Finishing OW one week before 12th birthday

[freedc]

Hi all,
Is the c-card for kids different for kids aged 12+ than 10-11 years old?

My 11-year-old son just finished his PADI OW pool work and e-learning and is going to do his checkout dives while we're on vacation in the tropics next week. He turns 12 the following week.

If so, I wonder if there is a way he can get his OW card instead of a Jr. OW card if the paperwork can be delayed by a week. I don't want to pay for a card that is inaccurate by the time it arrives.

I should have asked for clarification on the rule, which I believe is that if you have a Jr. Open Water certification, then you automatically become an open water diver when you reach the appropriate birthday. I'm not sure if that's 12 or 15.

Thanks in advance

 

[Doby45]

15 is when you go to Full Open Water Diver with PADI.

 

[lowviz]

... Is the c-card for kids different for kids aged 12+ than 10-11 years old? ...//...

My son's 2005 PADI card clearly states on the front:

"JR. OPEN WATER DIVER
10-11 With Parent/PADI Pro 12m/40'
12+ With Adult"

 

[freedc]

Ok, thanks doby45 & lowviz. I should have answered my own question with proper internet search. On google image search I've seen cards that give the depth limit on the card and that would be annoying if the depth limit changes printed on the card is obsolete.

 

[tursiops]

The PADI Instructor Manual states:
"Junior Diver certification cards state the restrictions based on age.
After certification, 10-11 year olds are restricted to diving with a
parent, guardian or PADI Professional to 12 metre/40 feet maximum
depth; 12-14 year olds must dive with an adult certified diver."
Note that 12+ has a depth recommendation of 60 ft max, unless further training is undertaken; this is true for adults, too.
For 12-14, a Junior Advanced Open Water cert is possible to 70 ft max, for the Deep dive. At age 15, all these "Junior" restrictions go away.

 

[maj2]

As Doby45 said, he will automatically become an "adult" O/W diver at age 15. No need to get a new card along the way.

My daughter's Jr Open Water card from 2014 has the same text as described by Lowviz.

Her Jr AOW (March 2016) and Jr Rescue (May 2016) just say "Must Dive with Certified Adult" since there is a 12 year age requirement for those certs. Her "Underwater Naturalist" specialty says "Under 15, must dive with adult, 10-11 With Parent/PADI Pro 12m/40ft". The only specialty card she has (so far) that does NOT have mention of age restrictions is her Emergency Oxygen Provider specialty. Waiting for her EANx card now, and she is about to do Peak Performance Buoyancy, so I don't know what those cards will say.

I would not worry about it... the card will be accurate no matter what. My daughter knows the restrictions, abides by the restrictions, and frankly couldn't care less what her card says. She has no plans to get her cards updated as she gets older. For her, it is a bit of a source of pride for her that they say "Junior" and that she got the certifications at the ages she did and I suspect that she will never want to update the cards at all!

Congrats to your son!

 

[lowviz]

...//... For her, it is a bit of a source of pride for her that they say "Junior" and that she got the certifications at the ages she did and I suspect that she will never want to update the cards at all! ...

Yes, there is that!

Same with my son, his papers were held for a couple of days so he could make 10 y/o plus a week. That is his favorite card as it shows that he was certed as soon as possible.