Getting my kids certified and gear

[TMHeimer]

Glad things are going great for you and the kids. No posts from the "anti-youngsters being certified" yet. We are in the tiny minority. Hope all continues to go well and safe.

 

[Angelo Farina]

It does seem like BCs may be the biggest issue.

Well, I solved this problem entirely by teaching our sons to dive without a BCD.
Which is how I and my wife were taught in the seventies...
Our children both started diving in the sea around 5 yo, after 2 years using the air tank in the swimming pool.
They had a small 5 liters steel tank, with a small plastic backpack and harness, and no wing. They did dive with us (both we parents are instructors, and my wife is certified for baby training too) without BCD until 12 yo, accumulating 50 or 60 dives, down to 10m and with some small caverns.
At 12 yo they had to be certified JAOW, and only at that point we trained them using the BCD.
Now our sons are 25 and 30. Still when diving they do not use the BCD, they mostly leave it entirely empty, even at surface...
A BCD is useful only diving deep with a very thick suit. Which of course is not how children should dive...

 

[SCUBABruin]

I got my son certified when he was 12. He is not 16. I bought him all new gear and based on my experiences of diving I wanted to get him something that would grow with him. He has a Hollis backplate system and loves it. His bouyancy control is easy with it and he can get in and out of it in a snap. I need to replace my own gear and will only consider the BPW configuration. He has used some borrowed gear, but everytime he has, he want his BPW back.

 

[Neilwood]

Wow, thanks for all the great responses! It does seem like BCs may be the biggest issue. I went to the LDS, and the only kid-sized BCs they have are for training, and the owner said they don't often sell them used because they don't get a lot of use and are expensive to replace... So I guess I just need to start watching out for used gear. I wouldn't be averse to getting them BPW, but it looks like a new wing costs just about as much as a BC.

Wife and I have simple Aeries Atmos 1 computers, which I believe use the modified Haldane algorithm. Would it be important that they have computers using the same algorithm?

Jacket BCD's will need complete replacement while your kids are growing (maybe once or twice depending on how big they get- if it had been me I would have been a small or XS when 11 but an XL by the time I was 16/17 had I been a diver then).
With BP&W, you need only ever buy one wing and (probably) backplate each. The webbing might need replaced as your kids grow (unless you want a lot of spare webbing dangling) but the hardware on it (D-rings, buckles, triglides etc) can be reused.

There are cheap(ish) wings out there (which don't necessarily come with a big manufacturers name but are just as good).
Backplates can be cheap (there is no need to go for a "mainstream" manufacturer (it is just a bit of folded metal with holes in it). You can even get them made cheaply especially if you can get aluminium sheet and know an engineer with a pressbreak (that is how the originals were made - from street signs if I remember correctly). There are only a couple of reasons for changing backplate - Alu to steel (or vice versa for weight/travel purposes) and changing size (for long/short version as supplied by some manufacturers). Most people can make the standard size work for them irrespective of size - I (at 6'3) use the same size of backplate as someone about 9" shorter (about 5'6) and a lot thinner than me.

With computers, using the same algorithm is nice but not essential. Pick a cheapish model for them such as a Puck and agree then you ascend based on the most conservative computer. That means whichever gets to zero NDL etc rules the day for calling a dive (you will probably call it before your kids when it comes to air usage).

For regs, pick up second hand (without too many bells and whistles such as venturis or adjustments) and get them serviced and you could save a lot of money.

Hope that helps a bit.