Query about the Junior Open Water Diver Exam

[DaddyJr]

I suppose that I should let you guys know what happened. She attempted the theory exams late last year, she failed the first time round and was in tears. But she went back in a week later with some extra revision and passed. On both occasions she could have asked the instructors for clarifications but she didn't want to! She just didn't understand some of the questions and that's why she failed the first time, but she was more prepared about understanding the questions come the second time round.

She got discouraged at one time with some of the closed water exercises: she couldn't float for 5 minutes and couldn't bear opening her eyes in seawater - to locate and replace the mask, and at one point had taken a hiatus of a several months from the course. I had to have sessions with her to teach her easier techniques to float (now she claims to be able to float for forever!) and get her to realize that opening her eyes in seawater would always burn everyone, even myself and so I had to lead by example, she seemed to enjoy seeing me squirm.

As she progressed through the course I realized that failing the course might really impact on her confidence negatively, not just with diving. And I was second guessing myself on whether I should have allowed her to start the course now or maybe I should have made her wait an extra year or two. I knew she could pass the theory tests, but I had not anticipated that the closed water exercises being done in seawater would have been a big challenge - the dive centre had access to a swimming pool when she started the course, but the dive centre lost access to the pool shortly after she started the course, and so closed water sessions were done in the sea.

Anyways, there is a happy ending as after she completed the closed water exercises she swiftly proceeded to do her open water training dives with no hitches and is now a PADI Junior Open Water Diver.

 

[BazzaB]

Congrats !

 

[oly5050user]

All depends on the child and how motivated they are to dive. For children aged 12 to10 we only accept them on a private schedule and use online elearning. Have had many10 year olds take course and on elearning quick review exam get only 1 or 2 of the questions wrong. Had 1 student ,an 11year old girl, take a referral for ow dives and during dive her first certification dive her inflator button got stuck on rental bcd, she simply disconnected inflator hose and continued her dive, just as taught in confined water .

 

[maj2]

She got discouraged at one time with some of the closed water exercises: she couldn't float for 5 minutes and couldn't bear opening her eyes in seawater - to locate and replace the mask, and at one point had taken a hiatus of a several months from the course. I had to have sessions with her to teach her easier techniques to float (now she claims to be able to float for forever!) and get her to realize that opening her eyes in seawater would always burn everyone, even myself and so I had to lead by example, she seemed to enjoy seeing me squirm.

My daughter also had trouble with opening her eyes under water and mask removal/replace.
We must have spent hours in the pool practicing.
I knew shew had it when her hair got tangled in the mask strap. She stopped, thought about it, braced herself and then yanked as hard as she could. She took a giant clump of hair out, but never panicked and accomplished the task. After that, she had no issues. That extra time you take makes all the difference.