BP/W Instructor for 10 yo?

[scrane]

Talk to your daughter and see if she can be a little less demanding in her requests. The important thing is that the instructor should be thorough and good with kids. She can adapt to BP/W after she's certified. Not a big deal.

 

[CD24]

Pretty sure I listed being good with kids as the most important attribute. It would be an added benefit to have her learn in the equipment she will be using post certification and I’d like for an instructor to check proper fitment, weighting, etc.

 

[lostsheep]

Talk to your daughter and see if she can be a little less demanding in her requests. The important thing is that the instructor should be thorough and good with kids. She can adapt to BP/W after she's certified. Not a big deal.

Less demanding? OP didn’t say the daughter demanded anything.

Pretty sure I listed being good with kids as the most important attribute. It would be an added benefit to have her learn in the equipment she will be using post certification and I’d like for an instructor to check proper fitment, weighting, etc.

I think it’s fantastic you’re starting her in a BPW, don’t listen to the naysayers.

Just a heads up, the aquarium does a try scuba diving program in the tide pool, that might be a good introduction. They don’t really leave the surface but they do use dry suits with BPW. We did it last year and the kids loved it.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Can we address the question of whether a 10 year old should be taking scuba instruction in the first place?

I got my son certified at 12. But only because I knew he could handle difficult physical conditions without panicking (he's a dinghy sailor).

My sons both started diving in the sea (Sardinia) at 5 y.old..
They were using scuba tanks in the pool since 2.5 years old.
At 10 years they were quite proficient.
However they were using a plastic backplate AND NO WING.
I added the wing only at 12 years old, when they were certified Advanced OW.
So the question should rephrased at: does a 10 y.old should use a wing (or a jacket)? And my opinion is NO.

 

[lostsheep]

The OP asked for an experienced female instructor comfortable with a BPW setup in NorCal; OP didn’t ask for parenting advice or standards-violating gear configurations that would be straight up dangerous here.

Some people just can’t read or otherwise handle their Internet.

SMDH

 

[eelpout]

I have the perfect instructor, but we live in Houston. My daughter got certified when she was 10. She put on her first scuba tank on in the pool at 8 years old. It helped that she grew up around a dive shop and both of her parents are instructors. My daughter approached one of more mature and understanding instructors to go through the class and pool work. She did her open water with her mother. Back then there was this company called DSS. I had a discussion with him about my daughter, and he built me a backplate out of Kydex (which he actually sold for adults to travel with) and a 20# wing. My daughter switched to a small SS BP when she was 12 and now at 25 she dives with a Halcyon cinch system. Her instructor took it real slow in the pool and in the classroom (which was not really needed because she had sat in on a bunch of the classes that were taught in my store).

I hope you find somebody because when you get the going when they are young they just a lot of fun to be around in the water. My daughter is presently a Public school middle-High school Science teacher that is saving money to pay for Grad School .... in Marine Biology.

 

[lowwall]

Some people like to share pertinent information such as safety concerns where warranted even if, make that especially if, the OP didn't address them.

IMO, PADI et al are completely irresponsible in offering certification to children under 12. The only thing that makes such diving reasonable at all is if the child dives under the direct supervision of a dive professional or parent who is both aware of the risks and skilled enough to prevent the child from getting into trouble.

Pointing this out is no different than in any other thread where the responses point out the safety implications the OP may have missed.

 

[rx7diver]

... However they were using a plastic backplate AND NO WING. ...

A U.S. Divers (or similar) plastic, blow-molded backpack, a Luxfer Al 50 or 63 cylinder, and a simple single-hose regulator (i.e., no octopus attached), AND NO WING/BCD, make a terrific rig for preteens to use when being introduced to scuba in a swimming pool.

Make sure the preteen has competent swimming and snorkeling/skin-diving skills first, though.

rx7diver

 

[jellycatsdad]

I have a guy in the East Bay who teaches private(and is great with kids) but you also wanted female too. I also know another person who might fit that requirement as well.

 

[lowwall]

I have a guy in the East Bay who teaches private(and is great with kids) but you also wanted female too. I also know another person who might fit that requirement as well.

It can be difficult to tell these days.