Boy, 14, scuba diving with his dad, drowns off Deerfield Beach

[Sue-ba]

Such a tragedy. I have a 14 year old son that dives. I have an 18 yr. daughter and two 21 year old daughters that dive. When we go as a family, I cannot take my eyes off any of them. I feel like the mother hen herding them along, which means I do not get to enjoy the dive as I would with just my buddy. I would not have it any other way.

My prayers are with the family.

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

This certainly is a tragedy and my heart goes out to the parents.

That being said, there a few things that most of you reading this thread probably don't know.

Wednesday and Thursday were the Florida Lobster Mini Season. I don't think I can remember a mini season in years that hasn't resulted in the death of at least one diver. The reasons for these deaths are nearly always stupid mistakes, poor equipment maintainence, diving beyond training limits, weather/sea conditions etc.

You have to live here to see what people actually do during mini season. Literally thousands of people who don't dive all year go out in droves to catch their limit of bugs. These people are gonna dive these two days despite weather, alcohol, physical condition, unserviced/borrowed gear.

The frenzy to get this bugs overpowers all sanity for some.

People die to catch 12 lobster per day (6 per day in the Keys). They will cut your anchor lines and claim parts of the ocean bottom as their own private hunting territory. They tear up the reef bottom with no regard for habitat. They will wave guns in your face.

As much as I have enjoyed diving mini season in the past, I must admit that the lure of these two days is just plain stupid.

I also have two children. My son was certified at 13 and there is no way on earth I would want my daughter certified. She will panic if a minnow were to touch her. She gets claustraphobia. Goodness knows what could happen under water. My son is the opposite...he can root along the bottom for ever looking at the minnow that would scare his sister. Of course he is so engrossed in looking he forgets things like checking his gages, his bouyancy, etc.

As much as he likes to go diving, he has no urge to do so and so he hasn't been in the water for 4 years. I'm not gonna push him.

I made the mistake other diving parents have made with my son. Young teenagesr, in general, can learn the technical part of diving but they lack the maturity to participate safely. It was so obvious with my daughter that I never pushed her. Fortunately, my son has made the diving decision himself and didn't even know it. Whenever he decides to dive in the future, he will have to get re-certified as an adult. He will dive because HE wants to. He, (hopefully) will be more mature and learn more than the mechanics of breathing through a regulator underwater.

Retrospectively, I don't think that (most) 14 year olds should scuba dive and they really shouldn't be hunting underwater where the chance to "forget" to check your gages or get separated is a whole lot easier. When dad is looking into one lobster rock, trying to get that big one, what is junior doing on the other side of the boulder?

Certifying agencies continue to lower minimum ages. IMHO this is a mistake.

I have to wonder in this tragedy, did a son's possible immaturity contribute to a disaster? Did a father "push" his son to dive? How proficient were either of the divers? Did lobster season frenzy contribute to his death?

Personally, I think the State of Florida should eliminate the mini season. You can catch enough bugs at your leisure. Two days each year, we have nearly as many dive fatalities as the rest of the year combined. What's wrong with this picture?

Just some thoughts.

Respectfully,

Larry Stein

 

[kwesler]

My $.02...

Similiar to Larry's experience...my son was certified at 11, and my daughter, for similiar reasons to above, will likely not be certified while I have anything to say about it. My son was an excellent diver from 11-13 years old. Very focused and attentive, planned very thoroughly and did not deviate from the plan, checked his guages, was there for me as a buddy etc. All good stuff.

Then, he turned 14...

Now, all the usual stuff confronting a teenager- the rebelliousness, "I'm doing it MY way" attitude etc., had turned him into an UNsafe diver...hence, he does not dive.

I have complete confidence that he will dive again some day, when the "brain/hormone" balance is restored!

Ken

 

[Scuba_Steve]

Certifying agencies continue to lower minimum ages. IMHO this is a mistake.

I agree whole-heartedly, Larry.

My daughter is almost 12, going on 18......

She wants to dive in a bad way. She see's Mom and Dad doing it and continually asks why she's not allowed yet.

IMO, there's absolutely NO WAY, as mature as she is, that she's even NEAR mature enough to handle any potential emergency the way it should be handled. I really don't think any 12 year old is. I have seen the "push" to get kids "certified", and I think it's a BIG mistake, as it's obvious a lot of adults can't dive safely enough, never mind the blind leading the blind.

My younger son has no interest in the sport, and that's OK with me too.

Steve

 

[Rick Murchison]

bad reporting

Redundant.
Rick

 

[Natasha]

My sincere condolences to the friends and family involved. This is tragic.

My sons were certified when they were 14 and 18. They are now 16 and 20.
As Don said, I have held hands with them underwater to keep them close. I have also taken on a DM position to watch them while they are diving.
Although I consider them extremely comfortable, I still wouldn't want them to dive together without me there.
I hope all parents take heed.
Kids are kids..they still need us for a long time.
I will add the family to my prayer list tonight.

 

[Rick Inman]

Now, all the usual stuff confronting a teenager- the rebelliousness, "I'm doing it MY way" attitude etc., had turned him into an UNsafe diver...hence, he does not dive.

