Kids diving in Cozumel?

[Noboundaries]

We met a beautiful and intelligent 12 year-old girl on our second trip to Cozumel a month ago. She was on the afternoon 40fsw dive. She loved diving and both she and her parents respected the limits placed on her Jr certification. As a result of her exposure to diving through her parents, she had her future as a marine biologist all planned out. We oldsters know how those youngster plans can change, but she was choosing school subjects and making A's so she could make her plan a reality. Who knows what will happen, but who would argue with the constructive direction diving gave her young mind. I still smile when I recall the memories of her talking of her dreams and how much she loves diving.

My wife is a museum director for a space science program. She generally works with 5th through 8th graders, but also with corporations too. She wants to become a scuba instructor to encourage women and children to get certified, opening their minds to the possibilties of growth beyond what they see on TV and read in the newspapers. This young gal may have just given my wife a little more direction of her own. We're glad the young girl was on the boat.

 

[HoustonDiver8]

I truly enjoyed reading this topic, Everything except the statement by DandyDon:
"When I see a 10 yr old get on a dive boat, I'm getting off. Yeah, stick to the shore dives...."

Jeezzzz. I wish won't get that grumpy when I grow up.

Wonder what happens when you replace that "10 yr old" w/ "60 yr old", or "old people", or "people of the _____ race, etc... Are you still getting off the boat?

What makes you think that you're any better diver than that kid?
What if he thinks about the same thing about you?
That Jeez... "If that old guy croaks from having a heart attack or some old farts' disease, I'm gonna have to save his _$$?"

Why do you instantly discriminate against another certified diver (the dive shop must have checked for his PADI C-card), no matter what his age?

You know what?
My 2 teenage kids, who both got PADI certified back when they're 10 yrs olds, has more dives under their belt in Cozumel, Belize & Hawaii than probably most divers on the boat.
I personally have more than 2500+ dives over the past 20 yrs, including 9 as a Navy diver. And guess what?
They're better divers, swimmers, & more diving mature than my wife (who I still have to hold hands while diving).

Most kids today have more advantages to the latest & greatest training & equipment than we do. They've been swimming before they can walk. Now they swim 80 laps a day on the swim team. They have the latest computerized equipment & even download & log them on their PC/laptops. I'm still using 20 yr old analog equipment.
They've just recently been trained & read all the diving mags & keep updated.
How many of us old farts got re-trained lately?

Sorry for this rant, but it just ticks me off when someone just makes a stupid blanket comment about another certified diver without knowing anything about him/her. Hope you don't ever get discriminated against oneday because of your advanced age...

 

[MakingBubbles]

Thanks to everyone who has replied. I just thought that I would follow up to my original post. I did end up going to Cozumel. Since we stayed at an all-inclusive resort, I decided to dive with my wife and kids individually rather than all of us at once. There were a few benefits to this. First, I got to dive a lot more, which was great! Second, I could help them if needed so I didn't need to hire a private DM. Let me stress that had we all went at once, I would have definitely hired a private DM if not two (one for each child)! However, the kids and wife did just fine when we went together individually. We had a great time and safe dives.

I would recommend that anyone who is planning on taking inexperienced divers (of any age) to Cozumel for drift diving be realistic about their own experience and the skills and training of the divers. I had no difficulty with my children or wife, but I also have been drift diving quite a bit in the past and I can control bouyancy very well. Not to mention that I dive frequently, not just once or twice a year on vacation. Also, I knew that although they were relatively inexperienced divers (less than 20 dives each), they had been trained well and they listen to me. The currents varied in strength so we stayed very close together just to be safe. I taught my kids to hold on tightly to a specific place on my harness and I held on to them when necessary. The dive that my son and I went on had some pretty strong currents at times, but I used this as an opportunity to teach him how to use bottom terrain to shield himself from the currents as we waited for the rest of the group to catch up. My kids actually did as good or better than most of the adults who were on the boat. Those who dove with us were amazed at how well the kids performed.

In additional to magnificent coral, we saw nurse sharks, eels and many other aquatic animals. It was truly a magnificent place to dive and we definitely would like to go back someday. It has been 9 months since we went and we still talk about the dives. In addition to Cozumel, we've also dove in Curacao, Jamaica, and Bahamas. From my experience, I would say that Curacao and Grand Bahama Island are easier places to dive with new divers, but don't pass up the opportunity to go to Cozumel if you have it. Just hire a private DM if necessary. May all of your dives be great ones!!!

MakingBubbles

 

[diverkristi]

Good stuff. My girls are little fish. The 5 year old could swim the length of a pool when she was 3. Yes 3. A full length pool. The eldest at 8 is going on her 4th summer of swim team. They both want to be scuba girls in a BAD way.

IF they have the desire and maturity to be certified at 10, I will do everything I can to make it happen. We'll go to Coz, and we'll dive with Alison. Between the 2 adults who love her and the highly competent Dive op I am perfectly comfy with my 10 year old diving limited depths in Coz.

It seemed years away, and I'm getting excited now thinking it isn't so far off after-all!

 

[P Stickman]

Making Bubbles.

Thanks so much for thois post. I know this an old tread but I could very well be witing the same one today. I am planning a trip with mt 10 year old son. We will also be going with my regular dive buddy (ex-gf... its a long story ) but we have dived Curacao on three earlier trips. It was interesting seeing Curacao listed as a particularly good spot for new divers. I totally agree. The reefs are shallow abundant and some of the densest I have ever seen. ... and its almost all shorediving.

