As mentioned earlier the age was 12-13 at one timne. and then lowered to 10 for those miricle matured kids. Not every kid is one of those. Coming from a farm background , driving at 8-10 was no biggy. a car was just a tractor with a cabin and quiet tires that went faster than 12 mph. in the driving world the farm kids were the equivlant miricle matured kids. i see no problems with an instructor's kids diving early as they are exposed to it on a daily basis. they have been learning on thier own for perhaps a couple of years and see no real mystery is diving. Hard lines are made for the whole in general. So as an instructor would i have my dhild be certifiable at 8 of 9. Yes i would. Would i push them to do it no. Would i tank themout divng YES would i give them a card before they met the industry standard NO. No more than i would ask the dmv to give my kid a vehicle driving card at 13. They can drive in the field all day long but not on the roads. Id say its a difference between a perental vs a professional call.
9 year old diving?
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Glenn08
Contributor
Arbitrary
ar·bi·trar·y ˈärbiˌtrerē/ adjective
1. based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.
"his mealtimes were entirely arbitrary"
synonyms: capricious, whimsical, random, chance, unpredictable
The rule is very specific. The OP is trying to make it arbitrary.
Glenn08
Contributor
I don't object to good teaching techniques. I do object to an instructor failing students who couldn't complete a skill that the instructor could not justify the need of. I started diving in 1974. Some rules and attitudes have changed since then. Some haven't. I have worked with enough instructors, good, bad, and indifferent, that I am no longer in awe of them. Some rules, like the current 10 years-old, are arbitrary, so admit it is an arbitrary rule set by the certifying agency. And then there is the (imo) hypocrisy that the parent is not capable of objectively assessing the skills of his son, unless of course the parent is an instructor, in which case the 10 years-old rule can be bent.
---------- Post added September 22nd, 2013 at 09:45 PM ----------
And you will now follow up with extensive research proving that between the age of 9-years-and-364-days and the age
of 9-years-and-366-days the perception of lung overexpansion and air embolism, with the possible complications of injury, paralysis, and death, changed from textbook learning to real-life dangers ?
The choice of 10 years-old is specific.
The justification of 10 years-old, vs 10-1/2, or 11, is arbitrary.
Uh, no. If you read my first post you will have a better understanding of my position. I simply provided a definition.
I do find it interesting that most replies have been a post or two of generally good advice but you seem to have taken the issue very personally. Much more so than the OP that has yet to follow up the original post.
Doesn't matter if it is your kids or not this is just another way around the standard. None of the instructors I work with would do this and everyone of them made their kids wait until they were much older than 10 to take OW. Just because they are physically able to do it doesn't mean they should. I still can't be convinced that a 10 year old can understand NDL's, DCS, O2 limits etc. Everybody on here always preaches that a diver that is fresh out of their open water class should be able to plan a dive and execute that plan? Most 10 year olds can't plan their dinner.
Glenn08
Contributor
I looked back through the posts and I think the first mention of a specific requirement (rule) of 10 years-old was #34.
I think I would have dropped the topic, except that some posts suggested that if a shop bent this rule, they might be capable of anything. And many posts seemed to claim that the 10 years-old threshold somehow brought a maturity that made all of the dangers of diving real vs. book learning.
I think I would have dropped the topic, except that some posts suggested that if a shop bent this rule, they might be capable of anything. And many posts seemed to claim that the 10 years-old threshold somehow brought a maturity that made all of the dangers of diving real vs. book learning.
bilsant
Contributor
Let me offer a slightly different perspective to the OP.
I was a single Dad and eager for my son to get into the activities I loved. Hunting, fishing, cycling, snorkeling, canoeing, hiking, and camping....outdoorsy stuff. I introduced him early, offered positive reinforcement, and in the interest of making sure he got to enjoy all the great opportunities, sometimes pushed too hard.
He turned out to be a pretty good man. We love each other, enjoy each other's company, and spend great time together. He's happy and pretty successful in his life for a 25 year old...and has absolutely NO interest in those activities where I introduced him too early. I found out later that some of those positive experiences we shared were more positive for me. Perhaps someday he'll feel differently and revisit those sports, but I suspect that will be in spite of my efforts...not because of them.
I know exactly two instructors and three DM's to whom I'd trust my son if he was interested in SCUBA...None of them are the type who would advocate breaking a dumb old age limit rule designed for a student's safety...even if the parent was arrogant or uninformed enough to try. BTW, kudos to you for being smart enough to come on here and ask your question and not just plunge ahead.
Do both of yourselves a favor and take your kid snorkeling for now...on short trips where there will be no pressure to keep at it when he gets tired or bored. Move him into SCUBA when he's ready and asks for it. You'll have other opportunities later on.
I hope you enjoy your vacation.
I was a single Dad and eager for my son to get into the activities I loved. Hunting, fishing, cycling, snorkeling, canoeing, hiking, and camping....outdoorsy stuff. I introduced him early, offered positive reinforcement, and in the interest of making sure he got to enjoy all the great opportunities, sometimes pushed too hard.
He turned out to be a pretty good man. We love each other, enjoy each other's company, and spend great time together. He's happy and pretty successful in his life for a 25 year old...and has absolutely NO interest in those activities where I introduced him too early. I found out later that some of those positive experiences we shared were more positive for me. Perhaps someday he'll feel differently and revisit those sports, but I suspect that will be in spite of my efforts...not because of them.
I know exactly two instructors and three DM's to whom I'd trust my son if he was interested in SCUBA...None of them are the type who would advocate breaking a dumb old age limit rule designed for a student's safety...even if the parent was arrogant or uninformed enough to try. BTW, kudos to you for being smart enough to come on here and ask your question and not just plunge ahead.
Do both of yourselves a favor and take your kid snorkeling for now...on short trips where there will be no pressure to keep at it when he gets tired or bored. Move him into SCUBA when he's ready and asks for it. You'll have other opportunities later on.
I hope you enjoy your vacation.
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dumpsterDiver
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Really? You can't imagine a 10-yr old being able to understand the simplistic, watered down physics that is presented in an OW class?
You are very dull if you can't imagine a 10 yr old being able to understand this stuff enough to dive to 40 feet while being supervised by an adult..
How about his kid: think he could do it?
10-Year-Old Mexican Prodigy Wants To Attend Harvard - ABC News
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