Co - Scuba diving guides, training, sales, service and rentals, Maui HI

 

[rick00001967]

sorry if i am repeating anything that others have said already. i did not read all the responses.

first....your wife and yourself def need to get back in the pool this winter and do a full refresher/scuba update. it would be even better to do some ow diving after that as well to be fully prepared for the trip. if i was taking my kid with me i would want to be as well prepared as i could.
yes you could do a "resort" course. my suggestion is to do what we do here. bring the kids to the pool and have them do a discover/try scuba. you can join them. this will give them the very basics of what to do and what not to do and will give you an idea of their level of interest. perhaps it may not be a good fit for one or both of them. but you may also find they are beside themselves with excitement.
this gives you a couple of options. you could still do a "resort" course to do some ow diving. this coupled with your pool time at home should make you better prepared than most. or, if the kids really like it, you might have enough time before the trip to get them fully certified. our shop actually will credit the cost of the "try scuba" toward the course fee.
i just did a "try scuba" with a father and son a couple of weeks ago. they were heading south on vacation to try diving and were unsure how to prepare. the both came to pool for a couple of hours and had a blast. we found a couple of weaknesses to work on (that they would never had known) and afterwards, not only did they feel 100% more confident about trying diving on their vacation, but they were even more excited about the whole trip.

whatever you decide to do i am sure you will enjoy your trip.

 

[tursiops]

A discover scuba class is a one time scuba experience. You have a brief introduction to scuba gear and very basic scuba principles. You then get into a pool to work on basic scuba skills. You learn to clear a mask, do a regulator sweep to recover lost regulator, and then practice breathing off a regulator. Once you feel comfortable then you will be escorted by a dive master on your scuba dive trip. It generally lasts about 20-30 minutes and is limited to a depth of about 30 feet or less.

This is not quite right. The first Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) dive in open water must be led by an Instructor, not a Divemaster; later dives (on the same trip, using the same dive operation or Instructor) can be led by a Divemaster if indirectly supervised by an Instructor. . The pool/confined-water segment can also be done by an instructor in deep open water at a ratio of 1:1 while hanging on a dock, boat ladder or mooring line. The length of the dive is constrained by gas usage, not time. The depth limitation is 40 ft, not 30 ft. So you can do multiple DSD dives on the same trip with the same diver operator so long as the first one is led by an Instructor. No requirement to ever go near a pool.

There is a resort course. It's a little harder to find the criteria on the PADI web site but you essentially have a more in depth training and experience that a strict discover scuba course. You will not be able to dive without a dive master and you will be limited to 45 feet. But you will have a limited C-card that you can use on any subsequent vacations. It's a lot like getting a learner's permit to drive.

You can't find it because it does not exist. The certification is called Scuba Diver and is about half the content, training, and time of the usual Open Water class. Its main value is that it can be done in 1-2 days, rather than 2-3 days. It allows you to dive afterwards to 40 ft with a professional.