Diving accident waiting to happen!! Video. Unbelievable!!!

[Diver Dennis]

I'm guilty. I did this with my son when he was 8. In 4 feet of water and a lot of instruction beforehand.

I don't think there is anything wrong with that Hank. The child I saw was 10 and was extremely comfortable in the water and his dad did the same as you, lots of instruction beforehand. In fact the kid was free diving that deep on his own, not the same but illustrates his composure in the water.

 

[cecilb63]

Ask via hand signals plus watch for any signs of distress (I did not see any signs of distress from the kid in the video - in fact it looked like he was having fun rather than being abused.)

Watch for bubbles, especially on ascent.

Basically the same question unless Dad totally fails to monitor the gas supply. But assuming they are shallow (lots of color in the video under what appears to be ambient light) they they do a swimming ascent. Practically speaking I have never had a failure to deliver gas reg failure in over 20 years of diving, many of those years with well over 100 dives per year.

The same thing that happens if dad has a massive coronary on the interstate on the way home. Lets get real here - kids are risk of accidental death when a parent checks out in lots of environments. Shoot...if mom smokes and falls asleep on the couch with a cigarette, the kid could be doomed in the resulting fire (an event that recently happended locally). We don't automatically brand all smokers as child abusers or reckless endangerers.

Personally, having dove for over 20 years spawned 2 divers and not having any kids die on my watch, I don't think doing what is in the video is any more dangerous than many other "normal" sports soccer moms haul their kids to every day. Soccer being one of them - current research indicates a high incidence of traumatic brain injury in soccer both from getting whacked in the head and also from bouncing the ball off your own noggin.

Is their some risk? Absolutely, but the odds are probably still greater that the kid will get hurt on the drive home. There are however benefits. The kid is interacting with Dad, he is not playing video games, and he is probaly developing a love for diving that will keep him intersted, occupied and academically attuned to relevent subjects during his teen years in high school. All of which will reduce the risk of other types of high risk drug and alcohol related behavior later.

In my former Child Protection Social Worker opinion, as long as Dad did a proper amount of pre-dive briefing and education and proceeded cautiously and incrementally, I see no evidence of abuse. I'd still be more upset with the ignorant soccer mom who is blissfully ok with her kid knocking the ball around with his or her head.

Excuse me while I go put on my nomex suit....

Agreed!

 

[gangrel441]

Also, I've been around soccer for 11 years now since my daughter started to play at age 5. I have NEVER heard about a brain trauma injury. I'm not saying they don't occur. I am saying that I have never been aware of one in the soccer circles that I frequent. Even head injuries are quite rare. I'd hazard a bet that divers are injured more frequently, more severly and die at a much higher rate than soccer players.

You need to hang out with people that work in the ER more often. There are suburbs around Chicago that have specifically banned heading in youth soccer games because of the sheer number of concussions that they have had, some from heading the ball, some from attempting to head the ball and instead heading an opponent or a teammate. They say it only takes a few light concussions in kids to have a permenant effect on brain activity.

Do I personally agree with what this guy was doing? Not really. Does he look like he was handling it in a relatively safe manner? It seemed so. Should Children and Family Services be brought in to rain hellfire and brimstone on this guy? Nahh. Kid'll be fine, dad'll be fine, kid will probably grow up to be a diver. I could think of worse things he could be doing to the kid. Much worse.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

You need to hang out with people that work in the ER more often. There are suburbs around Chicago that have specifically banned heading in youth soccer games because of the sheer number of concussions that they have had, some from heading the ball, some from attempting to head the ball and instead heading an opponent or a teammate. They say it only takes a few light concussions in kids to have a permenant effect on brain activity.

May be so, but I've seen ALOT of soccer games and I've never seen a player leave with a head injury. Never. Ankles, knees ... sure. Never seen a head injury. I'm not saying it doesn't happen. I am calling into question the notion that it happens so frequently that heading needs to be banned. It's a critical part of the game. It's like saying that we need to outlaw a quick change of direction in football (a "cut") because it has injured too many knees. Well, then just don't play.

 

[superstar]

You need to hang out with people that work in the ER more often. There are suburbs around Chicago that have specifically banned heading in youth soccer games because of the sheer number of concussions that they have had, some from heading the ball, some from attempting to head the ball and instead heading an opponent or a teammate. They say it only takes a few light concussions in kids to have a permenant effect on brain activity.

Do I personally agree with what this guy was doing? Not really. Does he look like he was handling it in a relatively safe manner? It seemed so. Should Children and Family Services be brought in to rain hellfire and brimstone on this guy? Nahh. Kid'll be fine, dad'll be fine, kid will probably grow up to be a diver. I could think of worse things he could be doing to the kid. Much worse.

Would this be much worse?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wF2lCdVsrs

 

[OHGoDive]

At least he won't have to worry about her when she's old enough to date... geez.

 

[Cacia]

I think firing your kid up with thrills, at an early age is important to their development.

Not that it matters, but I see people do this shallow kid/ buddy diving quite a bit. This

is the kind of father son bonding that we should see more of, not less. "what if

something happens to the father" is rather alarmists, because what if something

happens when he is driving on the freeway? Child protection services being tossed

around makes me cringe. I think they should stick to their overloaded lists of drugs,

neglect and sexual abuse. I thought they had their hands full? This whole "nanny

state" is so frightening to me. And the fact that so many seem eager to report others...

Would have been wonderful if my husband had stopped worrying about making bucks and

actually had some physical contact with his children.


great post by Aquamaster, IMO.


MAJOR often unappreciated point is that kids raised and socialized to seek appropriate thrills combined with time spent communing with a parent is your best defense against them turning to drugs and other dysfunctional thrill-seeking behavior. Peers of my kids that are overprotected seem the most depressed to me.... I consider myself an excellent mother if you have not noticed.

 

[Sasquatch]

The video just proves that it's still not illegal to be stupid.

It's a good thing or we'd all be in jail at some point!:11:

 

[gangrel441]

May be so, but I've seen ALOT of soccer games and I've never seen a player leave with a head injury. Never. Ankles, knees ... sure. Never seen a head injury. I'm not saying it doesn't happen. I am calling into question the notion that it happens so frequently that heading needs to be banned. It's a critical part of the game. It's like saying that we need to outlaw a quick change of direction in football (a "cut") because it has injured too many knees. Well, then just don't play.

And how many diving accidents have you personally witnessed?

 

[gangrel441]

Would this be much worse?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wF2lCdVsrs

You won't get me to bite on that one. I have been shooting since I was about that age, and have no objection to that whatsoever.