10 yr old Wreck Diver

[MXGratefulDiver]

Well, after wading through this entire thread and seeing some valid points both pro and con I'm just gonna say this ... Dumpster Diver, I wish you had been my dad. Ignoring the safety concerns(because nobody commenting on those was there, nor really knows this kid like his father does ... and I doubt DD would decide to recklessly endanger his own kid) ... you're developing a positive relationship with your son that's going far deeper than scuba diving, and he will carry with him for his entire life. That's an effort a lot of fathers don't make. I saw a kid learning responsibility ... how important is that?

I'm a scuba instructor ... and I believe that safety is incredibly important in all aspects of scuba diving. But I also think that the agencies tend to overdo it out of liability concerns. That's valid ... but I don't think DD's worried that his kid is going to sue him.

About the skills ... I was down on a wreck in about 2.5 knots of current a month ago. Getting there ain't pretty. You can't maintain trim and buoyancy ... hell, you can't even try to swim against it. You let the air out of everything and grab onto whatever is going to help you pull yourself into the lee of the structure. I'd like to see the diver on this board who could dive in those conditions and maintain perfect trim. I don't think any of you could ... whatever you think of your own abilities.

I ain't saying I'd make the same decisions DD did. I'm not a father ... and the only place I've ever had a 10 year old on scuba is in a pool, and that was with both of his parents in there with him. But I'm not going to second-guess the decision ... DD is in a much better position to judge what his kid is capable of.

I AM saying that a parent involving himself in this kind of experience with their kid can teach that kid an awful lot about making responsible decisions. Tell ya what ... I'd way rather have that kid at the helm of a boat when he's 16, having been through a few years of mentoring by his dad, than a lot of the teens you see out there at that age driving boats around without a clue how to handle them properly. Kids learn amazingly fast at DD's son's age ... and are capable of a lot more thought than some people give them credit for. It's all in how you approach it.

DD and I approach diving from very different perspectives ... and I wouldn't, personally, take a kid down on a wreck like that. But that's me ... and I won't bash him for doing it differently. DD's kid is lucky to have a father who'll take that kind of personal interest in teaching him how to deal with those conditions. Those of you who think that's too risky haven't considered what kids will try on their own, usually in complete ignorance and too often without parently permission or even knowledge. Sometimes they don't survive because they'd been too sheltered to have had a chance to learn anything about limitations. I see a kid in that video who'll have a whole different perspective on risk taking than his counterparts by the time those troublesome teen years are upon him. That can maybe help him make better decisions in a lot of the things he'll experience while he's growing up.

Maybe you or me wouldn't do it the same way ... but let's cut the man some slack. He's teaching his kid how to be a survivor. In today's world, I don't see a downside to that.

DD ... you have my respect.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[marinediva]

Can't agree with you more NWG.
DD, am waiting on the next video, and would love to watch you boys progression.

To those that don't agree with DD actions.....Just Don't watch

 

[ssmbgb]

Aloha all, this is my first post after a few years observing and learning from those on the Forum. Thanks DD - mom, dad, parent - none of the jobs are easy - good on you for what you are trying to develop with your child - I fully support the sentiments of NGW and Marinediva. Diving is meant to cross the generations.

Our son led my wife and I on our first dive in Maui a few years ago -we loved the experience and got certified in our 50s. Where does a young person get the patience to teach his parents? Maybe through watching his parents teach, challenge and work with him. He is now an Australian army diver now on his second tour in Afghanistan. When I returned from my duty in Iraq, he and I walked the 100km battlefield jungle Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea in respect of those from an earlier generation who guided us.

 

[marinediva]

ssmbgb,
what a wonderful story.
I am sure you are proud of him and his service to his country.
Right now I honour the diggers and PNG nationals that walked the track also in service and defense of their countries and sadly the fifteen killed three days ago in a light plane crash on route to the area for the same.
Lest we forget their courage.

 

[sabbath999]

About the only thing I really want to add is... DD? Lets go diving and I will show you how to shoot underwater video that doesn't JIGGLE so much

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I've been trying to put my finger on why I found this video so disturbing. I think BioLogic hit the nail on the head. This particular kid may be physically able to handle this dive, but does he have the maturity to distinguish between those safety guidelines he needs to follow and those he can discard as inconvenient?

I also have to address the sexism embedded throughout this thread. The "only dads can turn out a real man" chest thumping is condescending to all the strong independent female divers who visit ScubaBoard.

