9 year old diving?

[djmatl]

Hi! I am going on a cruise over christmas holiday and would love to go on some dives with my son. He is turning 10 just 2 weeks after the cruise, and reading the PADI certifications 10 is the minimum age for open water diving. I am wondering how hard and fast that rule is - both to get the certification locally and then would there be any problems at the dives?

I certainly understand the safety issues and reason for the age limit, it is just a rare vacation opportunity and he is so close to the age limit.

What do you experts think?

 

[WB2GLP]

Enjoy the snorkeling. Look into the availability of Snuba while on vacation. Meanwhile, get your son started on the academics.

 

[mikeycanuk]

It's a pretty hard rule, no diving for him. The only option and a good one is to have him take the PADI Seal team/Aquamissions. They do 5 1hr lessons in the pool, ages 8-9. Our son did the Seal Team. He was turning 10 just before we left for Mexico, they would not start the certification until his birthday had passed. So we decided to get certified in Mexico instead, bad idea. Thankfully the Seal Team prepared him for a solo very first open water dive!

 

[mathauck0814]

Think of it this way - is your 9 year old physically capable of rescuing you? Or emotionally capable of dealing with a situation from which there can be no rescue?

 

[iluvtheocean]

even discover scuba is a minimum of 10 yrs old.. most places will probably hold fast to the 10 yr min for liability issues among others. But look at it this way too.. it's like the height restrictions on a roller coaster are there for a reason -- safety. If a place won't conform to that basic rule.. what guarantee do you have that anything else is going to be up to par?

how about taking the jr OW course after the cruise after he turns 10 and then come dive in the keys for spring break?

 

[Glenn08]

Hard and fast rules are best for those who don't want to think. I challenged the hard and fast rule that student divers do not use dry suits. My son did his open water training in a Viking dry suit - he was always too cold in a wet suit. And if your son is not capable of rescuing you, dive in a group of three - but you have to vet the third diver. We also broke the hard and fast rule of only diving in pairs. Bottom line = expect a lot of resistance to breaking the rules, especially if you question the justification.

 

[mtngoat2674]

Hard and fast rules are best for those who don't want to think. I challenged the hard and fast rule that student divers do not use dry suits. My son did his open water training in a Viking dry suit - he was always too cold in a wet suit. And if your son is not capable of rescuing you, dive in a group of three - but you have to vet the third diver. We also broke the hard and fast rule of only diving in pairs. Bottom line = expect a lot of resistance to breaking the rules, especially if you question the justification.

Understanding the complete reason for the rules and the consequences of breaking them is the first step in deciding whether or not you wish to push the envelope. With regard to the age restrictions, many things come into play. Maturity, mental ability, psychological readiness, physical ability and stature, and liability are just some. One topic that most parents don't think of when they choose to have their child begin diving is the physiological effects on the body. Certifying agencies have age limits and depth limits set for young ages in part because the consequences of pressure/nitrogen loading/oxygen toxicity/etc is not completely understood. Not for adults, and in particular, not for children whose bodies are still growing and developing.

While a few weeks, or even months, is probably not going to make a difference, where do we draw the line? The opportunity is a great one, but there will be others. So even if someone is willing to take your son on a dive or certify him, is it worth the risk? That's something only you can answer. As was suggested, definitely allow him to experience snorkeling or even snuba if that's allowed. There's a whole other world to be explored under water...

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I think 10 is too young for a vast majority of kids to be taught scuba diving in open water. However, my boys were pretty well trained by the time they were 9. Don't expect the instructor to violate the standards, they need to draw the line somewhere. It used to be 13 yrs when I was a kid, that is more reasonable for most kids..

 

[uncfnp]

Understanding the complete reason for the rules and the consequences of breaking them is the first step in deciding whether or not you wish to push the envelope. With regard to the age restrictions, many things come into play. Maturity, mental ability, psychological readiness, physical ability and stature, and liability are just some. One topic that most parents don't think of when they choose to have their child begin diving is the physiological effects on the body. Certifying agencies have age limits and depth limits set for young ages in part because the consequences of pressure/nitrogen loading/oxygen toxicity/etc is not completely understood. Not for adults, and in particular, not for children whose bodies are still growing and developing.

While a few weeks, or even months, is probably not going to make a difference, where do we draw the line? The opportunity is a great one, but there will be others. So even if someone is willing to take your son on a dive or certify him, is it worth the risk? That's something only you can answer. As was suggested, definitely allow him to experience snorkeling or even snuba if that's allowed. There's a whole other world to be explored under water...

I would also add how comfortable is your son in the water? Has he snorkeled before? Scuba diving with your son would be an incredible experience and definitely something to work towards but is this the right time and the best way to start? If he is not ready, his first experience may not be all you hoped for and could negatively impact his future attitude for the sport. It could be that the snorkeling would actually be more enjoyable and relaxing for both of you.

I am definitely not a "just follow the rules because..." person but as mtngoat2674 has pointed out, know why the rules are there so you can make an intelligent decision to follow or disregard. Consider the risk/benefit of the choice. If it were my 9 yr old, the risk would have to be minuscule and the reward great.

 

[NorCalDM]

Don't rush it! For me the most important factor is he mentally ready at 10 years old I don't believe so. I think the age should be higher but that is my opinion. My wife and I made our son wait until he was 15 to complete his open water. He wanted to get certified at 10 but we were not ready as parents. He did do several discover scuba, lots of snorkeling and free diving. He also was able to set through many open water classes so he new what to expect for his open water class. My wife is an AI and I am a DM and over the years I seen many younger kids getting certified to please mom and dad not because they want to and at 10 years old I don't feel they get the big picture of what can go wrong and what to do.