freewillie
Contributor
I just returned from a family vacation to Maui. One of the highlights of the trip was three days of diving with my now 16 y.o. daughter who also has AOW certification. Afternoon 2 tank dive one day, morning 2 tank dive to Lanai and first cathedral (highlight of the dive trip!), and a night dive. I don't think she grew but a brand new wetsuit that seemed to fit well in the store seemed too tight when she actually went diving in the new suit. Personally I think it's just a little restrictive which is what happens in 7 mm suits. The compromise was not to fully zip the suit up and essentially leave open unzipped in the back. Other than that no real problems on the trip and she is lucky that Dad can afford three days of diving for two.
At the hotel they were offering snuba. Now my 9 y.o. son's friend really wanted to try it, and my son was interested but I'm not so sure he would have done it without the friend. We eventually signed up and went out on a snuba excursion. My son seemed to love it. He has been talking about it and was very excited to have seen a few eels along with all the other fish. I have a waterproof card and book of Hawaiian reef fish and the two boys had a great time pointing out the fish they spotted. The only draw back was my son complained that his feet hurt and I'm still trying to figure out if the fins were a little tight or that he is not used to kicking underwater with fins. My suspicion is that he didn't like the fins. And for the first time he was also very interested in just regular snorkeling of the beach. He had never wanted to snorkel before but now loves putting his face in the water with a mask looking at the fish.
We already have on the calendar for next year a multiple family trip to the Beaches resort in Turks and Caicos. That is the same resort my daughter and friend were certified for their then junior OW certification. Scuba is included as one of the water activities. Scuba instruction and classes are available for a fee. I want my son to try the PADI Bubble Makers or even Seal Team but he seems a little hesitant to do so at this time.
No real worries though. With kids you have to be very patient. My son had never until this year expressed any interest in snorkeling despite a few snorkel boats in the past. You can imagine my frustrations having paid the money for the kid to go on a snorkel cruise only to spend less than 5 minutes in the water then wanting to go back to the boat and spend the rest of the trip watching from the deck. Two years later he is enjoying snorkel and scuba. Last year he wouldn't even get in the pool and try the snuba. I'm fairly certain that when we get to Turks & Caicos next year he'll want to join his friend if he does Bubble Makers or Seal Team. And I have no doubts that as he gets older in a few years he'll want to certify for scuba and join his big sister and dad.
I'm going to hang on to the old wetsuit as possible hand me down. It's a 7 mm XXS. I have it because even though they are kids and still growing they still need good proper fitting gear just as much as us adults. Maybe even more so because with their smaller body size they will get colder quicker. If we as adults find a dive ruined by a poor fitting wetsuit in cold water how do you think the kid will feel. And good luck getting them back in the water if they are not having fun. I got this particular wetsuit because on my daughter's first OW dive in California in the cold after having trained in the warm waters of the Caribbean she wasn't properly protected. The dive shop had assured me that they are used to having kids and have plenty of gear to fit her. Well, they did have a properly fitted wetsuit but no hood, gloves, or booties. While the DM I had hired as guide was in a dry suit, I had my hood, gloves, and booties, she was in full foot fins without booties, no gloves, and no hood. After the first dive she was so cold her lips were blue. I could see the apprehension in her eyes when we started to gear up for dive number two and then decided to thumb the dive because she didn't have the right exposure gear. I thought it would be better to eat the cost of the second dive rather than have her suffer in the cold. While she still takes quite a bit of coercing to dive locally she now has her own hood, gloves, and booties. She will dive on occasion in the cold.
I might look into a snorkel set for my son for the next summer. Even if he decides not to do Bubble Maker we can at least enjoy some snorkeling with good fitting gear for him and a mask that doesn't leak. Who knows, if the feet don't bother him he might even try Bubble Maker. At 10 years old I don't think I'm going to let him certify until closer to 14 years old anyways. For now snorkeling and snuba are just fine until he wants to certify. And I'm happy to spend the time doing either. Of course I've got the older sister as a dive buddy for real diving and some father/daughter time as well.
For kids they need at least a good fitting wet suit, mask, and fins. You can rent regulators and BC's until they are either diving often enough to justify the cost of buying over renting or when you feel they won't outgrow the gear to quickly. But you have to be patient. Let them go on their own schedule. If they get tired or bored let them be. There is always another day and another time. We always say a diver can thumb a dive for any reason, that should be especially true of kids. Just because you paid for 2 hours of snorkeling or 2 or even 3 tanks of diving and they thumb after 1 dive that's okay. Don't get caught up in being the parent and then thinking "I paid for this trip and can't get a refund." Sure it hurts to eat the cost but if you are patient it will pay off in the long run.
