Getting my kids certified and gear

[DallasNewbie]

I have a 10 yo and a 12 yo who I plan to get certified this summer. After diving with me some in the pool, the 12 yo dove with me (and an instructor) in Hawaii and loved it (no judgment please). The 10 yo has dove in the pool as well and enjoyed it. So far they have been using my wife's regulator and her BCD snugged up enough to almost fit them. They have masks, my 12 yo fits my wife's old booties, and we have snorkels coming out of our ears. So I figure just rent BCDs and regs for training. But I am not sure where to go from there.

Obviously this is an expensive hobby, kids grow fast, and their tastes change quickly. When my wife and I got into the sport, I think we took one trip where we rented our gear at home and took it with us. I'm considering that with them as well, and planning a trip to Cozumel in the fall. At the same time, kids like having their own stuff... So I'm really hoping that folks who've gone through this with their kids might have tips on ways to get kids super excited about diving and let them really experience it without throwing $$ into a pit.

 

[runsongas]

if you don't plan on doing much diving outside of a yearly trip or two, just rent the gear (maybe go with a bigger operator that has children's bcds so you don't have to carry the gear down). consider buying some aqualung comfobite mouthpieces and having the dive operator swap them out for you. they are more comfortable, the aqualung version is smaller and works a bit better for small mouths, and also helps with any ick factor you might have about rental regulators.

 

[DogDiver]

All three of my children are certified. All started at age 12. I’m a NAUI Instructor so initial cost for instruction was low. Also I had 10 sets of rental gear in all sizes for student use. So that part was covered. Now the budget buster. Try equipping yourself with full cave gear AND 2 of your children. $$$$$$$$$$$$$.

 

[Prostardiver]

Remember, it is mandatory that they put their gear on in the living room and do the happy dance.

 

[aviator8]

My biggest problem has been exposure protection. a BP/W is quite adjustable for several years. Regs don't change, I just got a comfortbite on my daughters regs as they seem to work well for her. Fins can usually accommodate through several sizes. Even in warm water my daughter gets chilled. They don't have much body mass at that age. I am on her third wetsuit now since she wont stop growing. Buy used! I just hope my youngest shows some interest so I can have her use the hand me downs.

 

[Skulmoski]

... So I figure just rent BCDs and regs for training. But I am not sure where to go from there.

Time for you and your partner to upgrade your dive computers and hand your old ones down to your kids! I did the same. Look for used gear. Review the theory on a regular basis and follow good practice as role models. Good luck. Have fun.

GJS

 

[Angelo Farina]

Both my sons started around 5-6 yo (both I and my wife are instructors). They did dive with us at very shallow depths and with minimal equipment (no BCD, shorty suit, a small 5 liters pony cylinder) until 10 yo, then for the following two years we slowly trained them to use a compete set of gear, including BCD, console, a standard 10-liters tank, and slowly going deeper, up to 18m. At 12 yo they did follow PADI courses and they were certified J-AOW.
After that they followed CMAS courses here at home (which are more "serious", but not so "fun").
Diving with your sons is a very nice thing, I and my wife had some of the best times of our lives while diving with our children. Any new skill learned, and obstacle surpassed is a great conquer, so do not worry on the money spent on suits which last just for one holiday, or the cost for renting equipment. It is all worth the happiness being generated!

 

[Ukmc]

Mk11/c370 is light and compact. He has been diving it since 10. I didn’t want him to have a rental reg, as at that age the least variation they have the more comfort and more they can pay attention to details. It is a high quality reg and he can dive it for as long as he wants. Once he is older and if he decides to upgrade or start his own collection of regs, well, then he can decide how he wants to spend he money. I came upon XS women’s BCD that he has almost outgrown now, But he has been diving it for 2 years. I will have to find another lightly used one for him until he stops growing. Once again, I don’t like renting for kids, as I want to have the least amount of variation in gear.
Booties is a problem, now that he has been hitting puberty - we are on the third pair within 2 years Fins and mask is an easy investment.

 

[Caveeagle]

Having three kids who dive, I have been through this.

here are a few things I try to do.
-keep gear Types to a minimum. Make a call as to what works best for the group as a whole. This will help with maintenance and spares etc.

-I found a Hollis DG02 computers did everything we needed and could be found used for around $100. It makes life easier to have everyone using the same computer, and same batteries.

-BP/w are great, I also really like the Dive Rite TransPac. I was able to find them used for decent price. One was almost new for $50...

-Regs, can get real pricey. Initial cost, AND cost of service. Avoid regs where parts are impossible to buy as a consumer. Several companies make their parts available, and some will
Help you learn to self service.

-just so people don’t think I am a total dictator.. (haha).. masks, wetsuits, and find are much more personal, and they all got to make their own choice on those.

 

[James79]

I'm not sure where your comfort level is with DIY, but that can be a huge money saver. Along with buying used.

BCD's - My sons (14 and 10) and I all use BPW's that I made from scratch.... I think the most expensive one has about $60 in it. Without DIY'ing to that level, you can also just go a less traditional route and save a lot. For example Piranha sells a plastic backpack for $14 or so that will do the same job that a $70-$150 dollar back-plate will. Webbing is cheap, and infinitely adjustable. You can buy a budget wing to put on it, and Bob's your uncle.

Wetsuits - I bought used rental suits off the LDS for $20 each... and when the youngest grows out of them, they'll get sold for $10-$20 each. Like someone said up-thread, kids have no fat so they they get cold fast.... my 10 y.o. will swim in an 70 degree pool all day, but he's in and out. Diving the springs with a 3mm full suit and a hood he is good for 20-30 minutes.

Regs - I DIY those, and I like old chrome. If you're willing to learn, and reasonably handy, the old stuff can be rebuilt to look an work beautifully for a surprisingly low price... and in the water they don't weigh much (larger internal volume on the second offsets the all metal weight). I can put together a good, clean, reg set usually for $120-$250, depending on things like needing new hoses, cosmetic condition of the chrome, may need a new pressure gauge, etc. Or you can buy a "cheap set" new, knowing that none of the new gear sold in the U.S. is unsafe.

Respectfully,

James

p.s.
My 14 y.o.'s BPW, and the most current pattern for a Back-Plate cut from a $5 cutting board: