hypersonic
Contributor
My wife and I will join her 11 yr old British grandson in Sharm el Shiekh (Egypt) this summer for a few days of diving. Curious as to how his safe profile would match an adult safe profile in terms of nitrogen loading, she posed the question to PADI.
She received an excellent response that deserves sharing:
We appreciate your desire for additional information. I know this is more information than you requested, but I wanted to provide you with some additional information regarding the concerns with very young divers.
The issue of children diving has been explored and debated for quite some time. We researched this issue prior to adjusting the minimum age requirement for our programs. The doctors at Divers Alert Network (DAN) located at the Duke University Medical Center have reported that diving has much less of an impact on children physiologically than most of the recreational activities that they regularly participate in. Activities such as skateboarding, inline skating, skiing, bicycling, soccer, baseball and even running and jumping can have a much harder impact on a child's physical growth and development.
Speculation and controversy have surrounded the discussion of the medical implications of allowing children to dive. Although DAN has not yet released a public statement with regard to children and diving, DAN has gathered information on the subject as well as have other physicians who are versed in diving medical issues, such as Dr. Simon Mitchell, who has consulted with PADI on the issue and authored an article on the subject in the 4th Quarter 1999 Undersea Journal. After a review of the medical literature on children and diving, DAN concluded, "there is insufficient experience to make any evidence-based judgement".
Children are pre-screened for diving fitness (under parental supervision) via a diving specific medical screen, and are required to be evaluated by a physician if anything on the screening form is answered in the affirmative.
Here are the medical issues that have been addressed regarding children and diving.
Regarding growing bone development: The long bones grow from their ends at the epiphysis. This growth process continues until about age 20. In the past there has been heated debate about the effects of pressure on the epiphysis, and its potential to stunt growth or cause necrosis. However, there are: 1) Currently no relevant data from testing (animal or human). 2) Data from clinical reports in cases of decompression sickness in those aged 15-20 have not shown damage to the epiphysis. 3) Exposures would have to be extreme; such as commercial tunnel divers might experience when under significant pressure, which is well outside the scope of recreational diving. 4) The depth and decompression stress limitations of junior divers adds an extra measure of prevention. 5) If this were really an issue, it would apply to any diver younger than 20. Dr. Mitchell pointed this out in his article "I believe there is insufficient evidence to support this theory. If this (bone growth) were really an issue, it would have to apply to any diver who is younger than 20."
While the debate may continue, the reality of a few decades of hundreds of thousands of dives performed by junior divers create a valid empirical database of positive experience and simply does not support the hypothetical argument. Again, we chose to restrict the depth in the PADI program specifically to minimize decompression stress thus avoiding the hypothetical argument altogether.
Regarding Decompression Sickness (the bends) we think a fundamental point is missing here. PADI does not espouse 10-11 year-olds diving deep. In fact, PADI standards clearly restrict it. Ten and eleven year-olds are limited to 40 feet. With this limited exposure, the risk is less than minimal. We do not support dives conducted beyond 40 feet for 10 and 11 year-old divers.
Regarding pulmonary development, information from DAN and others indicate that there may be some final formative growth until about age 8. This is the reason we settled on age 10 as a minimum age for a restricted certification, and a reason the World Underwater Federation (CMAS) has set their minimum age for scuba certification at 8 for years.
Ears- Eustachian tube dysfunction is common in early childhood, so ear baratrauma susceptibility is greater for children under age 12 (when most children have achieved adult-level Eustachian tubes). It is important to make certain the child can equalize properly in confined water before taking them on open water dives.
We believe that getting kids interested in recreational diving to a huge extent takes them out of harm's way in a broad context providing a healthy, active, rewarding recreation. It provides a focus that sets the stage for a healthy lifestyle and away from drugs and other destructive pathways. It also is a means to bond families together with a common interest. Turing to the world outside of diving, every day thousands of children enrolled by their parents happily engage in soccer, football, basketball, field hockey, skiing, gymnastics, skateboarding, bicycling, snowboarding, volleyball, wrestling, baseball, martial arts and other contact adventure sports and recreations. The incidence of morbidity and mortality in these activities is significant. For example, in the U.S. alone, each year emergency rooms treat more than 775,000 children under the age of 15 for contact sports injuries. Trauma involving spinal/cervical injuries, fractures and the like occur with frequency. The risk/consequence/severity of such activities is clear. In comparison, scuba diving, a noncontact, nonimpact 'soft' activity under closely controlled conditions requiring strict supervision, limited depth and instruction seems somewhat benign. That said, we make it clear that scuba is a reasonably safe activity with manageable risks, but that it definitely does involve risk. The major potentially catastrophic risks for children include drowning, arterial gas embolism, water aspiration and ear injury. These need to be avoided through proper training, supervision and other precautions.
