How young is too young?

[Nikki McAllen]

Hey Halemano...

Checked out your sites and they are some of the best I've seen from Hawaii ! Honest, been planning a dive vacay there but the photos at nearly all the dive centers were so disappointing I started to reconsider.

You should get them to buy a few ! Nice work !

 

[BoltSnap]

Nikki McAllen,

It always better to be prudent and emphasize safety in all activities but one needs to draw the line otherwise we would never leave our beds. First, it would be common sense that a parent would never leave a young child alone in the water without direct supervision. Basic safety concerns should always be addressed in snorkeling/skin diving lessons/instructions.

I would take an issue with you in regards to your claim of "snorkeling by an immature participant far more dangerous than SCUBA diving." The type of "hyperventilation" that would lead to "Shallow Water Blackout" is extensive hyperventilation that a child is not conditioned to do under normal circumstances. There is a considerable difference between Being excited about seeing a fish and the type of hyperventilation that is required to stay longer U/W.

In regards to equipment, proper snorkeling equipment including a vest are part of prudent involvement with snorkeling and/or skin diving.

Your statement, "With 40 years experience in the water I rarely even risk it myself," implies that you never go snorkeling and skin diving. Is this for real?

One other note, there are probably orders of magnitude more people snorkeling than people scuba diving and there are hardly any significant reports of the injuries you are concerned about in your post.

BTW, there are many more injuries for kids doing all types of other sports than in Snorkeling.

 

[Nikki McAllen]

Nikki McAllen,

It always better to be prudent and emphasize safety in all activities but one needs to draw the line otherwise we would never leave our beds. First, it would be common sense that a parent would never leave a young child alone in the water without direct supervision. Basic safety concerns should always be addressed in snorkeling/skin diving lessons/instructions.

I would take an issue with you in regards to your claim of "snorkeling by an immature participant far more dangerous than SCUBA diving." The type of "hyperventilation" that would lead to "Shallow Water Blackout" is extensive hyperventilation that a child is not conditioned to do under normal circumstances. There is a considerable difference between Being excited about seeing a fish and the type of hyperventilation that is required to stay longer U/W.

In regards to equipment, proper snorkeling equipment including a vest are part of prudent involvement with snorkeling and/or skin diving.

Your statement, "With 40 years experience in the water I rarely even risk it myself," implies that you never go snorkeling and skin diving. Is this for real?

I am new here and don't want to get off on the wrong foot. Sorry if I implied any negligence, didn't mean to.

Your point about supervision is well taken, however I often see kids snorkeling together far away from the parents. Very often. If more than a three minute rescue I'm guessing that's enough for catastrophe. As I said, its a danger that can be completely off a parents radar.

If a kids wearing a vest, they aren't free diving. Sorry if I wasn't clear about that. And the reason I say SCUBA is safer for kids is because it's something they will NEVER do without adult supervision. Free-Dive Snorkeling clearly not so, and "extensive hyperventilation" is not required. Childish excitement and reckless abandon can easily do it.

Yes, I very rarely free dive ALONE. I've thought about taking an Apnea course but due to complications of dive physiology at 50 I don't think it's worth it. If really feel the need to free dive snorkel I'll carry a pony bottle for a pop or two at depth while remembering not to skip-breathe, and of course I breathe on the way up.

I did a web search with the string: 'shallow water blackout death statistics' and found a lot dire warnings and many tragedies. Seldom are drownings classified as SWB unless there is a clear reason for doing so.

Here's what I liked regarding SW Blackout:

Never attempt hyperventilating, keep breaths to four or five {count 'em sometime, not easy after exertion}.

After holding your breath underwater breath normally and relax between dives. {even when your chest is pounding}

Rest at least two times the total time spent underwater. {enough time to lose that fish}

Never use tricks to cheat the urge to breath.

Always remember to dive with an experience diver and never alone.

My point as originally offered summarized as this: Kids should not be supervised by kids. They should know heavy breathing on the surface after exertion CAN KILL THEM ! They should NOT play competitive breath-holding games. (kids !)

Simple enough. These things must be emphasized to kids as well as adults.

My friend I assure you. Anyone who takes free-diving casually is doing so at peril. It's way more dangerous than letting your kids play Soccer.

.

 

[ben_wilson3301]

Life is all about risk and reward. Are you willing to risk your child's life for the reward of seeing her dive? IMO its a risk that goes down with the maturity of the child and the competence of the supervising adult. If you are able to, AND prepared to handle a drowning victim, AND able to devote all your attention to the child, AND confident in your child's ability to handle the situation themselves, THEN maybe its worth it to you. But there will always be a risk.

The only question, is it a risk you are willing to take? If so, make sure its a risk that your daughter understands and is also willing to take. If she isn't old enough to understand it, she probably isn't old enough to do it just yet.

 

[Nikki McAllen]

Life is all about risk and reward. Are you willing to risk your child's life for the reward of seeing her dive?

I would like to chime in again as a formerly very young child-diver, and the good that brings.

Rewards are not what the parent experiences, far greater is what the child learns. Mostly a very high level of confidence and capability underwater. If the child will be in the water a lot in their future, it's definitely good to get started early and serves as a gift for their future.

Just like teaching Foreign Languages or Musical Instruments. Nobody learns these things as easily or as completely as when they are young. I honestly think it's impossible to learn a tonal language like Thai unless its started while learning to walk !! Same for Violin, I'm told.

Apparently there may be a physical component as well. Its said one cannot become a truly great Skater unless they start very young because of bone/tendon/muscle development, not to mention brain wiring for things like balance. I think this has parallels in swimming for scuba.

As someone who's lead 500 clients in the last year, many of them DSD's, I would much rather take a 10 year old diving who has been in the water all their life than a 30 year old who hasn't.

And as far as Safety -- I'd have them both by the arm the whole time...