How young is too young?

[Drewski]

Children are the easiest to teach of all divers. Most of the time, they don't rationalize, they just "do." And "do" means they "do" what you tell them to. They have little fear of the water and are often very comfortable in shallow settings.

I started my nephew on a long hose regulator attached to a tank sitting next to my hot tub. 4 ft of water, 6 years old. By 7 he was in the pool wearing BCD and tank. Enjoying himself, following my rules, loving the experience.

And, that's as far as he gets to go. When he turns 12 (he's 10 now), he can move to OW. I really think it's a size and maturity issue moving from pool to OW if he wants. I've certified kids at 11, but only a handful.

Keep in mind that Jacques Cousteau taught his son, Philippe, how to dive at age 5. By age 7, he was accompanying his father on world-wide expeditions and diving almost daily. I'm thinking "instructors" and "certifications" weren't around back then and Philippe probably had a MUCH harder time on his check-out dives than kids do today.

All this in mind, what you are asking about is YOU doing something with YOUR kid. As a parent, you have to be comfortable. It's not an instructional or certification issue...

Be safe...

 

[herbdb]

My grandson got his Jr OW cert in August, the week he turned ten. We were able to do 14 dives before it got too cold. Young divers require strict supervision and in my opinion should not be considered a suitable buddy.

My son and I dive with him and require him to either Lead or stay at the shoulder of the lead diver. If we are in an area that he can explore, we give him a hand signal and both watch him. He loves it and really wants to go on a warm water dive trip with us.

He is not ready for a dive resort (we leave for Roatan on Sunday ) , but we are considering a long weekend in the Keys. The shallow dive boats there would work for him as long as the current was not too bad. Will look into this when we get back. This would make a nice Christmas gift.

We started him out, surface swimming on our spare reg, then in a swimming pool. We hired a private instructor. I don't think it is fair to the child or the other students to throw them in a class with adults.

 

[toddthecat]

"untrained diver"? If you read my original post I mentioned my daughter being on the surface and in a life jacket - not a bc. I want to have my daughter float or swim on the surface while breathing with a regulator.

FWIW - she has tried out the regulator in my dining room. I may try her out in the bath tub this week.

Seems like almost everyone here thinks you are going to deep six her down to 80 feet or something. Of course, you did ask about barotrauma which was totally irrelevant for someone floating at the surface...

Anyway, I say go for it. She's on the surface and is comfortable in the water. She loses the reg she can pull her head out of the water. I'd recommend getting the little bite wings for the reg first.

It's also entertaining when people get offended about kids diving even though major manufacturers make little wetsuits and child-sized mouthpieces.

 

[dwhthediver]

Our rule at the store where I teach 5-8 SASY, 8-10 bubblemaker or do SEAL classes, and by PADI 10 can get ceritified as junoir open water divers, who can dive to 40' with a parent or certified dive professional

 

[diver 85]

basically OP, only you can answer your Q.....

 

[Nikki McAllen]

I'm something of an old fart diver with a long history, probably an aggressive one considering the new paradigms for child divers.

Got full NAUI Advanced in 1970 when I was eleven years old, diving at ten. Both parents were instructors and we dove extensively using Navy Tables / and stone-tools for equipment. Never had a problem medically even doing deep deco wreck dives, etc. I think times are clinically much safer now for child divers. I've not had any 'bone problems' or the like.

I would certainly comment in my experience Child Divers grow up spectacularly comfortable underwater. And what you learn early stays for life. I can (but don't) drive a DPV straight down with fingerless-equalization using that 'magic muscle' in your ear. I think this is something only learned young, probably like 'wiggling' ears. Kids have body awareness skills adults simply don't !

My own style has been commented on many times by newer divers. I seem to have a very different kick and no trouble maintaining perfect buoyancy in any attitude. In fact I often show students cavern swim-thru's can be done upside down if you get your head straight ! Once lost a mask strap on a long cave dive and hardly noticed the difference. Sometimes just for demonstration I throw my gear overboard and don it on the way down. Sometimes, I demonstrate 'Valve Breathing' off a bare tank. Back in the day regulators failed A LOT, especially in in cold water. This used to be a standard drill in the industry !