My dad took me through the scuba course at 13 (1971, NASDS) and we dove together through the teenage years. It helped keep me balanced and connected to my dad. We shared the outdoors together, and it was fun and exciting to dive with him.
I remember the boat dives to Catalina Island. We talked a lot - about sex, about money, about school, about life. I learned that he didn't know everything and neither did I.
Sometimes he would get sea sick and I would bring him a damp towel. He'd talk about our dives, the dive basics, our equipment, safety issues. He pointed out other divers and which ones were better divers than us, and he'd ask me what we could learn from them. Dad said that diving had great risks, and that most great things in life did, and that was OK.
I was 13, 14, 15... and we would hold hands during the dive to stay together (at least, that is what he said). Every dive, we would practice buddy breathing. Dad said that most people didn't find out how they handled an emergency until one was upon them. He said he trusted me on a dive more than most adults because he already knew he could count on me when it mattered.
When we got home, we cleaned the gear together. He explained that if we took care of the things that were important to us, those things would take care of us. We went through catalogs together and dreamed of better scuba gear. Dad set goals for me to earn the money to buy this stuff. I wanted an AtPac, and dad said if I always dived safe, took care of my gear and saved 20% of the money, he'd help with the rest. When I was 15, we both got our At Pacs.
We always watched Jacques Cousteau together, and we talked about our responsibility to take care of the seas.
When I was 16, Dad took us all to Kona, Hi, where him and I dived several times. I was the luckiest teenager I knew.
Dad doesn't dive anymore - he's over 70. But he still asks me about my dives, about my gear, about my safety and skills, and we still talk about life. In 20 days, my son will move back to town with his wife and my 2 grand children, and him and I will dive together, and we will talk.
I thank God my father dived with me as a teenager.

 

[Kriterian]

My dad took me through the scuba course at 13...

He sounds like a wonderful and wise man, just like his son. I'm glad you shared this with us, it was a nice story and an example of the good a father can impart to his son.

My dad treated me the same way but taught me using golf instead of scuba. He died about a week before my 17th birthday and I still miss him almost 15 years later.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane

 

[KBeck]

I usually don't comment when these kind of threads come around, as I don't see myself as having the experience/right to pontificate.
However, in this case, with the family's certification being in question, I just wanted to point out that it is not uncommon for many Floridians to dive without being certified. Because of the nature of the state--ready diving and easy access to the Bahamas--many private boat owners hop in the water without a second thought. My boss, a Vice President who is ceratinly reasonably intelligent, with two daughters under age 5, is one of them. I have hinted at how accidents can happen, even in "just 30 feet"--where he regularly dives for lobster in the Bahamas. He's never heard of the idea that holding your breath is a bad idea-though I've tried to explain why, I get the impression he doesn't much believe me. When buying his equipment, he bought the simplest available, had no use for a computer--and I'd be willing to bet he doesn't own an octopus. He only dives to get lobster--ditto for all his buddies on these trips, apparently. Dive shops are plenty, and have never once "carded" me for things like air fills....etc.
They just don't get how it could "possibly" be all that dangerous, or why they should spend money and precious time on training.
I'm not condoning this in any way--but thought it would give others some insight to behavior that is very common in Florida. In similar fashion, there are TONS of boat owners here who got the cash, got the Jag/BMW/pick-a-status-symbol and of course the boat is the next thing in line. And head on out without ever taking a safety course of any sort.
Now, it's possible this occurs elsewhere as well, but by the shock many expressed, I'm guessing not. Again, I don't think it's excusable, but I thought the insight might be of interest to some.

 

[Scuba_Steve]

My dad took me through the scuba course at 13 (1971, NASDS) and we dove together through the teenage years. It helped keep me balanced and connected to my dad. We shared the outdoors together, and it was fun and exciting to dive with him.
I remember the boat dives to Catalina Island. We talked a lot - about sex, about money, about school, about life. I learned that he didn't know everything and neither did I.
Sometimes he would get sea sick and I would bring him a damp towel. He'd talk about our dives, the dive basics, our equipment, safety issues. He pointed out other divers and which ones were better divers than us, and he'd ask me what we could learn from them. Dad said that diving had great risks, and that most great things in life did, and that was OK.
I was 13, 14, 15... and we would hold hands during the dive to stay together (at least, that is what he said). Every dive, we would practice buddy breathing. Dad said that most people didn't find out how they handled an emergency until one was upon them. He said he trusted me on a dive more than most adults because he already knew he could count on me when it mattered.
When we got home, we cleaned the gear together. He explained that if we took care of the things that were important to us, those things would take care of us. We went through catalogs together and dreamed of better scuba gear. Dad set goals for me to earn the money to buy this stuff. I wanted an AtPac, and dad said if I always dived safe, took care of my gear and saved 20% of the money, he'd help with the rest. When I was 15, we both got our At Pacs.
We always watched Jacques Cousteau together, and we talked about our responsibility to take care of the seas.
When I was 16, Dad took us all to Kona, Hi, where him and I dived several times. I was the luckiest teenager I knew.
Dad doesn't dive anymore - he's over 70. But he still asks me about my dives, about my gear, about my safety and skills, and we still talk about life. In 20 days, my son will move back to town with his wife and my 2 grand children, and him and I will dive together, and we will talk.
I thank God my father dived with me as a teenager.

DAMN Rick, ya got me all misty-eyed over here.......anyone got a Kleenex???

Sounds like an all too uncommon super relationship!

Unfortunately, I'm always thinking of how true the "Cats in the craddle" song is for most of us.