Maximum depth for Open Water diver

[garyfotodiver]

Your instructors can, and should, get into serious troublel w/PADI if they are taking jr. divers down to 72 fsw. It is a violation of PADI standards.

Thanks. Someone finally gave me the beginning of some serious info. Where can I find the details on this? Or is it something that only PADI instructors are privy to?

 

[Santa]

I was comfortable/confident as was my instructor with me. Also that was in clear warm bohemian waters.

comfortable, being a feeling not a method, can be veeery treacherous ...

 

[Iruka]

Just a comment that a deep dive doesn't necessarily mean a very short dive....I keep my customers within rec. limits, but go quite a bit deeper on my days off. Of course, the time at the max. depth will be fairly short, but I'll routinely have a dive of an hour or so even when well past rec. limits. Just slowly work my way up, enjoying the shallow reef, after having enjoyed seeing coral that hasn't been stepped on, grabbed, or even seen by most people. I once had a 130'+ dive of 1hr 45minutes....but that was a beach dive, so I had no time constraints. Normally on "extra deep" dives while on a boat, I have to time it so that I'm back aboard by the time all the rec. divers have returned....don't want to hold up the boat forever when I'm doing deco.

 

[bradshsi]

Thanks. Someone finally gave me the beginning of some serious info. Where can I find the details on this? Or is it something that only PADI instructors are privy to?

That information is available on the PADI web site at

http://www.padi.com/english/common/courses/rec/begin/openwater.asp

To quote PADI directly:

If you are between 10 and 14 or have a child between these ages, there is a PADI Junior Open Water Diver program available.ou must be older than the age of 14 to begin the PADI Open Water Diver program. For those of you who are not above the age of 14 and would like to participate in the PADI Open Water Diver Program, then the PADI Jr Open Water Diver program is available to you.

A PADI Jr Open Water Diver between the ages of 10 and 11 years may only dive with a PADI Professional, a certified parent or certified guardian to a maximum depth of 12 metres/40 feet.

I guess they left a gap in the age advice (what happens if you are 12 or 13 ?) Presumably the limits would be the same for children these ages as well. Regardless it must be less than 60ft since that is the limit for new OW divers. Thus 72ft is outside that PADI limits.

As I understand it the reduced Jr OW limits are not just for safety, but also related to concern that childrens bones (which are still growing), are more affected by nitrogen and decompression effects.

 

[Azza]

Your instructors can, and should, get into serious troublel w/PADI if they are taking jr. divers down to 72 fsw. It is a violation of PADI standards.

Can you give me the reference in the PADI Instructor Manual that states this?
I am looking now but all I can find is;

After certification, a 10 or 11-year-old Junior Open Water Diver must dive with a parent, guardian or PADI Professional. Dives must not exceed 12 metres/40 feet.

Doesnt say all Junior Open Water Divers, just those who are aged 10 and 11.

Training standards state

Do not plan or conduct any training dives for 12-14 year old Junior Divers in excess of 21 metres/70 feet, nor any dives for 10-11 year old divers deeper than 12 metres/40 feet.

But they are training standards, not Certification standards
​

 

[Shawn95]

Can you give me the reference in the PADI Instructor Manual that states this?
I am looking now but all I can find is;

After certification, a 10 or 11-year-old Junior Open Water Diver must dive with a parent, guardian or PADI Professional. Dives must not exceed 12 metres/40 feet.​

Doesnt say all Junior Open Water Divers, just those who are aged 10 and 11.

Now my training standards state
Do not plan or conduct any training dives for 12-14 year old Junior Divers in excess of 21 metres/70 feet, nor any dives for 10-11 year old divers deeper than 12 metres/40 feet.
​

Here's the quote.