Not showboating, I think these are very good skills to be comfortable with.

One thing I would recommend is teaching your youngster entanglement management, possibly the biggest 'freak out' among divers. Learning to use buoyancy to tighten entangles before cutting, or being comfortable doffing gear is probably among the most valuable skills divers can learn. Someone with my level of comfort can slip every piece of gear and ride a bare tank to the surface breathing off the valve. Surely I don't know why this valuable skill isn't taught more widely !

So I guess I seem to have a (possibly irrational) lack of fear underwater. But considering "Fear is the Mind Killer" perhaps giving your child the gift of Peace Underwater is a fine thing in regard to their safety.

 

[Rhumbline]

For clarification, PADI does "bubblemakers" and "seal team" down to 6 feet in a pool for children of 8 years old, accompanied by an adult. For children 10-11 years of age they have "junior open water" which limits them to 40 feet and diving with a dive pro or parent and ages 13-14 have "junior open water" for depths to 40 feet diving with a certified adult.

Just to be sure - From what I can find the 40' depth applies to the younger kids, right? It looks like for 13-14 year-olds the regular OW rules apply but they have to dive with an adult.

I have two daughters, 14 and 16 who are going to get lessons and gear for Christmas. The 14 y/o will be 15 long before she's ready to do a dive that deep, but I want to know exactly what her limits will be and I want her to know it as well.

 

[BoltSnap]

I believe, based on teaching MANY younger students and my own two sons, you should work with your daughter on snorkeling/skin diving for now and let her enjoy skin diving until she is older and more mature.

A good friend of mine (NAUI instructor) advises that you should only consider having children scuba dive when you start to trust them with driving your most expensive car!! I now believe the same.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Just to be sure - From what I can find the 40' depth applies to the younger kids, right? It looks like for 13-14 year-olds the regular OW rules apply but they have to dive with an adult.

I have two daughters, 14 and 16 who are going to get lessons and gear for Christmas. The 14 y/o will be 15 long before she's ready to do a dive that deep, but I want to know exactly what her limits will be and I want her to know it as well.

10 & 11 year old's are not allowed by Standards to dive deeper than 40' on any PADI sanctioned training dive.

12-14 year old's follow the same Standards as adults with respect to the OW course; no deeper than 40' for dives 1 & 2, no deeper than 60' for dives 3 & 4.

10 & 11 year old's can participate in Adventure Dives and be certified as Jr. Adventure Divers, with the same depth Standard as above (40').

12-14 year old's can make Adventure Dives, become both Jr. Adventure Divers and Jr. Advanced Open Water Divers, but with max training dive depths not exceeding 70' vs adults 100' max training dive depths.

 

[Nikki McAllen]

I believe, based on teaching MANY younger students and my own two sons, you should work with your daughter on snorkeling/skin diving for now and let her enjoy skin diving until she is older and more mature.

Please remember to always stress the terrific danger of Shallow Water Blackout.

I personally consider snorkeling by an immature participant far more dangerous than SCUBA diving itself. Widely regarded as safer it's often done alone or without adequate buddy support. The danger of letting two kids snorkel together is usually off the parents radar.

My biggest concerns are Excitement and Rescue Capability.

Get excited about a fish and any of us could find themselves grabbing a few quick breaths at the surface and hyperventilating. As I mentioned before kids can be quite confident and perhaps even aggressive underwater, and will test themselves at depth or compete over bottom time.

As well its unreasonable to expect a child to rescue anyone. Kids vary in size and may find themselves trying to tow an impossible load. None of us could manage towing a 300 pound diver to shore while wearing tiny cheap fins, at least in time to do any good. For many kids (especially brothers/sisters) this size equivalence can in fact be the norm.

My great fears are entanglements -- and snorkeling ! I've heard of many experienced divers drowning over a free-dive snapshot. With 40 years experience in the water I rarely even risk it myself.