Does this make sense to any of you?

[SCUBAJENNIFER]

I would say it's pretty standard based on my own experience...I got certified in 3 days in Maui...no classroom time, no pool time, it was basically, watch the tape, here's the gear, lets hit the water. My 4th day and first certified dive was the back wall of Molokini crater. I thought it was the most awesome day ever...Now I look back and think that is was freakin' nuts. Good news is that I had no problems, and it was probably the dive that hooked me for life.

 

[Gambitt]

Was it legal (in a rules sence) Possibly... Was it Sane... No way!

My son is 7 and has already been "scuba diving" in our pool for the last couple of years, so he'll have a fair bit of experience, by the time he's ready for Jr. OW and I still wouldn't consider him going that deep at 11.

 

[Gombessa]

I did the whole resort-certification class too. We did limit all four OW checkout dives to 30-35ft, but I was asked after I passed if I wanted to sign up for a 107ft wreck dive the next day! :O I politely declined (but then went back and did the dive 6 months later, with quite a bit of trepidation). IMO that's still way out of my comfort zone, and I won't be doing anything like that again for a while.

Making one smart decision doesn't immunize you from withdrawal, I guess.

 

[Papa_Bear]

They're diving with an instructor! The most dangerous depth is the first 15ft (On accent)!
And they key is supervision! I feel it is up to the instructor to evaluate each student and maintain high standards! I am sure the parents were informed and may have accompanied the young divers! If your going to do it that is a good place to get it done! Under supervision they get to experience Narcoses and may have just touched that depth! It is a better lesson than to doing on their own! I have been with a young diver, who thought he was "Super Diver" until he narced and we were there to pick up "Super Diver" who was now very humble and a better diver for the experience!

So as I have noticed on this board, the Mob needs to put down the stones, and back away until they have swam a mile in the instructors fins!

 

[sweatfrog]

Fact of the matter is, as someone else pointed out in this thread, had this dive taken place under the guise of an AOW class, this dive would have been within standards, and sadly such a progression directly from OW to AOW is commonplace. That's the bigger problem. To the new diver, they don't know what they don't know, often times until it's too late.Regards

For a kid under the age of 15, the maximum depth during the PADI AOW is 70'.

I watched a number of Instructors in Belize promote diving the Blue Hole, immediately after their certification. Those trust me dives happen all the time. But you're right; they don't know what they don't know.

 

[Thalassamania]

...
So as I have noticed on this board, the Mob needs to put down the stones, and back away until they have swam a mile in the instructors fins!

I doubt rather seriously if any instructor foolish enough to take kids that age to almost 100 feet with that little training has swum a mile in his own fins.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Where are the depth police when you need them? We need to talk about why? The volume change is minimal and the only counter indicator would be narcoses, I think those that protest have no good reason to complain except it an "How dare you" reaction! How many of you have been to 96ft in Grand Cayman? Would I do it at Catalina? Probably not because of task loading! I had my first Job at 13 and was pretty good at it, but now OMG the child labor laws! There just smaller people who need more attention, it is not an OMG! Where are the stats? Where are they stacking up the bent bodies? Were making a Trench from an number set by a lawyer! Please! Take a deep breath! They all have great SAC rates and your just jealous!

 

[Thalassamania]

Where are the depth police when you need them? We need to talk about why? The volume change is minimal and the only counter indicator would be narcoses, I think those that protest have no good reason to complain except it an "How dare you" reaction! How many of you have been to 96ft in Grand Cayman? Would I do it at Catalina? Probably not because of task loading! I had my first Job at 13 and was pretty good at it, but now OMG the child labor laws! There just smaller people who need more attention, it is not an OMG! Where are the stats? Where are they stacking up the bent bodies? Were making a Trench from an number set by a lawyer! Please! Take a deep breath! They all have great SAC rates and your just jealous!

What about possible damage to the children's epiphyseal plates?

 

[novicediver]

Everyone needs to settle down and not play internet quarterback. I am not an instructor, I wasn't at the dive, I don't know the instructor or the students. Some young students are very mature for their age. Who knows what the actual depth was? We are just going by what is said in an article. At any rate, lets stop being so judgmental in light of few facts.

 

[peterbj7]

dive ops in Belize take newly certified divers to 150 in Blue Hole all the time

Sadly that is almost true. I spend a lot of my time and energy trying to dissuade inexperienced divers from doing that dive, but needless to say I get a lot of flack locally for commercial reasons. I have been on a boat operated by another dive centre and learned from chattiing to my fellow divers that one young woman (20ish) wasn't even certified, but had done a DSD the previous day as her first ever scuba experience. Positively frightening. I told PADI of that one but they were reluctant to do anything. Bad for business!