I'm considering a trip to the Bahamas with a few friends in the end of March, but I hava a limitation I need advice about. My 11 year old daughter will come with us, and she needs to do her OW certification dives before going anywhere else (she's completed her course and pool work, but needs the open water dives and could probably stand a little tune-up by then as well).
Additionally, since she's young, I understand that it's probably best that she stay in comparatively shallow waters for a while. I had hoped to do some diving on Long Island (Stella Maris), Cat Island, and maybe San Salvador (Riding Rock), but it looks like the best diving there may be kind of deep for an 11 year old. I'm relatively inexperienced myself, so I'm not sure about these impressions, and would like some input. (I should add that I've read Doc Vikingo's article about young divers and the risks attendant upon their diving, and want to keep my daughter to strict observance of the 40' standard for the next year and likely a while beyond. My question is really about whether there are such sites in those islands.)
I have two questions: first, where is a good place to do the OW cert dives for a junior diver (we could stop in Florida for a couple of days first, if need be), and second, what do those with experience in those areas think about whether there are dives available to depths that are appropriate for an 11 year old child (<40')? I'll contact the resorts on those islands directly, but I'd be curious about the consensus here as well.
Thanks in advance for your advice...
Additionally, since she's young, I understand that it's probably best that she stay in comparatively shallow waters for a while. I had hoped to do some diving on Long Island (Stella Maris), Cat Island, and maybe San Salvador (Riding Rock), but it looks like the best diving there may be kind of deep for an 11 year old. I'm relatively inexperienced myself, so I'm not sure about these impressions, and would like some input. (I should add that I've read Doc Vikingo's article about young divers and the risks attendant upon their diving, and want to keep my daughter to strict observance of the 40' standard for the next year and likely a while beyond. My question is really about whether there are such sites in those islands.)
I have two questions: first, where is a good place to do the OW cert dives for a junior diver (we could stop in Florida for a couple of days first, if need be), and second, what do those with experience in those areas think about whether there are dives available to depths that are appropriate for an 11 year old child (<40')? I'll contact the resorts on those islands directly, but I'd be curious about the consensus here as well.
Thanks in advance for your advice...