So you want to take your kid diving...

[MXGratefulDiver]

If (any of) you were on a boat, and a 13 or 14 year-old diver was assigned to you as a buddy, would you object? This person is a fully certified diver, just like the rest.

What would you do?

Actually, until a diver is 15, they're certified as a Junior diver. This means they have to dive with either a parent or someone designated by a parent. I can't see a parent designating someone they don't know ... so your scenario is unlikely in the extreme.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[rx7diver]

Teach them to freedive first IMO

+1!

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I had a sorta scarey dive incident this weekend with my 12 yr old kid. To make a long story short, I was not watching him closely enough and he could have been seriously injured.

He wanted to take his speargun on an 80 ft drift dive this weekend, but since the current was very strong (over 2 kts) I said "no, too much current" It is too easy to get separated and things can get out of control too easily.

He then begged me to carry my pole spear, to defend himself from sharks. I reluctantly agreed, but told him we never see sharks on this dive.

We were diving with another diver. I shot a smal fish that I had with me. Pretty soon an inquisitive 6 ft carribean reef shark shows up, he was kinda dogging us, trying to get closer etc. Eventually at the very end of the dive, the other guy slammed the shark really hard with hsi gun and it finally left us alone for the last 3-4 minutes.

We were out the whole day on the water and on the drive home in the truck, my 12 yr od kid asks me if i noticed that the back of the shark was a little tore up. I said "no, not really, why?" He said that during one point in the dive we were 20 feet from him and the shark came in on him pretty hard and he had to jab it with the pole spear and this ripped the skin up some.

I've taught him that if a shark comes in close enough to jab with a gun or a spear, defintely DO IT. Apparently he followed orders, thought nothing of it and waited 5 hrs to even mention it to me.

I had thought that I was keeping a good eye on the 90 lb kid and 100 lb shark the entire time, but apparently not. I never saw any portion of the incident (and it probably occured in 5-8 seconds) but I was pretty disappointed in myself; he was more bummed the video didn't come out.

I guess sometimes diving is more dangerous than driving a car.

 

[scubadobadoo]

I had a sorta scarey dive incident this weekend with my 12 yr old kid. To make a long story short, I was not watching him closely enough and he could have been seriously injured.

He wanted to take his speargun on an 80 ft drift dive this weekend, but since the current was very strong (over 2 kts) I said "no, too much current" It is too easy to get separated and things can get out of control too easily.

He then begged me to carry my pole spear, to defend himself from sharks. I reluctantly agreed, but told him we never see sharks on this dive.

We were diving with another diver. I shot a smal fish that I had with me. Pretty soon an inquisitive 6 ft carribean reef shark shows up, he was kinda dogging us, trying to get closer etc. Eventually at the very end of the dive, the other guy slammed the shark really hard with hsi gun and it finally left us alone for the last 3-4 minutes.

We were out the whole day on the water and on the drive home in the truck, my 12 yr od kid asks me if i noticed that the back of the shark was a little tore up. I said "no, not really, why?" He said that during one point in the dive we were 20 feet from him and the shark came in on him pretty hard and he had to jab it with the pole spear and this ripped the skin up some.

I've taught him that if a shark comes in close enough to jab with a gun or a spear, defintely DO IT. Apparently he followed orders, thought nothing of it and waited 5 hrs to even mention it to me.

I had thought that I was keeping a good eye on the 90 lb kid and 100 lb shark the entire time, but apparently not. I never saw any portion of the incident (and it probably occured in 5-8 seconds) but I was pretty disappointed in myself; he was more bummed the video didn't come out.

I guess sometimes diving is more dangerous than driving a car.

I am glad all turned out okay for you three.

IMHO the danger came from the activity you were engaged in during the dive and not from the dive itself. Maybe if I gave my kid a spear gun while we were driving in Compton and I shot another gang member with my gun it would get the attention of a gang member who might try and ram our car with his low rider and make the drive more dangerous.

