Question Diving Computer for 11 year old

[samcraig]

Hi all. Looking to get my 11 year old kid (with very small wrists) a dive computer for the certification dives and beyond. Any recommendations? Thanks!

 

[Still Kicking]

Personally, I would hold off on buying any gear until my kid was through the class and I had some certainty they were going to keep diving.

Having said that, a watch-style computer will better fit small wrists. I would buy the cheapest nitrox-capable watch I could find and upgrade down the road when they need something more.

 

[BoltSnap]

I would buy the cheapest nitrox-capable watch I could find and upgrade down the road when they need something more.

Why? Why spend the money twice? Buy a reasonable DC for the intended purpose and circumstances for the following 5 years. "Cheapest" isn't always best value or most appropriate.

 

[BoltSnap]

Hi all. Looking to get my 11 year old kid (with very small wrists) a dive computer for the certification dives and beyond. Any recommendations? Thanks!

One of these will do but if the wrist strap is too big, get a console based version:

1. GEO 4.0 - Oceanic Worldwide


2. VEO 4.0 - Oceanic Worldwide

 

[rx7diver]

Casio G-Shock, brass and glass analog SPG, oil-filled depth gauge, analog compass, submersible dive tables?

J/K. Nobody here dives with this simple, basic gear anymore. Oh, wait. I still do!!

rx7diver

 

[Still Kicking]

Why? Why spend the money twice? Buy a reasonable DC for the intended purpose and circumstances for the following 5 years. "Cheapest" isn't always best value or most appropriate.

Because who knows if an 11-year-old will take to diving and, if they do, any computer will do the job at least as long as they are a junior OW diver. There will be better computers on the market if/when they need something else.

Put the money you saved toward the wetsuits they will outgrow (they are much more likely to stick with diving if they are warm and comfortable).

 

[VikingDives]

Hi all. Looking to get my 11 year old kid (with very small wrists) a dive computer for the certification dives and beyond. Any recommendations? Thanks!

Buy a computer you want to use, because in all likelihood, your kid isn't going to want to do any cold water diving... Unless you plan on going to Florida, or further south, it's pretty much a 100 percent chance your kid won't want to dive after certification. It's a shame, but the easiest way to turn a kid into one who doesn't want to dive is to certify them young, in cold water.

 

[rhwestfall]

Keep in mind, they can be worn up the forearm where there may be a little more "meat", so I wouldn't fixate on small wrist.

I'd be more concerned that SCUBA may not be the thing they decide to stick to. For certification purposes (wife & daughter), I found it best to have them use whatever the shop uses for their program so they can instruct the student with the stuff they are familiar with. Get them through certification that way, then start to evaluate stuff.

 

[rhwestfall]

One of the things I did was to have my daughter use my back-up computer. For the wife, it was a different story. Did you know that you can get a console for a Peregrine.....

Yeah, blasphemy, I know. But, that is how my wife wants her gear... I did succeed in putting her into a BP/W years (and 3 BC units) later...

 

[samcraig]

Thanks everyone for your input.

Keep in mind, they can be worn up the forearm where there may be a little more "meat", so I wouldn't fixate on small wrist.

I'd be more concerned that SCUBA may not be the thing they decide to stick to. For certification purposes (wife & daughter), I found it best to have them use whatever the shop uses for their program so they can instruct the student with the stuff they are familiar with. Get them through certification that way, then start to evaluate stuff.

Great insight there re: upper forearm. Didn't even think of that.

Buy a computer you want to use, because in all likelihood, your kid isn't going to want to do any cold water diving... Unless you plan on going to Florida, or further south, it's pretty much a 100 percent chance your kid won't want to dive after certification. It's a shame, but the easiest way to turn a kid into one who doesn't want to dive is to certify them young, in cold water.

She's already been diving (Discover Scuba) - 3 dives in Punta Cana. Loved it and came home wanting to get certified. We're definitely all warm water divers. Her certification dives will be in Grand Cayman. Which, funny enough, was where I first learned to dive.