Diving for Kids

[Wisnu]

Hi all
I am new, a * CMAS diver
I have 2 daughters, 5 and 9 years old. We really love the beautiful of marine life. Usually, when I am diving, they enjoy snorkeling. But seem not enough now, they also want to dive. - Both junior swimm athlete - routinely swim 2000 - 3000 m a day 5 x a week - very good health. But, most of my coleague as well dive operator told me that they have to wait until 12. We tried in swimming pool tandem diving up 3 m so far okay but somebody - he is a doctor - told me that not good for kid go lower than 2 m, may impact to their future brain development. Is it true? Hope not ?
The other problem here also I could not find small dive gear for kids.
Thanks for the advice

 

[NauticalbutNice]

I do know that PADI have a course for kids 5+ that involves snorkelling with scuba equipment (guess its a good way to get kids used to the gear) and from 8 years they can do the bubblemaker program which is pool diving I think.

You can check out the info here:

http://www.padi.com/english/common/courses/rec/begin/kids.asp

I don't know about other agencies though I imagine they will probably have similar programs.

And I certainly don't know anything about brain development.

Nauticalbutnice :fruit:

 

[justleesa]

Just my 2¢. With PADI children can be certifed at the age of 10, which is very young - As a parent I would also take into consideration that not every 10 is the same, it varies from child to child. I've seen 10 year olds on the boat they were great and ten year olds that had lots of issues. Look into PADI's Sassy program for program as NauticalbutNice suggests...

 

[Wisnu]

Thanks
For 10 years, the certification for OW or just swimming pool?
How about the idea of tandem OW ?

 

[justleesa]

According to PADI a healthy child can get OW certified at the age of 10.
I wouldn't do the tandem thing.

 

[Wisnu]

i just realized this very powerfull web, referred me to similar threads with more and more inputs. Wow ,..i am reading all