Junior Open Water Diver
Certification is open to student divers under the age of 15 through the PADI
Junior Open Water Diver and Junior Scuba Diver programs. To enroll, individuals
must be at least 10-years-old prior to the start date of the
course. (See Special Requirements for 10 and 11-year-olds on next page.)
Junior divers must meet all requirements for Open Water Diver or
PADI Scuba Diver certification other than age. Certification depends
on competency and student ability to understand dive concepts.
Students must independently complete written PADI Open Water Diver
Quizzes and Exams — oral exams are not permitted for divers under
the age of 15 (except when diagnosed with a learning disability – see
“General Standards and Procedures” for exam policy.) Keep quiz and
exam answer sheets as part of each Junior diver’s records.
A 12 to 14-year-old Junior Open Water Diver or Junior Scuba Diver is qualified
to dive only when accompanied by another certified diver who is of legal
age. Since Junior PADI Scuba Divers must dive under the direct supervision of a
PADI Divemaster, Assistant Instructor or Instructor, this meets this standard’s
intent. Legal age is defined as an individual who is at least 18 years of age,
except where law defines an older age; in this case, the law becomes the guideline.
It’s recommended that a legal-aged family member accompany Junior
students by taking the course with them.
1-10 One: Course Standards and Overview
Junior Open Water Divers or Junior
Scuba Divers may upgrade their
certification level to PADI Open Water
Diver or Scuba Diver when they reach
the age of 15 with no additional
requirements. (See the Replacement
Card Procedures and Upgrade Procedures
in the General Standards and
Procedures section.) If more than one
year has passed since the diver earned
the Junior certification, when requesting
an upgrade, it is recommended
that the diver complete a Scuba
Review program.
Special Requirements for 10 and 11-year-olds
• Prior to the start of a Junior Scuba Diver or Junior Open Water
Diver course, you must have both a parent (legal guardian) and
the child (aged 10-11) watch the Youth Diving: Responsibility and
Risks video or thoroughly review the Youth Diving: Responsibility
and Risks Flipchart. Both parent and child must read and
sign the Youth Diving: Responsibility and Risks Acknowledgment
form.
• During any confined open water or open water training dive
that includes 10 and 11-year-olds, the maximum instructor-tostudent
diver ratio is 4:1. No more than two children aged 10-
11 may be included in the group of four student divers. You
may not increase this ratio with the use of certified assistants.
• Certification dives for 10 and 11-year-olds must not exceed 12
metres/40 feet.
• After certification, a 10 or 11-year-old Junior Scuba Diver or
Junior Open Water Diver must dive with a parent, guardian or
PADI Professional. Dives must not exceed 12 metres/40 feet.

 

[Azza]

Here's the quote...

Yep. So JOW divers aged between 12 and 15 dont have a maximum depth. Just 10 and 11 year olds.
It's interesting what we take for fact and then when we delve deeper in we find the truth is not what we thought.

 

[bradshsi]

Yep. So JOW divers aged between 12 and 15 dont have a maximum depth. Just 10 and 11 year olds.
It's interesting what we take for fact and then when we delve deeper in we find the truth is not what we thought.

You might want to rephrase that. As I mentioned earlier, JOW divers would likely be limited (at a maximum) to the PADI OW depth limits which would be 60 ft.

 

[Brewone0to]

Does this mean that if one exceeds the 18 meter limit, the Scuba Police will come and confiscate the c-card?

I have experience with only one person getting a PADI OW. On her third checkout dive, my 12 year-old daughter was at 72 fsw, on a wreck, in a current. None of the PADI instructors (she had a total of 5), either in the classroom or during the dives, told me that, as a Junior OW, my daughter had a depth limit beyond which I could not take her.

Isn't it rather a matter of comfort and experience?

Actually as it was explained to me ,prior to one 16th birthday one should not exceed 50' because it would compress thier bones (during growth)causing brittle,thinnwalled bones(and in extreme cases, deformations)
While I'm not an orthopedic doctor I would definitely seek the advise of one or check avail info on DAN website concerning this prior to a repeat performance.
Dive safe=dive long

 

[Wayan]

Actually as it was explained to me ,prior to one 16th birthday one should not exceed 50' because it would compress thier bones (during growth)causing brittle,thinnwalled bones(and in extreme cases, deformations)
While I'm not an orthopedic doctor I would definitely seek the advise of one or check avail info on DAN website concerning this prior to a repeat performance.
Dive safe=dive long

You are talking about asceptic bone necrosis. This is more of an issue for commercial divers doing saturation diving than for us sports divers.