That said, I have been there three times myself (most recently in January 2011). So my next trip needs to be somwhere new. My son has been snorkelling for some time and he is quite a fish. Time to get a tank on the boy.

My dive buddy and I both dive regularly in cold water and tropically twice per year. We both have our rescue certs as well.

My primary question is whether you found sufficient dives at 40ft to us interested. For safety sake I anticipate both of us diving with my son. There may be times where we dive without him (and leave him with a kids camp in shore).

I loved this thread. It was a great way to prepare for the diverse issues we are likely to experience when diving with my son... those gracious people who see the enthousiasm and potential in a young diver, those who see the extra safety concerns of diving with a child, and those who see a threat to their own dive enjoyment. I understand them all.

With regard to the latter point, I have often thought the same thing when I see those vacation divers who get in 10 dives a year while on vacation. Listening to them talk up all their diving experience on the boat and then thrash about underwater... funny. That said, they are having a good time, they have a passion (of sorts) for diving, and not everyone is as fortunate to live in a diving locale like me. I understand why each dive has such a high value.

I will keep in mind that a dive plan for the boat should not be altered just because my son has to stay at 40ft. That is something to work out with the shop. I like the idea of a private DM for certain circumstances.

Well, that is a long ramble. So, here is my question?

What were you favorite shallow dives in Coz?

Again thanks too all contributors to this thread.

 

[spyder]

My son started diving at 10 back in 2002 and his first ocean experience was Coz. Back then they weren't that strict with the rules, he was/is a fish, took to scuba like it was natural skills wise, and I was quite comfortable with his ability/mental state. We essentially broke all the rules that week. Drift diving, the Xencontal wreck (sp?), night dive, Santa Rosa Wall, and all the other dives just like everyone else depth wise. He did use a short tank and we did come up early at times (including the night dive). That said and before the flames start, he was a natural, had a good head on his shoulders, and I was right there with in touching range. My daughter I waited until she was 11 and we started off shallow first part of the week. Not because of skills but more cautious on the mental aspect if there was a problem. Both are quite comfortable diving (son 19 with PADI OW/AOW IANTD Nitrox/Advanced Nitrox/Deep Diver and daughter 14 OW). All depends on the kid...

Back to your question, it depends on the day for the shallow dives and in particular the current. I've found the deeper dives such as Palancar to actually be easier for kids since it's calmer/slower. There have been days on some of the shallow stuff where flying like Superman is an understatement. To me that would have the potential to be a little harrowing, easier to get split up/respond if there was an issue. There are few, if any, dives that aren't interesting in Coz. Ultimately this sounds like the first time out for him so just watching him and his amazement will make for a good days. You're giving him something he will remember for a lifetime and you will be a part of the memory. That is a good thing.... Not sure if this answers your question but hopefully something to think about

 

[newgentry]

Anyone else have any other tips on easy and shallow diving locations?

Columbia Shallow. The whole dive is basically one big safety stop, and you are limited only by your air consumption. And that is one sweet dive. My daughter and I have seen eagle rays, nurse sharks, just about everything imaginable on that reef. The perfect shallow dive as far as I'm concerned.

And for what its worth, I took her to Coz when she was 11, right after both of us got our cards. The first day we hired our own DM (Dive with Allison), which was the best money I ever spent. The rest of the week we went with Dive Paradise, and some dives they made us rent our own DM, some dives they didn't. But she did great, and I was totally proud of her.

 

[riverdog]

Since this thread has been about kids diving, I would like to expand it a bit. Where did you like taking the kids before they could dive? Vacationing with 5-10 year olds where they have fun, and parents can still dive......any recommendations?

 

[mstevens]

Vacationing with 5-10 year olds where they have fun, and parents can still dive......any recommendations?

Unfortunately, no. I didn't leave my kid alone while I went off diving, so we had a pretty long surface interval until he started diving at 10. If we traveled with grandparents or other family, that would be a different matter.

 

[Hotpuppy]

I think there is a really important grain in this thread. Respect other divers. Each of us dives because we enjoy the sport. We should anticipate that everyone aspires to get better and it frankly doesn't matter how old or young they are. Everyone can get into trouble and I'd hope that you would be willing to help me if it happened. I know I'd do what I could to help someone I didn't know if I saw them in trouble. I hope to never have to render aid, but I'm prepared to. I've taken the classes, have you? If you haven't, why not? Chances are that if you are ever at a dive emergency it's going to be someone you know who is affected. Could you forgive yourself if your child or partner had a problem and you didn't know how to rescue breathe in the water? If you didn't know how to use oxygen to administer dive first aid?

Before you get off the boat because you don't like someone's color, age, sex, religion, nationality, etc do us all a favor.... at a minimum, take your CPR class with AED, take O2 and Advanced O2, preferably from a DAN trainer. Strongly consider DAN Hazardous Marine Life class. Who knows, it might be your family or you that needs that training.

Me personally, I'd rather dive with the family with a couple of kids, the old fat guy, the timid woman, and the couple who hasn't dove that much. Are they gonna be perfect? No, probably not. But you know what? They are having the time of their life, they will be thrilled at anything we see, and they aren't going to be trying to hand feed sharks, swim through caves, ride Mantas, kick coral, go to 400 feet, steel souveniers from the wrecks or do any of the other stupid crap I've seen other "experienced" divers do.