Irresponsible parenting IMHO. Dad lets uncert. young son dive. (+link)

[adshepard]

http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060721/NEWS/607210651/1005/NEWS06

Dad is being irresponsible in letting son dive. He admits the kid couldn't pass the written exam. Geez!

 

[Cacia]

Yea, my dad was a negligent parent also.

He took us all diving that young every other Christmas with the whole family. I am sure we could have died. He was an FBI agent, you would think he would have known better.

We are all messed up to this day. Pilots, nurses, Feds, I think they should have at least jailed my mother for awhile.
She took flying lessons when she was pregnant.

 

[Steve_Dives]

Interesting. What I know of bottling is that you're in low vis from stirring up the bottom. Doesn't seem like the kid could be closely supervised in a silt cloud.

On the other hand, his father is identified as a dive master for the Auburn Dive Team. So the kid might have received enough pool hours to make dad comfortable. At the risk of touching off further debate, I'll note the picture of the kid shows him with his mask down around his neck and not on his forehead.

But the real question...when did mom find out???

 

[adshepard]

Interesting. What I know of bottling is that you're in low vis from stirring up the bottom. Doesn't seem like the kid could be closely supervised in a silt cloud.

That is the best point. I bottle dive in New England and you silt out many times. Heck the viz isn't that good to begin with. New England is not some wimpy and easy Hawaiian or other tropical diving location. It's cold and low viz most of the time. Just takes one silt out for that kid to panic and head for the top too quick.

 

[Cacia]

oh? poor viz? then I agree. really.

One point though...how do I say this? .. Sometimes certain types of kids especially ones that are less academic, seem not to panic as easily. Just an observation. Maybe the bonding with his dad is helping him with life overall. hey..I wouldn't take mine in poor viz, cold water, but maybe because I would be afraid too.

I know a boy here whose parent (an Instructor) took her son very deep. he was nine...very good diver. he went to school and boasted and the teacher called protective services....which is often not a good thing.

 

[Rainer]

Yea, my dad was a negligent parent also.

He took us all diving that young every other Christmas with the whole family. I am sure we could have died. He was an FBI agent, you would think he would have known better.

We are all messed up to this day. Pilots, nurses, Feds, I think they should have at least jailed my mother for awhile.
She took flying lessons when she was pregnant.

I'm amazed you're alive! Your parents should be jailed. My dad was a way better parent. He worked a lot.

 

[Felon_Monk]

I would say the dad is being negligent, but i can tell that the kid has GREAT training because like steve said, hes a NMOFer.

 

[Cacia]

well, I was sorta kidding, but I have mixed feelings about the cave he dragged me into in Florida... and my brother who was seven at 110 feet. (hi daddy!)
I though you New Englanders were super tough and all that....sort of a different breed altogether was my impression. In fact, I thought new Englanders had no "comfort zone". Don't go soft on us, okay?

The boy looks pretty happy.

 

[james croft]

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. The abuse I suffered was so severe that I was forced at a young age to dive a second hand double-hose reg, steel 72, no weight belt or BC. And I dove uncertified like that for 20 years before trading a pony bottle and five bucks for my C-card. My dad, who was an irresponsible navy commander, fled overseas to get away from child protective services. He was last spotted somewhere in the Carribean.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

People need to mind their own business. Who says you need a card anyway. The agencies that's who. Same type of people who said I needed a hunter safety course at age 12 even though I first fired a shotgun at about age 7. I got my own first shotgun and high powered rifle at 12 and 14 respectively. And I'm so bad because i taught my son to shoot at age 3. By the time he was 5 he was shooting my .357 with .38 loads. As long as the kid is having fun, not getting hurt(spare me the stuff about how we don't know the effects on kids with certainty yet), and is supervised, mind your own kids and let others raise theirs the way they see fit. What is irresponsible to one may not be to another. And CPS (in any state) has way too much power and needs more oversight. And throw the good parenting standards of today away. Ot works real well with all the shootings, rapes, robberies, and other crime these kids are committing. Maybe if they could do some of the stuff I did they would not be so bored that they gotta go bad. Or they'd be too tired to get into trouble. And maybe that kid has enough experience, confidence and ability he won't panic. It's his dad's call not anyone else's. But I'd bet a hundred bucks we don't read about him shooting up a school.