Children & Scuba when to start?

[Scuba Jerm]

I know the official age is 14 (according to PADI) but, come on, kids naturally like to do the same things as their parents. So I'd like to know experiances you have had teaching basic scuba to youngsters. What are some reasons for and against teaching scuba to kids younger than 14?

 

[dive_lover88]

I'll take a bite at it...let's see...I think some reasons can be because they are not mature enough(though not all of them are like that), another maybe because the kids are still growing and it may hinder their growth,but i'm not sure about this.

Darren.

 

[Diver_Wulf]

I took my scuba through padi when I was 12 years old (11 years ago now), Heck out of the whole class there was just me and one other (adult) that completed the whole course, the rest stopped half way through the classroom part. I started because my father has been diving long before I came along and could not wait to get started.

 

[KOMPRESSOR]

MY friend's son is 10. He took a Free Diving course with me last year, and he's a master of the art. And now he's already got his PADI OW, with his father as certifying instructor.

My opinion? When the kids start asking! Definitely not before, which is rule #1. Then rule #2 must be; when the parents can handle the idea... I'm not to fund of the idea of youngsters with scuba, but sometimes they convince me.
Have a look for yourselves:

VIDEO 44 MB [10 year old scuba diver showing off in the pool]

 

[Cacia]

Many of these activities are powerful esteem builders and I think this makes your children "safer" in the bigger picture. (more resistant to peer pressure, drugs, etc). my daughter was 12.

 

[Rick Inman]

I learned at 13, but my Dad held my hand on every dive until I was 16. He also did air shares with me on every dive, and this was back in '71, so it was one reg buddy breathing all the way.

 

[rsilva708]

I know the official age is 14 (according to PADI) but, come on, kids naturally like to do the same things as their parents. So I'd like to know experiances you have had teaching basic scuba to youngsters. What are some reasons for and against teaching scuba to kids younger than 14?

For PADI the age is 10 for Jr. Open Water. My Nephew when throught the course last year at 10 yo. What age is right for a child depends a lot on the child. My nephew saw me always going out to dive, and got to the point where every time he walked past my gear, he asked when he could do it. I set him up for a discover scuba at a local shop, and let him get a taste. From the point on, he was determined to get certified. I got the materials for him to see if he could understand it. He took to it like a fish in water. He is now a Jr. Adventure diver, and is planning to take rescue when he turns 12 this year.

Another key point is to find an instructor that works well with children. My nephew flew through the pool work, but then his fears took over on the open water parts. But with his instructor, she moved at his pace, and spent a lot of time helping him to be comfortable in open water. Now I can't even touch my gear without him asking if I'm taking him out to dive.

 

[riguerin]

I know the official age is 14 (according to PADI) but, come on, kids naturally like to do the same things as their parents. So I'd like to know experiances you have had teaching basic scuba to youngsters. What are some reasons for and against teaching scuba to kids younger than 14?

The minimum age for PADI Jr Open Water is 10 years old. There are certainly distinct physical and, in some cases, mental/emotional differences between children and adults. However, many kids are quite capable of mastering the basic skills required obtain a certification and subsequently dive in a safe manner.

My 10 year old obtained his last summer. He's now logged about 40 dives (mostly in So Cal and Costa Rica) and is quickly becoming a pretty good little diver.

 

[gonetobaja]

Those pics did it for me!!

My son just turned 10 and I thought he was too young to get certified. He has been freediving with me from a young age and I have dove with him a few times when we would go real shallow with him on my reg and me on my octo. Im gonna show him those pics in the morning!!

Nice pics Riguerin!

GTB

 

[Jeff Toorish]

My daughter Sammi is 10 years old. Last month in Dominican Republic, she got her Jr. Open Water C-card. In many ways, kids are very open and more receptive than adults to training.

A couple of things, younger children have more problems equalizing. Take the time in the pool to make sure they know how to do that. It was the biggest problem my daughter had.

The other consideration is gear. An LDS won't have the proper size BCD or even wetsuit for most ten year olds. I knew Sammi wanted to get her OW cert while we were on vacation, so I brought gear for her. Wetsuit, BCD, fins, mask, snorkel. I decided to use the regs there, but I brought child sized mouth pieces for the second stage and octo. All that paid off because she learned in the gear she will be diving in for a while and the gear was the correct size.

That leads to the final point, it really has to be the child's desire. Forcing a kid to take Scuba, or any recreational activity for that matter, is just a bad idea. The first day of training, Sammi was in the pool in the morning and jumping off a dive boat that afternoon. She had trouble equalizing and had to cut the dive short. When we were back on shore, I told her she certainly didn't have to continue. After all, this was a vacation and I didn't want her feeling pressured. She waited a while, thought about it and told me she wanted to continue. I had her go to her instructor and tell him that, which she did.

In the end she did a great job, scored higher than I did on her final exam and passed all her skills with flying colors. We even did a couple of reef cavern dives which she loved.

So, at ten, a child can certainly learn to dive.

Jeff