I'm a mom of a son who was certified at 10. This weekend I'm taking my now 14 year old backpacking. On last year's trip I taught him to string a bear bag, start a fire in the rain and make an emergency shelter. This year he'll be doing all the navigation and, if he proves himself, will be able to take next year's trip with a friend. His dad is an athlete and a leader but camping just isn't his thing and, frankly, I have a lot more expertise in the woods than my hubby does.

I encourage my son to challenge himself, but I've also taught him to respect the rules, not simply follow those he or I like. I've taught him that if the trail is closed you don't take it. If the rules say you can't take a cave diving course until you're 15 you'll have something cool to look forward to.

Sorry you found it disturbing, really I do. As for the kid not knowing what rules to follow: Well he is ONLY going to be diving with me for quite a while, so that reduces to a considerable extent his responsibilities with regard to planning dives, navigation, judging sea conditions, etc. Hopefully these more mentally aspects will slowly be assimilated as he continues to dive. All he has to know right now is "hang with dad, don't do something stupid, watch your air and let me know if/when he ever feels uncomfortable and wants to terminate a dive. Basically the same responsibilities 90% of the adult tourist divers williingly delegate to a divemaster.

I am constantly providing feedback and he is required to do a dive log and discuss any problems in the log, so I hope that when he is old enough to dive without me (a scary thought), he will have enough experience to make resonable risk assessments. I myself, was solo diving NJ shipwrecks, with a dry suit, and doubles to the recreational limits before I had a driver's liscense, so admittedly my persepctive is probably different from most people's.

As for all the comments about real men etc. I totally agree that it sounded kinda sexist and I agree that a strong and involved parental figure is much more important than the sex organs that the parent has.


However, I'm not that much into camping and hunting, but stringing a bear's bag sounds kinda dangerous to me...

 

[SeahorseDeb]

I had to stop watching the vid. Scared me for all the reasons you've all discussed above. But one thing still sticks in my head I haven't read too much about: A few years back I read an article, cannot remember the source, about children on scuba and the unknown effects that nitrogen bubble formation around the joints has not been proven or dispproved to show that it could interrupt with the further growth of the child. I am not an orthopedic doctor, so I cannot cite with medical terminology. I have seen children's xrays showing the gap between the bones showing the soft tissue which will eventually form into bone and add to their mature grown height. Has anyone heard about this?

 

[Paladin]

I have watched this video several times and I honestly do not see anything scary about it. Just a cool video.

 

[Rick Inman]

... Dumpster Diver, I wish you had been my dad.... you're developing a positive relationship with your son that's going far deeper than scuba diving, and he will carry with him for his entire life. That's an effort a lot of fathers don't make. I saw a kid learning responsibility ... ...He's teaching his kid how to be a survivor. In today's world, I don't see a downside to that.

DD ... you have my respect.

I agree!

My Dad and I learned to dive together when I was 13 (right after the beginning of time). There were no octos, we didn't have spg's or computers, no power inflators, very rudimentary. But my Dad made me do drills on every dive, including buddy breathing with a single octo, free ascents, and I still try to do drills every dive to this day.

My dad and I did beach dives, and boat dives to the CA Channel Islands almost every weekend. And as I matured through the teenage years, we continued to dive together. And while many of my friends experienced the struggles that fathers and sons commonly go through during the teen years, my dad and I stayed close, because we shared the joys and risks (yes, the risks) of diving.

And when I was 15 and then 16 and then 17 years old, we dived together. And as many of us have discovered, people who begin as dive buddies often end up as close friends. And my dive buddy, my dad, became my closest friend, even through those difficult teen years.

Somehow I survived those early years when there were no BC's or octos or computers and I was but a child. I'm 51 years old now and my Dad is a old man who doesn't dive anymore - except through the diving stories he has me tell him. But he's still my dive buddy, my friend, and I appreciate more than ever that he took the time, money and risks to take me diving when I was a kid.

Good on you DD for loving your son so much.

 

[ScubaSteve]

This just happens to be a topic which is deemed very controversial by some and moot by others. I am personally on the "view it as controversial" side but I know that the two sides will NEVER meet in the middle. And DD knows this and that it would light fires and start fights as well. I do respect the fact that you are doing things with your child such as diving. And while I would definitely take a very different approach, I believe your son will will be better for it (assuming no accidents). I wish my father had dove with me....he did with my older brother but never with me. For that reason, I was 31 when I ventured beneath the surface for the first time.

Keep your son safe DD, and prove people like me wrong .


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