Help with my 11 yr old Jr OW cert

[Walter]

Keep in mind there are valid reasons why most agencies won't certify children that young.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I'm still not sure how much stress SSI is going to put on knowing dive tables on the exam... understanding what you're doing, and why, is pretty complex for an 11- or 12-year-old.


--Marek

There are 5 dive table questions on the open water exam. While you need to get 40 of 50 correct to pass the exam I don't let anyone out of the class until they totally understand dive tables, including junior divers. One recent junior diver I had recently certified had troubles with the tables, it was obvious he was guessing. I took him aside and we went through tables until he got it and it took quite awhile. Other junior divers understand them within 10 minutes.

 

[paolov]

PADI SCUBA DIVER certification- this is where a properly trained DM comes into the most usefull role.

 

[Marek K]

There are 5 dive table questions on the open water exam.

Thanks, Al. To hijack just a tiny bit, does SSI ask "missing surface interval" questions, like PADI always does?

--Marek

 

[gasgirl]

Thanks for all your input! I find that Scubaboard members' willingness to share their experiences is always helpful.

Here's my daughter's 2 psi worth after doing her 4 knowledge review quizzes and 3 confined water skills sessions:

"I love scuba diving! I found it was really fun when I was doing the pool sessions."

My 9 yr old daughter got to watch the pool sessions and this is what she had to say:

"It was really cool watching my sister do the pool stuff and I hope to get certified too."

We're totally impressed with our instructor. Our daughter's motivation and interest was never an issue as she has been asking us since she turned 10 yrs old. She is in competitive swim club and she said the swimming and treading tests were "a piece of cake".

I didn't know what to expect and it's been a huge relief that things have gone so smoothly so far... knock on driftwood!

 

[Trisha]

Dear gasgirl,
Welcome to the world of scuba moms! Here's my two cents as the occasional buddy of divers ages 18 and 15:

Don't push. Do facilitate strong diving skills with qualified instructors. The right teacher is the key to learning this lifetime sport.
Do explore local diving opportunities. We keep our skills up at OKC Community College's Scuba Tuesday, which gets us wet in the winter in a confined water setting. Skills reinforcement, again.
Do ask about local diving clubs, casual scuba meets, and other ways to broaden the number of trustworthy scuba buddies. Decrease the dependence -- "I don't have to learn this, or put this together, or troubleshoot this, 'cause Mom and Dad are here and in charge."
Have fun, and be safe. Good teen divers are like good teen drivers -- they pick it up from their parents.

To gasgirl's kids, from my 18-year-old: Don't take a class with a lot of people. Breathe! Don't panic. Take all the time you need. Study the manual. And have fun!

From my 15-year-old: Have fun! (When you are diving) don't let anyone pressure you into doing something you don't want to do. If you have any questions, ask somebody. And equalize, equalize, equalize!

 

[Marek K]

There are 5 dive table questions on the open water exam.

Thanks, Al. To hijack just a tiny bit, does SSI ask "missing surface interval" questions, like PADI always does?

Knotical was kind enough to let me know that PADI instructors know this type of problem as "minimum surface interval" problems. It's ScubaToys' Table Tutor that refers to it as "missing surface interval": Starting at a given pressure group, how much SI will you need to dive to X feet for Y minutes?

I have no idea what SSI refers to this as... or whether they test it. Our 12-year-old daughter will be doing her SSI OWD exam on Thursday.

--Marek

 

[toodive4]

I'm an SSI Instructor and a Scuba Rangers Instructor. There is an age overlap for a reason. Jr. Open Water is for ages 10 - 15 and Scuba Rangers is for kids ages 8 - 12. The most important thing to consider is the maturity level of the child. Ask yourself this two fold question. "If I were in trouble in the water, could my child 1. Assist in saving my life and 2. If something did happen to me in the water could they at least save theirself?" If the answer to that question is yes, then they are ready for Jr. Open Water. If the answer is no, they belong in Scuba Rangers.

I recently certified two 11 year old girls as Jr. Open Water Divers. When it came to skills, they were more than competent in being able to complete the requirements. They also passed their written tests without a problem. I felt they could competently return themselves to the surface under the guidelines of Jr. Open Water Diving (with an adult, from 60Ft or less.) If I'm being honest, I don't know if they could accomplish this alone and I don't know that they could rescue their adult dive buddy or return themselves to the surface without leadership. Sometimes these are things we don't know until they happen.

I believe Jr. Open Water Certification is an excellent challenge for kids that are mature enough. I have only one additional recommendation. Don't put your child in the position of having to rescue you or themselves. In other words, don't dive one on one with your child. Dive with them in groups with two or more adults to one child, preferably with a group of others being lead by a dive leader. If something happens to you during the dive, there is a greater likelyhood that your child will survive and that you may be rescued.

The most important things to stress with them are a slow ascent rate, completing a safety stop and the two golden rules of scuba... never hold your breath and equalize early and often...

SSI AOWI
Ken Barrick

My 11 yr old daughter is starting her Jr OW certification course this week. What are the basic concepts my husband and I should try to reinforce? I would appreciate anyone who has had experience with young children to give me their 2 psi worth.

Thanks in advance!