Non professional divers taking very young children diving (even in a pool)

[Steve_C]

Folks. I do not recall seeing that the OP said that it was a shallow home pool. He said only that it was a home pool and that owner as an adult had dived in it once a year. If it was an in ground pool, which is common in many areas, you are more likely talking about 8-10 ft or a touch more. Many home pools are deep enough for diving boards.

Folks take pictures of their kids with wild life in Yellowstone park. Many cute family photos. Many happy memories. And a few dead kids/adults.

I have a 5 year old grandson. He freaks out sometimes at the oddest things and has his own view of reality. No way would I put him on compressed air below the surface. Now a 10 or 12 year old, depends on the child and amount of instruction they paid attention to. Maybe.

 

[RJP]

There is lots of YouTube videos of this activity happening but I can't find a single death or injury from this extremely dangerous activity you guys say it is. So if it's so dangerous how come kids aren't dieing weekly from it.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

I'm guessing if anyone did film their child's death... they may not have posted it to YouTube.

That said, it's a simple "risk vs reward" thing for most people. The upside is fairly limited compared to a downside - no matter how remote the likelihood of occurance - that could be catastrophic.

 

[tstormdiver]

There is lots of YouTube videos of this activity happening but I can't find a single death or injury from this extremely dangerous activity you guys say it is. So if it's so dangerous how come kids aren't dieing weekly from it.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

Because,.. if you read above, it is RARE,... but has happened.

 

[RJP]

If you were operating on this side of the pond, that policy would reduce your customer base by some 30-40%

And if he were operating in Japan he'd need to speak Japanese. But he's not. So he doesn't.

 

[Seya]

Because,.. if you read above, it is RARE,... but has happened.

I have been looking and cannot find a single case of this happening. So that proves is not that dangerous.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

 

[Storker]

Most likely because of not having enough room for the tech gear

Doubles ≠ tech. Just sayin'.

A bunch of my clubmates dive doubles, strictly rec. I prefer singles, strictly rec. I use a BP/W, they use a BP/W. I use a DS, they use a DS. On two-tank trips, I lug an extra tank, they lug their two tanks mounted on the BP simultaneously. If anything, I use more space than most of them due to my camera rig.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Everyone can decide for themselves what to allow on their own property and how to raise their children and grandchildren, but I think the OP did the right thing from their perspective of avoiding risk. If something doesn't fit the mold of how diving in the area is normally conducted, then it seems reasonable that a shop might avoid getting involved.

As for what to do with one's own children or grandchildren, we can all draw the line in different places. Is a kid on scuba in the shallow end of the pool more likely or less likely to get hurt than kids who in days of yore engaged in rock fights, rode bikes without helmets, didn't wear seatbelts in the car, etc.? Some of these things we did when we were kids are clearly no longer acceptable, but others remain in the discretion of parents. I'm personally not comfortable with the idea of a person who not only doesn't have much current dive experience himself but also doesn't have experience teaching children scuba taking them for a "discover scuba" dive in the pool, but my opinion has no bearing on what others are comfortable with.

 

[Storker]

And if he were operating in Japan he'd need to speak Japanese. But he's not. So he doesn't.

You DO know that nobody likes a smart-a$$, right?

I was wondering what the reason could be for a policy like that, since doubles are almost as common as singles where I dive, including rec diving. I was particularly wondering if there was a rational reason for it.

 

[Wookie]

And if he were operating in Japan he'd need to speak Japanese. But he's not. So he doesn't.

Ohayō gozaimasu


Google translate can make it so you can operate in Japan.

---------- Post added June 16th, 2015 at 01:29 PM ----------

Doubles ≠ tech. Just sayin'.

A bunch of my clubmates dive doubles, strictly rec. I prefer singles, strictly rec. I use a BP/W, they use a BP/W. I use a DS, they use a DS. On two-tank trips, I lug an extra tank, they lug their two tanks mounted on the BP simultaneously. If anything, I use more space than most of them due to my camera rig.

Liveaboards don't do 2 tank trips. IJS.

 

[boulderjohn]

The first 7-year old kid to get a scuba lesson from his father was named Jean Michel Cousteau. Of course, dad didn't have a lot of options at that point. That is really what it is all about. Today we have options that can cut the risk.

Everything we do as we go about life has some element of risk. If we are too afraid to get out of our beds because of the dangers around us, we risk bed sores. Crossing the street is risky, but the risk varies. Crossing a dirt road in the north Texas desert with miles of visibility in each direction is pretty safe; crossing a busy multi-lane interstate, not so much.

I imagine a whole lot of people without instructor certifications have had underage children learn some scuba skills in the family pool. I imagine that on the safety spectrum, it is pretty well tilted toward the safe end. While it is possible for the child to have a fatal accident, it is unlikely. If instead you put that child in an approved program with appropriate gear and an instructor who is trained in the most effective instructional sequence and the best way to supervise young divers in order to minimize the risk, the odds improve even more, but they still do not reach the point of being perfectly safe. The recent case of the boy scout who died in a Discover Scuba accident under the alleged incompetent supervision of a certified instructor is a case in point.

As is the case of all things in life, we have to weigh the element of risk involved in a course of action and make the best decision we can. I certified my then 10-year old grandson a few years ago, and there were several times that I felt a true sense of terror--what if I could not control an incident and he died? He was doing fine, but what if...what if...what if....? If I felt that way as a grandfather/experienced instructor working with a 10-year old, how would I feel as a grandfather/vaguely experienced diver working with a 5-year old? I wouldn't do it, but that is me and my personal level of accepting risk. Others may be willing to do it, and the odds are that they will come out OK.

The odds were that Colts were going to blow the Jets away in SuperBowl III, and that is the last time I ever bet on a sporting event.