9 year old diving?

[Crass3000]

I think 10 is too young for a vast majority of kids to be taught scuba diving in open water. However, my boys were pretty well trained by the time they were 9. Don't expect the instructor to violate the standards, they need to draw the line somewhere. It used to be 13 yrs when I was a kid, that is more reasonable for most kids..

My son is about to turn 10 and we were thinking about bringing him down to Florida to get certified. I'm sure I could find a place to do it but not sure if that is really the best approach. At my LDS they admit that 10 years some kids are ready to get an Jr OW certification but most are not according to them.

 

[LaMissJude]

Even if I agree with what was said (risks involved, are the kids ready etc etc) there is also the fact that IF something happens, it will not be difficult to prove that the kid was not 10 y/o yet.
So, it will be very sad for the kid and the parents of course (IF something happens) but the instructor and the dive centre that would agree to do that would put themselves at great risks, liability wise.

Concerning me and the other instructors and dive centres I know, even if the birthday is only in 2 weeks, a Jr Open Water course would be a big no no.
Some can say it's stupid, but the line has be draw somewhere, and a descent instructor will not take the risk. As good as you are as an instructor, you never know if something will happen and when...

If you look well, you will find someone that will do it. But IMO, this person would not be very trustable; he is breaking one standard already, what will be the next one. Is it worth the risk?

 

[iluvtheocean]

most of the dive shops down here will want to meet the kid after they turn 10 -- and then help decide with the parent if the kid is mature enough to handle it... i've seen 10 yr olds that appear to be mature enough although i know my nieces aren't -- and their 14yr old brothers im not sure about either... i love them all but none of them listen to basic instructions well enough. not enough that i would trust my life or theirs diving -- snorkeling yes, diving no.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

It is not the age, but the maturity of your child, that will really determine his readiness. At 9, in SDI, they can certify as a Future Buddy, taking the basic course, only diving with an instructor, and having a 6 meter limit. At 10, they can jr open cert. and their limit goes to 12 meters, and with a certified parent. My daughter was diving at 9, so I am certainly not against it.
I would say that a 9 year old learning to dive on a vacation, really may not give him the time and patient training he would need to really process the training and learn it. Some ma be fine, but I would rather have a young child take more time to learn.

 

[TMHeimer]

I can only relate to what I was like at 9 years old. SNORKELING ONLY! Why the rush? Wait and do it locally when he's older. For me, I wouldn't have been ready for scuba at least maybe until 15, but I guess it varies a lot.

 

[flots am]

Hi! I am going on a cruise over christmas holiday and would love to go on some dives with my son. He is turning 10 just 2 weeks after the cruise, and reading the PADI certifications 10 is the minimum age for open water diving. I am wondering how hard and fast that rule is - both to get the certification locally and then would there be any problems at the dives?

I certainly understand the safety issues and reason for the age limit, it is just a rare vacation opportunity and he is so close to the age limit.

What do you experts think?

I believe it's allowed for some agencies, but I have to say I won't teach a 10 year old. They're just too young to understand that something they do wrong could leave them in a wheelchair for the next 70+ years, and although they may have seen pets or relatives die, really have no valid concept of personal death.

Get him a nice wetsuit, mask fins and snorkel that actually fit well and go snorkelling. He'll be just as happy and a lot safer. And he can use the stuff for his SCUBA class at a future date. Also, I've been on a lot of cruses, the SCUBA is typically nothing special and the dives are short. The snorkelling is much more relaxed and lasts a lot longer. Sign up for a few "catamaran snorkeling" shore excursions. You'll both have a ball.

Also, skip the cruise certification. It's too short and watered down for most adults. For a child, it would just be begging for trouble.

flots

 

[WB2GLP]

Hard and fast rules are best forthose who don't want to think.

Uhm, Tell that to Moses and the tribes of Israel. You'll find us in our backyards this week.

