4 year old Diver?

[micklock]

I made something like this (SASY) out of a life jacket, 14cft pony bottle and some zip ties for my son when he was younger.
Oceans For Youth: Educational Website for Kids of All Ages

 

[Rhone Man]

I don't know if it is a war exactly, but "too young to dive" is one of the popular debating points on the board.

If you want a war, I suggest posting a thread with the following title:

"DIR diving is fundamentally wrong - a PADI MSD told me so."

 

[simmonsjr]

"DIR diving is fundamentally wrong - a PADI MSD told me so."

Well that IS what you told me!

 

[simmonsjr]

Hmm...
So when my child is 10, and if he shows the ABILITY and UNDERSTANDING to dive, he will. Obviously starting with snorkeling, and free diving, going forward from there. Why should I hold him back?

I wouldn't worry about it too much, as Rhoneman pointed out, this debate is an ongoing one. You look like you are doing a fine job in encouraging your son to love the water.

If a 10 year old can be certified then you can rest assured that the certifying agencies have not arbitrarily picked this age; to do so would open them up to serious litigation in case of a mishap. There is a method behind the madness.

I have the same criteria in place for my oldest children (three year old twins). They are currently learning to swim, then they will progress to snorkeling, free diving, and if, by the time that they turn ten, they have the ability to safely interact with scuba (which I don't doubt because they have already shown great problem solving abilities) I'll allow them to get certified and to dive in STRICT accordance with the published junior open water guidelines. Actually, I will probably be a little bit more conservative when it comes to the 40 foot max depth requirement.

Are there some children who are not ready to dive at age 10? Absolutely. Are there some that are? You bet. When it comes down to it the parent of the child in question is in the best position to determine if the child is ready to undertake the sport. We could examine this issue from an academic standpoint until our eyes begin to bleed, but the truth of the matter is that each and every child is different, and it is up to the parent to assume responsibility for the well-being of their child.

If my kids were to show me that they were not physically/mentally/emotionally ready to dive I wouldn't let them no matter how old they were.

 

[BonaireDan]

Age may be overrated as a limiting factor IMHO. The ability of the individual is paramount and with kids the supervision is most critical.

First and foremost - swim lessons. Good comfort in the water. Develop a "no fear" attitude while fostering a "respect" attitude for the water.

Snorkeling comes easily and the shorty wet suit is a far better idea than a PFD.

Follow that with some SASY kind of "diving" then progress to SCUBA when ready, whatever the age - BUT - close adult supervision is crucial from a well trained diver. The parent diver needs to be Rescue trained, all the CPR and first aid certs that are possible and have plenty of dive experience. The younger the child the shallower they should stay. When on many reefs there is rarely a "need" to go below 40 fsw gor great fun and enjoyment.

I say go for it so long as the child is capable.

As an instructor I have seen many adults far less phyiscally able and far less mentally capable than some 13 year old divers.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Are there some children who are not ready to dive at age 10?

There are some children who are not ready to dive at age 50.

We had this same debate when I was a ski instructor ... some kids were ready at 5, others not so at a much later age.

You just can't make blanket statements ... every kid is different.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[simmonsjr]

There are some children who are not ready to dive at age 50.

We had this same debate when I was a ski instructor ... some kids were ready at 5, others not so at a much later age.

You just can't make blanket statements ... every kid is different.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I know, that's what I said in the rest of my post!

 

[Riger]

Hello all,

Here are some of my Favourite pics of my kids;

Gregory (9) on a Discover Scuba in the Maldives.

Richanne (12) during her Junior Open Water Training

As a parent I will always worry about their well-being and placing them in the care of others is as huge a leap for me as I can imagine. I love when they come back from diving and tell me all about it as though I have no idea! - There's the reward.

Best Regards
Richard

 

[Walter]

I wasn't aware that posting a simple thread about my son showing great interest in Diving at an
older age would start a war. But since it has...I will toss in my two cents.

I wasn't aware that it had. This looks like an exchange of information. Use it how you will or
ignore it if you like. Many people are happy to get information that may affect the safety of their
children. My kids are adults now, but when they were children, I listened carefully to anything
that could potentially affect their safety. I evaluated that information and made my own
decisions based on my evaluation.

People need to relax a little.

Agreed. Read, evaluate, don't see wars that don't exist.

Kuma1720, that's a great photo, thanks for sharing, but please reduce it in size so it's
easier to see and doesn't screw up the entire page.

 

[BDSC]

Kuma1720, that's a great photo, thanks for sharing, but please reduce it in size so it's easier to see and doesn't screw up the entire page.

So that's why some pages in a thread get screwed up and then the next page is OK again. It's the pics. Never knew that.