Certainly not every 10 or 12 or even 18 year old is mature enough to dive. Parents and scuba instructors must use prudent judgment determining the student diver's ability to grasp and master skills and knowledge required for scuba diving. PADI has clear restrictions in place for teaching children to scuba dive, including limitations on their diving certification. Since the inception of the junior diver certification, divers under the age of 15 have always been required to dive under the direct supervision of a certified adult. Furthermore, they're restricted to a depth of no greater than 18 metres/60 feet. Under the new PADI standards, children under 12 are subjected to even greater restrictions. First, they're limited to diving to no greater than 12 metres/40 feet. This depth ensures that these younger kids are subjected to only minimal decompression stress, thereby addressing concerns raised over the unknown, and possibly increased, risk of bends.
The second restriction is equally important, and deals with the issue of supervision. While any certified adult diver might accompany junior divers between 12 and 15, that's not the case with those under the age of 12. These youngest of the junior divers are required to dive with either a certified dive professional (divemaster or instructor) or certified parent/guardian. No others, regardless of their diving experience and training, qualify as supervisors. These limitations are even printed on their certification card.
Scuba diving can and should be an activity that family members can share and enjoy together. In this day and age activities that family members can actually do together seem very limited. As the father of a 13 year-old son and 11 year-old daughter I appreciate the time we share in the underwater world together. I doubt my future ability to participate in many of the physical activities that my children will undertake, however diving will certainly be one to bond us together as a family.
Thanks again for your inquiry. If you have any additional questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at 949-858-7234 ext. 2336, 800-729-7234 ext. 2336, or by email to leroy.wickham@padi.com.
Sincerely,
LeRoy Wickham
Educational Consultant
Training and Quality Management
She received an excellent response that deserves sharing:
We appreciate your desire for additional information. I know this is more information than you requested, but I wanted to provide you with some additional information regarding the concerns with very young divers.
The issue of children diving has been explored and debated for quite some time. We researched this issue prior to adjusting the minimum age requirement for our programs. The doctors at Divers Alert Network (DAN) located at the Duke University Medical Center have reported that diving has much less of an impact on children physiologically than most of the recreational activities that they regularly participate in. Activities such as skateboarding, inline skating, skiing, bicycling, soccer, baseball and even running and jumping can have a much harder impact on a child's physical growth and development.
Speculation and controversy have surrounded the discussion of the medical implications of allowing children to dive. Although DAN has not yet released a public statement with regard to children and diving, DAN has gathered information on the subject as well as have other physicians who are versed in diving medical issues, such as Dr. Simon Mitchell, who has consulted with PADI on the issue and authored an article on the subject in the 4th Quarter 1999 Undersea Journal. After a review of the medical literature on children and diving, DAN concluded, "there is insufficient experience to make any evidence-based judgement".
Children are pre-screened for diving fitness (under parental supervision) via a diving specific medical screen, and are required to be evaluated by a physician if anything on the screening form is answered in the affirmative.
Here are the medical issues that have been addressed regarding children and diving.
Regarding growing bone development: The long bones grow from their ends at the epiphysis. This growth process continues until about age 20. In the past there has been heated debate about the effects of pressure on the epiphysis, and its potential to stunt growth or cause necrosis. However, there are: 1) Currently no relevant data from testing (animal or human). 2) Data from clinical reports in cases of decompression sickness in those aged 15-20 have not shown damage to the epiphysis. 3) Exposures would have to be extreme; such as commercial tunnel divers might experience when under significant pressure, which is well outside the scope of recreational diving. 4) The depth and decompression stress limitations of junior divers adds an extra measure of prevention. 5) If this were really an issue, it would apply to any diver younger than 20. Dr. Mitchell pointed this out in his article "I believe there is insufficient evidence to support this theory. If this (bone growth) were really an issue, it would have to apply to any diver who is younger than 20."