 

[freewillie]

Hard and fast rules are best for those who don't want to think. I challenged the hard and fast rule that student divers do not use dry suits. My son did his open water training in a Viking dry suit - he was always too cold in a wet suit. And if your son is not capable of rescuing you, dive in a group of three - but you have to vet the third diver. We also broke the hard and fast rule of only diving in pairs. Bottom line = expect a lot of resistance to breaking the rules, especially if you question the justification.

Hard and fast rules are for people who want to stay safe. Challenging rules that are set in place or recommended for safety is to invite injury or death. The rules might also seem to be overly conservative, but one must always keep in mind the consequences of "what would happen if .... ". If the resulting injury can result in permanent disability or death then the recommendations should be overly conservative, especially if the recommendations have to be a zero failure proposition. By default that means some people could certify younger but at what age would it be safe for everyone without fail. And, some would argue that 10 years is even too young.

I always cringe when people use personal anecdotes to justify risky behavior. Just because you drove 90 mph in the rain and didn't have an accident doesn't mean it wasn't risky or that another person would experience the same results. If that someone else drove 90 mph in the rain and had an accident would anyone be surprised?

I would have serious reservations having a 9 year old certify for scuba. And at the younger ages a year or even 6 months makes a big difference in physical and mental capabilities. There is also several unknowns how diving would affect growing children. There are concerns about are they more susceptible to DCI/AGE because of their smaller bodies. Would or could diving affect their growth. Maturity also plays a huge role. Can they really fully understand the consequences of their actions and what are their attitudes towards risk.

For the OP djmatl - the most important question is not can your son handle scuba certification, but what would happen if something went wrong. I tend to be conservative by nature, and my question is usually "what is the worst thing that can happen?" And, at 9 years old could your son handle a stressful situation? 2 weeks wouldn't in the grand scheme of things make a huge difference but then again if he misses the cut off he just misses the cut off. I'd try snuba with him for now or try PADI bubble makers. While this may be a rare chance there will be another time in the future when he is older.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Fear of death comes only with age. We're awfully fearless when we're young because we just don't comprehend death.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

My son is about to turn 10 and we were thinking about bringing him down to Florida to get certified. I'm sure I could find a place to do it but not sure if that is really the best approach. At my LDS they admit that 10 years some kids are ready to get an Jr OW certification but most are not according to them.

I taught my boys when they were around 8 or so. They were diving open water at 9. I remember allowing my 9 yr old to spearfish with me in 60 feet. I think back now and it seems way too young. But we never had any serious close calls and they received training that was much more intense and extensive than a child will receive in a normal scuba class. They were also trained from early on to use a redundant scuba system (pony bottle).

Most 10 yr olds are not ready for it, but some are. Some 10 yr olds can ride skate boards and dirt bikes and do gymnastics and all kinds of other very dangerous sports that require a high degree of coordination, concentration and the ability to perceive danger and consequences.

Scuba for young children requires a special aptitude for water. The problem is that most kids aren't "water babies".. My kids were snorkeling with me seeing shipwrecks in 90 feet (from the surface) when they were 4 yrs old.

I strongly encourage anyone who is even thinking about getting their child certified at that young age make sure that they are excellent swimmers, decent freedivers and can throw all their snorkeling gear into the dive well, jump off the side of the pool, swim down 12 feet, clear their ears, put on their fins, put on their mask and clear the mask and snorkel before hitting the surface (and do it with ease). If they think stuff like this is fun and easy and they really WANT to do it, then maybe scuba is cool for a 10 yr old. My boys wanted to learn very young, my daughter (who is also good in the water) has just started interest in it at 15 yrs old.

The other thing I think is a must is that the parent that will be diving with them needs to be extremely comfortable and experienced, because they will be diving solo.

I guess it is time to drag out the old (crappy) video of my 10 yr old wreck diving with me.. Kids CAN dive.

[video=youtube_share;w2NcsMdOWLA]http://youtu.be/w2NcsMdOWLA[/video]