Success teaching younger divers????

[Lightning Fish]

Well, several reasons. One is that I too am a new diver. It was just my 8th dive in open water. As a child of 13, and THE ONLY student on the dive, it was appropriate. Did you do OW and AOW as a child, or an adult?

I did both OW and AOW as an adult. If your daughter was the only student on the dive, then I would agree that it was apropriate for her to be buddied with the instructor.

But, using her age, as an argument to be buddied with the instructor, is irrelevant.

Cheers,
Bill.

 

[alemaozinho]

big success,kids are easier to teach and very uncomplicated,nothing bothers them and seeing them eyes go bigger when they see a turtle or just plain schools of fish is very rewarding,they have our oceans future in their hands and it can only be helpful for the oceans future to teach them as early as possible to get them on the right path.scuba or gameboy=parents have to decide.I only wished that i had diving parents back then,when i was a kid,what a reward!!!Peace

 

[pennypue]

I did both OW and AOW as an adult. If your daughter was the only student on the dive, then I would agree that it was apropriate for her to be buddied with the instructor.

But, using her age, as an argument to be buddied with the instructor, is irrelevant.

Cheers,
Bill.

AGAIN, she was. And I NEVER made the argument that her AGE was the reason for her to be buddy with the instructor. Pity you didn't get the point of my post and choose instead to focus on one tiny detail.
Penny

 

[fdog]

I learned to dive at age 12.

There is no doubt in my mind that the lessons of responsibility, partnership, planning, and no compromise on safety have helped shape my life for the better.

All the best, James

 

[Wydoin]

Is your department letting you do PSD work with a sport S&R cert.?

If your not logging your department "Puddle" dives you and your department might be looking at some serious problems down the road.

I hope you don't think that getting your Master Card with only 50 dives is going to make you a Master Diver.

Gary D.

Yes we do PSD if PSD means "Public Safety Diving" with our certification. The puddle dives I'm reffering to are 10 -15 min dives at very minimum depths. They aren't worth my time to log IMO. According to SSI who I am certified through at 50 dives I "will" become a "Master Diver" NOT a DIVE MASTER". I do know the difference in the two. Every dive we do here at work is logged in as training though.
Wydoin

 

[AADiveRex]

Personally, I love teaching young kids, and I am a strong proponent of such, for the right kids. They need to be comfortable in the water, have the right maturity and attitude, and have to want to do it for themselves, not for someone else. Given that, I think its great to get them in the water. With all the difficulties they face growing up, peep pressure, drugs, sex, violence, etc., to me, having a healthy hobby like diving is a big positive in their life. I have actually seen diving steer kids towards a better path in life. Even better, it is something they can share with the adults in their life, which as all parents know, can be a difficult thing to find.

You need to be honest with yourself about two things:
1. Is she physically and mentally capable of dealing with the situation? From your description of her swimming, she sounds very comfortable in the water. How about the mental aspects? Does she understand the implications of the risks? Does she have a sense of her own mortality? Some kids think they are indestructable, that "it" can never happen to them.

2. Are you capable of being a appropriate buddy to her? Are your own skills at a level you would be comfortable with dealing with any situation underwater? They need to be.

This is no place for false pride in your child, but if she and you meet these criteria, I strongly urge you to do it.

PADI has a great book entitled "Children and Scuba Diving: A Resource Guide for Instructors and Parents". Your LDS should be able to get it for you.

Good Luck,
Adam

 

[MikeFerrara]

Does she understand the implications of the risks? Does she have a sense of her own mortality?

I don't believe that any 10 or 11 year old does.

 

[jbd]

They need to be comfortable in the water, have the right maturity and attitude, and have to want to do it for themselves, not for someone else.

I understand what you are saying but could you specify what specifically constitutes, "...the right maturity and attitude"?

Is she physically and mentally capable of dealing with the situation?

What situation? Is it a simply recover calear a mask thats been knocked off accidently or is it towing an adult to shore or dealing with a paniced diver UW?

Does she understand the implications of the risks? Does she have a sense of her own mortality? Some kids think they are indestructable, that "it" can never happen to them.

In reality most if not all kids in this age group think they are indestructable--its one of the joys of being a kid. Like most adults she won't have any idea what the risks are until after the class and like most kids in this age group she will not have had enough science education to really understand the foundations of the risks involved. Like most people who learn to dive the material won't be presented in the class either. At this age and under these circumstances of training kids are simply doing trust me dives(to borrow a phrase from Mike Ferarra)

Are you capable of being a appropriate buddy to her? Are your own skills at a level you would be comfortable with dealing with any situation underwater? They need to be.

This should also hold for the child diver as well.

This is no place for false pride in your child,.....

Amen

 

[Lightning Fish]

AGAIN, she was.

Huh?

And I NEVER made the argument that her AGE was the reason for her to be buddy with the instructor.

Then why mention her age in the first place? Quotes from your posts: "My daughter was buddied with the instructor on an open water dive, as she should have been." and "As a child of 13, and THE ONLY student on the dive, it was appropriate."

Pity you didn't get the point of my post and choose instead to focus on one tiny detail.

That one tiny detail, age, is the basis for this thread.

If the point of your post was to highlight your daughter's maturity and her being comfortable with calling a dive, then yes, I got your point. Not everyone, adults or kids, are able to call a dive when they should

Cheers,
Bill.

 

[pennypue]

Huh?



Then why mention her age in the first place?


That one tiny detail, age, is the basis for this thread.

If the point of your post was to highlight your daughter's maturity and her being comfortable with calling a dive, then yes, I got your point. Not everyone, adults or kids, are able to call a dive when they should

Cheers,
Bill.

Well it wouldn't have been much point to the post if my daughter had been 21, now would it?