While the debate may continue, the reality of a few decades of hundreds of thousands of dives performed by junior divers create a valid empirical database of positive experience and simply does not support the hypothetical argument. Again, we chose to restrict the depth in the PADI program specifically to minimize decompression stress thus avoiding the hypothetical argument altogether.
Regarding Decompression Sickness (the bends) we think a fundamental point is missing here. PADI does not espouse 10-11 year-olds diving deep. In fact, PADI standards clearly restrict it. Ten and eleven year-olds are limited to 40 feet. With this limited exposure, the risk is less than minimal. We do not support dives conducted beyond 40 feet for 10 and 11 year-old divers.
Regarding pulmonary development, information from DAN and others indicate that there may be some final formative growth until about age 8. This is the reason we settled on age 10 as a minimum age for a restricted certification, and a reason the World Underwater Federation (CMAS) has set their minimum age for scuba certification at 8 for years.
Ears- Eustachian tube dysfunction is common in early childhood, so ear baratrauma susceptibility is greater for children under age 12 (when most children have achieved adult-level Eustachian tubes). It is important to make certain the child can equalize properly in confined water before taking them on open water dives.
We believe that getting kids interested in recreational diving to a huge extent takes them out of harm's way in a broad context providing a healthy, active, rewarding recreation. It provides a focus that sets the stage for a healthy lifestyle and away from drugs and other destructive pathways. It also is a means to bond families together with a common interest. Turing to the world outside of diving, every day thousands of children enrolled by their parents happily engage in soccer, football, basketball, field hockey, skiing, gymnastics, skateboarding, bicycling, snowboarding, volleyball, wrestling, baseball, martial arts and other contact adventure sports and recreations. The incidence of morbidity and mortality in these activities is significant. For example, in the U.S. alone, each year emergency rooms treat more than 775,000 children under the age of 15 for contact sports injuries. Trauma involving spinal/cervical injuries, fractures and the like occur with frequency. The risk/consequence/severity of such activities is clear. In comparison, scuba diving, a noncontact, nonimpact 'soft' activity under closely controlled conditions requiring strict supervision, limited depth and instruction seems somewhat benign. That said, we make it clear that scuba is a reasonably safe activity with manageable risks, but that it definitely does involve risk. The major potentially catastrophic risks for children include drowning, arterial gas embolism, water aspiration and ear injury. These need to be avoided through proper training, supervision and other precautions.
Certainly not every 10 or 12 or even 18 year old is mature enough to dive. Parents and scuba instructors must use prudent judgment determining the student diver's ability to grasp and master skills and knowledge required for scuba diving. PADI has clear restrictions in place for teaching children to scuba dive, including limitations on their diving certification. Since the inception of the junior diver certification, divers under the age of 15 have always been required to dive under the direct supervision of a certified adult. Furthermore, they're restricted to a depth of no greater than 18 metres/60 feet. Under the new PADI standards, children under 12 are subjected to even greater restrictions. First, they're limited to diving to no greater than 12 metres/40 feet. This depth ensures that these younger kids are subjected to only minimal decompression stress, thereby addressing concerns raised over the unknown, and possibly increased, risk of bends.
The second restriction is equally important, and deals with the issue of supervision. While any certified adult diver might accompany junior divers between 12 and 15, that's not the case with those under the age of 12. These youngest of the junior divers are required to dive with either a certified dive professional (divemaster or instructor) or certified parent/guardian. No others, regardless of their diving experience and training, qualify as supervisors. These limitations are even printed on their certification card.
Scuba diving can and should be an activity that family members can share and enjoy together. In this day and age activities that family members can actually do together seem very limited. As the father of a 13 year-old son and 11 year-old daughter I appreciate the time we share in the underwater world together. I doubt my future ability to participate in many of the physical activities that my children will undertake, however diving will certainly be one to bond us together as a family.
Thanks again for your inquiry. If you have any additional questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at 949-858-7234 ext. 2336, 800-729-7234 ext. 2336, or by email to leroy.wickham@padi.com.
Sincerely,
LeRoy Wickham
Educational Consultant
Training and Quality Management