 

[karastal]

Hmm, this is an interesting thread. We recently put our 10 y/o through OW, however, at the beginning we (his father and I) both agreed neither one of us would take him diving alone. My thought process is that maybe he can tow me to shore if I were tired but I am not going to put my child in the position of having to save me or his father. If something were to happen to one of us, we would be the rescuers of each other and take on that responsibility and he would be help (ie. go to shore, call 911, help carry/drag, whatever the case may be...)
Now when, he is older, stronger, more mature and has been through Rescue, we will re-evaluate and make a determination at that time. But for now, we're just enjoying the diving with him and working on skills and bouyancy

 

[freewillie]

My apologies to DandyDon if he thinks the thread has been hijacked. It was not my intention to get off the subject. I had already perused the thread about the unfortunate death at Catalina Island and the 13 year old who had the horror of seeing his father die in front of him during the dive.

The statistics show however that scuba deaths related to actual complication of the sport itself are the exception, and natural causes are a more significant factor to the accident and eventual death. What most of the replies have indicated is that other activities in daily life also have significant risk if not fatal outcomes such as driving to the dive itself. I was simply trying to point out that underlying cardiovascular disease and simply being overweight are associated with over half of the scuba related deaths. The actual number of deaths directly related to scuba such as AGE or pulmonary overexpansion injuries are actually the exception. And while DCI may be a dive related injury it rarely contributes to deaths.

And since DandyDon also started the NC diver dies after rescue thread it has come to my attention from an eyewitness that the diver in question was 6' tall and 300 lbs. In light of the DAN statistics, being overweight is a factor in 78% of scuba fatalities.

I will introduce my own kids to scuba when they want to and when they are comfortable with the activity. If they never show interest then fine. I am also hanging out on SB for myself so I can be a safer diver and thereby lessen the chances of having my kids witness my own tragedy. That being said I am thin and in shape for physical activity, and eat healthy and exercise regularly.

Check out the numbers, being out of shape and overexerting yourself is a contributing factor in over half of the scuba related deaths by DAN 2008 numbers.

fun and safe diving to all.

 

[DandyDon]

My apologies to DandyDon if he thinks the thread has been hijacked. It was not my intention to get off the subject. I had already perused the thread about the unfortunate death at Catalina Island and the 13 year old who had the horror of seeing his father die in front of him during the dive.

Thanks but I didn't mean you. I was referencing the others suggesting that diving was no more dangerous than driving. Appreciate your input.

 

[Aardvark]

My daughter wants to know everything I saw, look at the all the photos I took and always asks, "when can I go diving". My stock answer is, "let's talk about it when you're sixteen". Even at that age I'd still be be concerned about decision making and judgement but I'd be less concerned about her diving than getting in a car with other random teenagers. Also varies from person to person. I've been buddied with teenagers that were responsible, thorough divers. There are older divers I've been introduced to who I wouldn't trust to cross the road safely, let alone dive with.

 

[askkang]

The issue becomes a non-issue if you as a Parent dive with your kids together with the services of a Divemaster.
The Divemaster role here is not just for guiding but also for the safety of the kid and if needed, the Parent.
This arrangement is very common in Asia and it keeps the Parents happy and feeling safer.
I do understand however, there are places that divers dives with buddy without the services of a Divemaster.

 

[Aardvark]

The issue becomes a non-issue if you as a Parent dive with your kids together with the services of a Divemaster.
The Divemaster role here is not just for guiding but also for the safety of the kid and if needed, the Parent.
This arrangement is very common in Asia and it keeps the Parents happy and feeling safer.
I do understand however, there are places that divers dives with buddy without the services of a Divemaster.

I can't agree with that. If I believe my child can't dive without a DM babysitting them then they're not ready to dive. I firmly belive in age appropriate fun in the water, my kids now catch "waves" in (to me) knee deep water. Once their swimming improves, I'll teach them to snorkel. Later, freediving is a choice. Much later, they can learn to dive.