And above all, have fun. After all, that's why we love this sport. Nothing makes me smile more than sharing that experience with my kids and watching their fun too.
At the hotel they were offering snuba. Now my 9 y.o. son's friend really wanted to try it, and my son was interested but I'm not so sure he would have done it without the friend. We eventually signed up and went out on a snuba excursion. My son seemed to love it. He has been talking about it and was very excited to have seen a few eels along with all the other fish. I have a waterproof card and book of Hawaiian reef fish and the two boys had a great time pointing out the fish they spotted. The only draw back was my son complained that his feet hurt and I'm still trying to figure out if the fins were a little tight or that he is not used to kicking underwater with fins. My suspicion is that he didn't like the fins. And for the first time he was also very interested in just regular snorkeling of the beach. He had never wanted to snorkel before but now loves putting his face in the water with a mask looking at the fish.
We already have on the calendar for next year a multiple family trip to the Beaches resort in Turks and Caicos. That is the same resort my daughter and friend were certified for their then junior OW certification. Scuba is included as one of the water activities. Scuba instruction and classes are available for a fee. I want my son to try the PADI Bubble Makers or even Seal Team but he seems a little hesitant to do so at this time.
No real worries though. With kids you have to be very patient. My son had never until this year expressed any interest in snorkeling despite a few snorkel boats in the past. You can imagine my frustrations having paid the money for the kid to go on a snorkel cruise only to spend less than 5 minutes in the water then wanting to go back to the boat and spend the rest of the trip watching from the deck. Two years later he is enjoying snorkel and scuba. Last year he wouldn't even get in the pool and try the snuba. I'm fairly certain that when we get to Turks & Caicos next year he'll want to join his friend if he does Bubble Makers or Seal Team. And I have no doubts that as he gets older in a few years he'll want to certify for scuba and join his big sister and dad.
I'm going to hang on to the old wetsuit as possible hand me down. It's a 7 mm XXS. I have it because even though they are kids and still growing they still need good proper fitting gear just as much as us adults. Maybe even more so because with their smaller body size they will get colder quicker. If we as adults find a dive ruined by a poor fitting wetsuit in cold water how do you think the kid will feel. And good luck getting them back in the water if they are not having fun. I got this particular wetsuit because on my daughter's first OW dive in California in the cold after having trained in the warm waters of the Caribbean she wasn't properly protected. The dive shop had assured me that they are used to having kids and have plenty of gear to fit her. Well, they did have a properly fitted wetsuit but no hood, gloves, or booties. While the DM I had hired as guide was in a dry suit, I had my hood, gloves, and booties, she was in full foot fins without booties, no gloves, and no hood. After the first dive she was so cold her lips were blue. I could see the apprehension in her eyes when we started to gear up for dive number two and then decided to thumb the dive because she didn't have the right exposure gear. I thought it would be better to eat the cost of the second dive rather than have her suffer in the cold. While she still takes quite a bit of coercing to dive locally she now has her own hood, gloves, and booties. She will dive on occasion in the cold.
I might look into a snorkel set for my son for the next summer. Even if he decides not to do Bubble Maker we can at least enjoy some snorkeling with good fitting gear for him and a mask that doesn't leak. Who knows, if the feet don't bother him he might even try Bubble Maker. At 10 years old I don't think I'm going to let him certify until closer to 14 years old anyways. For now snorkeling and snuba are just fine until he wants to certify. And I'm happy to spend the time doing either. Of course I've got the older sister as a dive buddy for real diving and some father/daughter time as well.
For kids they need at least a good fitting wet suit, mask, and fins. You can rent regulators and BC's until they are either diving often enough to justify the cost of buying over renting or when you feel they won't outgrow the gear to quickly. But you have to be patient. Let them go on their own schedule. If they get tired or bored let them be. There is always another day and another time. We always say a diver can thumb a dive for any reason, that should be especially true of kids. Just because you paid for 2 hours of snorkeling or 2 or even 3 tanks of diving and they thumb after 1 dive that's okay. Don't get caught up in being the parent and then thinking "I paid for this trip and can't get a refund." Sure it hurts to eat the cost but if you are patient it will pay off in the long run.
And above all, have fun. After all, that's why we love this sport. Nothing makes me smile more than sharing that experience with my kids and watching their fun too.
