Allowing Certified Diver to join in Scuba Class with SO / Buddy

[knotical]

Question, how have you, Instructors, handle having a 10-12 year old person take the OW class where there is a large age gap in the class?

Diving is an adult undertaking, so I treat all students as adults. Commonly the children do better than some of the adults.

I strongly prefer to have parents with their child, not only to develop their diving dynamic, but also to preclude possible suspicion of inappropriate conduct. I always ensure at least two adults are present and strongly prefer one of them be the child's parent or guardian. If they won't take the class, I encourage them to monitor as much of it as they can.

The agency for which I teach requires smaller student-to-instructor ratios for 10-12 year old students, so our shop requires them to pay for private classes. With the higher prices, and with a parent re-taking the class, it can drive the price up a bit, but most parents seem to think it is worthwhile.

I did have a non-related adult voice a preference not to be buddied with the child. I honored the request.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

With kids one parent must be present for all classroom and pool. If the parent is certified I require them to be in the water for at least 2 sessions. Usually the rescue and the bailout or doff and don. Really cool to see a 12 or 13 yr old bring dad or mom up as a simulated unconscious diver and tow them to the poolside. It also gives the parents a real sense of security knowing that their kids are competent.

As for couples I like to buddy them up but am very careful to not allow one or the other to carry the partner. I have a class of three now with a younger couple and a lady my age. I have been mixing them up a little and will be doing air share, buddy breathing, and no mask swims next week. They will all get a chance to perform the skills with each other. The lady has a BF who is certified but he has not been in the pool with her as yet. He will be for the last two, perhaps three sessions. Both to see how they do and as a refresher for him. I also want to make sure that their buddy skills meet my standards as they are going to Negril in August and will be diving together.

When a SO decides they want to actually be in the water for all sessions I will allow it as long as they know who is in charge and if they forget that they know they will be asked to leave. I've yet to run into the instructor/SO issue but again if they did not want me to be in charge they should not have come to me.

The last AOW couple I had insisted that the class not only improved their dive skills but the amt of communication I required of them and what they found out about how much they could rely on each other actually made their relationship stronger.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

Of course just about every area has options. If you want to join your SO and the instructor or shop refuses then go to the next shop. Diving is fun. The classes are fun. I can't imagine refusing someone as they're the ones paying the tab. Chasing people away who may be spending thousands of dollars before long seems foolish in this business climate.

 

[Peter Guy]

I've been the certified SO (husband) who has "ordered" the spouse to take OW with me. We were seldom buddies during class (shop policy was to have a different buddy every session as much as possible). I thought it went fine.

I've also taught couples, mother/child, father/child and certified/newbie, siblings and generally without problems. (Actually, I can't think of a single problem I've had.) It has been clear from the get-go that EVERYONE is treated as a student who is learning and I've tried to make sure that everyone learned something.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

With kids one parent must be present for all classroom and pool. If the parent is certified I require them to be in the water for at least 2 sessions. Usually the rescue and the bailout or doff and don. Really cool to see a 12 or 13 yr old bring dad or mom up as a simulated unconscious diver and tow them to the poolside. It also gives the parents a real sense of security knowing that their kids are competent.

....

Two thumbs up for that Jim!

Best wishes.

 

[Herk_Man]

Let go. She'll be fine.

 

[Lead_carrier]

I doubt you'll find many instructors that will go along with this idea. Even though the diver is certified, the instructor doesn't have a clue as to how competent a diver they really are. Having an extra diver to keep an eye on is probably more of a hassle for the instructor than they want; especially if that extra diver has a strong emotional connection to the student. Also, they might not even be allowed to do so by rule/agency standards.

Actually Abidon, you make a good case FOR allowing it. Most instructors that I know will have no problem with it, as long as the ground rules are laid out. If it is going to be a problem diving together then it should probably be found out in a pool. If it becomes a problem, then we handle it in whatever manner needed. Most of the time it is just sitting them both down and discussing the problems. Besides, one willl be learing the skills and the other will be practicing the same ones. Should work out well for both.

 

[gypsyjim]

When my kids, 10 and 14 at the time, did their OW, the course director encouraged me to "audit" the course. Got myself verbally slapped only a time or two early on, for helping, but it was really a great experience, and especially for them when Dad was there on their final training dive!

Was so much fun I decided to do the AOW with them, as a refresher.

When my gf earned her OW I was there too, but knew to keep my mouth shut, and be a distant shadow, or as the course diector said, an extra pair of eyes. Always fun just to tag along, and practice skills, while watching.

 

[rnfoxwell]

My (10) year old daughter did her clasroom and pool sessions with the class. We flew to Florida for her open water certifications, the instructor allowed me to follow teh group and to hang out with them while they did their underwater skills. I think it gave my daughter comfort knwoing that I was only a few feet away on her first underwater excursion.

 

[warmwaterturner]

Actually, my former instructor had me join the private class when my wife did her OW. As we were going to dive as buddies, we went through all the training motions together. I was very careful not to add my two cents to HIS class. I spent a lot my my time practicing bouyance, propulsion and generally laying on the bottom until he was ready to being me into a skill session. It gave me bottm time - which is always good and her the ability to relax and learn at her own pace.