Discover Scuba for 12 yr old

[firstdive2005]

It's a fair point that no one should dive without a full course. I can make an argument for that as well. Still all the practice in the Y at home is not the same as jumping off a boat into the ocean, if you haven't done that before. Don raised the point about snokeling and working off boats in the open water and I think that it is really key.

Anyhow I didn't ask for a discussion on the merits of discover scuba as that could clearly go on indefinitely without ever reaching a conclusion. We could talk about PADI not being thorough enough, the merits of NAUIetc etc. What I was asking for ideas of female instructors as I think that my youg lady would be happier with a woman teacher. Thanks to all that answered.

My guess is that there are few problems with this program or it would be too much of a liabilty. I remember once seeing a chart on scuba accidents. The distribution on the curve showed both beginners AND people with a serious number of dives under their belts with the higher accident rate, with this group being the larger.
The thesis was that they started to be a bit complacent and pushed limits. Newbies tend to be really careful and follow all the rules.

Given some of the fatality threads it seems that diving with a spouse is a risk factor... Especially when there is life insurance money involved...

No you didn't ask for thoughts on doing an OW course for your daughter, we tried to help you make a decision with regards to scuba diving. Most if not all of us are divers our hearts are in the ocean not the pools. And most if not all think the resort courses are a rip. Albeit some divers have started there. All the divers I have talked to that did the course wished they had just done an OW course instead and saved the money. Most had never been to dive destinations before so they did not ever think of it as a hobby they would enjoy. The resort course changed that.
You seem to have a little different situation from those that have never thought of diving. It also seems you have simply made up your mind, you wont be the first and wont be the last to waste time on the resort course.
My first dive was with my buddy that ran a shop on St. Lucia. I had never even thought of scuba because I am landlocked in Alberta and really only ever did mountain climbing because it's my backyard. At the three minute mark underwater I was addicted. I was, up until then, a snorkel freak and free diver of sorts. Now I forget how to use a snorkel. I wish your daughter a great future in diving.

 

[firstdive2005]

It's funny some of us are recommending Mau to teach your daughter and you used Scubamau already.

 

[DocVikingo]

Roswitha Flury. My last contact with her was thru kuda1@hotmail.com.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[Jackie]

We liked ScubaMau very much and had a very positive experience. Will use them again.
Getting back to my original inquiry, knowing my "step" daughter I was trying to get ideas on a female instructor to get her started.
When my daughter and i were certified in Cozumel in 2003 I found that it all went much better when for the second day we switched to a woman. I think her first name was Cristina and according to my c-card her name is Aguilar de Leon. She used to work on the island but I have not been able to find her. She was just wonderful with my daughter who was 14 at the time. I also enjoyed workign with her and the fact that I remember her fondly all these years later means something...

 

[DandyDon]

It is interesting that you just do not see many ladies working as DMs or Insts on the island, or anywhere else I have dived in Latin America. I remember one at the Blue Angel years ago but I heard the other day she & hubby were overseas. A couple own dive ops that I can think of, one of whom is out for an injury for now. There may well be others among the many dive ops I have not tried, but no one is mentioning any? Maybe it would have helped to have had that in the thread title, but maybe someone new will get this far down in the thread with an new idea - or you may need to start a new thread with that title...??

 

[Karibelle]

Don, you're likely thinking of Catherine Giroux, who taught out of Blue Angel for years. I believe she is now in Majahual.

I work at Blue Angel; most of my teaching is with groups that come down from Canada, but I do other instruction there as well.

 

[DandyDon]

Don, you're likely thinking of Catherine Giroux, who taught out of Blue Angel for years. I believe she is now in Majahual.

I work at Blue Angel; most of my teaching is with groups that come down from Canada, but I do other instruction there as well.

I don't know. Mjatkins mentioned a name on another thread I think, but that name does not come up on and I can't find it. I just noticed that she was very lovely, nice smile, quite preggy the last time I saw her, but never talked to her more than hellos.

So anyway, are you a lady Inst who would do a discover dive in the ocean with a 12 yo? I did not realize that you were on island.

Do you know of others?

 

[Karibelle]

So anyway, are you a lady Inst who would do a discover dive in the ocean with a 12 yo? I did not realize that you were on island.

Do you know of others?

I am, and I did send Jackie a PM. Others? The only other I know of personally is Christi.

kari

 

[Cali_diver]

Blanca was great for my 12 year old. She has a way with kids! They had an amazing time with her and both my kids got their advanced open water cert with her when she worked a BXTS. She is with Blue Project now and I cant say anything about that dive op since I haven't used them but Blanca was very very good with the kids.