Kids diving in Cozumel?

[Christi]

Wow?! Which agency is certifying 10 yr olds...?!

Most agencies are now - with much controversy.

A 10 year old will need a private DM almost without exception due to depth restrictions. The only exception would be if the family has a privately chartered boat and all agree to stay shallow. Even then, I STRONGLY encourage a private DM to be dedicated to the child. Emergencies can happen to the BEST of us - (ie: blown hoses, equipment malfunctions, unpredictable currents, etc.). How well can your 10 year old manage an emergency with his own mother or father. These are the kinds of things so many people don't think about. Sure many 10 year olds can go through the motions and can get through the skills - but practical application of these skills, as a brand new diver is an entirely different ball game for ANY new diver, let alone a 10 year old.

Just noticed this thread is from 2007????? Still good info!

 

[Brules]

So I assumbe by 12 they would not need a private DM?

My son is 10 going on 11 and I don't think he could handle diving just yet lol - he can barely remember to change his underwear every day haha!

 

[Christi]

So I assumbe by 12 they would not need a private DM?

My son is 10 going on 11 and I don't think he could handle diving just yet lol - he can barely remember to change his underwear every day haha!

Depth restrictions apply to Jr. OW divers unless they have a Jr. AOW card

I require private DM for all divers under 15 - and make exceptions to this only in rare circumstances.

It's a safety and service concern for everyone on board.

 

[Mrs. K]

I am confused. I was under the impression a certified 10 yr old can dive with a certified parent? But they must stay 40 ft or less. Some are saying they have to have their own DM, but I can't find that on the PADI site. Am I missing something?

 

[DandyDon]

I am confused. I was under the impression a certified 10 yr old can dive with a certified parent? But they must stay 40 ft or less. Some are saying they have to have their own DM, but I can't find that on the PADI site. Am I missing something?

That will also vary with operator and country. I think Christi was referring to dives from her boats, while in some countries the kids wouldn't need a parent or a card. Christi's approach is much safer of course.

 

[Mrs. K]

That will also vary with operator and country. I think Christi was referring to dives from her boats, while in some countries the kids wouldn't need a parent or a card. Christi's approach is much safer of course.

While it might seem that Christi's approach is safer, I see it very differently. I would not let my kid dive without me. The presence of a DM or not, is superfluous in my mind. I am the one responsible for my kid. And I am not going to leave the safety of my kid under water to a DM. I think if you are not a strong enough diver to care for both yourself and your kid, then your kid should not be underwater. Expecting a DM to make sure your kid is safe is crazy. (when I say kid, I mean someone in the 10-15 age range)

When people dive with a DM, they tend to assume the DM will fix all problems. They are less aware of dangers. Diving is dangerous. When I dive, I am aware my safety is in my hands and my hands alone. The DM is there as a tour guide, not to keep me safe.....

This reminds me of the old story on how to get rid of a dead donkey....

Sell raffle tickets for a live donkey for $2 a piece. Sell as many as you can. The after the drawing, let all the losers leave. Then tell the winner "sorry the donkey died, here is your $2 back"....

I just would not trust my kids safety to a stranger, sorry.

Sadly, I would not trust my husband diving with a stranger either. So they will have to trade off diving with me, (which is great for me, twice as many dives, and okay with them, as they are not a diving ***** like I am)

 

[DandyDon]

I feel the same about my grown kid or 17 yo grandkid, but for the first day at least - a private DM along with you being there is a good idea - especially with trio diving which can be confusing. After that, between you and your Op of choice.

 

[Hotpuppy]

I see the wisdom of both sides. I think ideally if you and your spouse are diving with a kid, then you should be fine. It also depends on how your child behaves. On the other hand, if your child needs a babysitter (DM) underwater, is it really appropriate to take them on a drift dive or a wall dive? Individual maturity is important. I think if they respect their limits and have appropriate supervision (parent, DM or Parent+DM) they will be fine. The biggest issue is going to be buoyancy IMHO.

Either way, I have no problem diving with a 12 yo or a 60 yo. Given the choice, I'd rather dive with the kid then the 'expert'. Nothing beats being around someone who is having the time of their life. It's contagious and beats the heck out of someone who is bitter because the diving was better somewhere else, the boat was bigger somewhere else, they could go deeper, they blah blah blah are just a bitter angry old diver!

I think it's important to realize that unless you are diving with one other person, you are probably going to have a variety of skill levels present. I have a great deal of respect for DM's who (without pay most of the time) smile and put up with all the nonsense that gets heaped on them.

 

[judydivescoz]

While it might seem that Christi's approach is safer, I see it very differently. I would not let my kid dive without me. The presence of a DM or not, is superfluous in my mind. I am the one responsible for my kid. And I am not going to leave the safety of my kid under water to a DM. I think if you are not a strong enough diver to care for both yourself and your kid, then your kid should not be underwater. Expecting a DM to make sure your kid is safe is crazy. (when I say kid, I mean someone in the 10-15 age range)

When people dive with a DM, they tend to assume the DM will fix all problems. They are less aware of dangers. Diving is dangerous. When I dive, I am aware my safety is in my hands and my hands alone. The DM is there as a tour guide, not to keep me safe.....

This reminds me of the old story on how to get rid of a dead donkey....

Sell raffle tickets for a live donkey for $2 a piece. Sell as many as you can. The after the drawing, let all the losers leave. Then tell the winner "sorry the donkey died, here is your $2 back"....

I just would not trust my kids safety to a stranger, sorry.

Sadly, I would not trust my husband diving with a stranger either. So they will have to trade off diving with me, (which is great for me, twice as many dives, and okay with them, as they are not a diving ***** like I am)

I like the idea of having a private DM for my kids diving. Of course I would be in the water as well. I love to dive and share the experience with people I love. Another set of eyes is a great idea. A private DM will have his/hers eyes/attention focused directly on the needs and saftey of my child. They have much experience and training in diving, instruction and in saftey issues and in addition, I will be keeping a watch out as well. Don't quite get the donkey story or its relevance to having a private DM. You have to place some trust in peoples expertise.
My husband and I love to dive together. He by far is my favorite dive buddy. I could not imagine limiting my husbands diving by only allowing him to dive with me nor could I imagine him limiting my diving to only diving with him. For us, that would be a huge deal breaker. We love sharing the stories of our dives with others with each other. Everybody thinks about things differently.

 

[Aggiebq86]

One of the reasons dive operators have a policy of requiring a DM with children under a certain age is because they don't know you from Adam. You may talk a good talk, but until they see you in the water, they don't really know how well you will do. This policy was probably put into place because they have had enough problems arise where a parent was solely responsible for the child and either a) the child had problems and the parent didn't respond properly, b) the parent had problems and the child could help, or c) the child wouldn't follow the directions of their parent and got in trouble (No one has ever had one of those have they?). When you add in that the local DM is familiar with the surroundings and isn't there to sight see like the paying customers are, the child will have a more observant partner on the dive. I think it is a good policy to have. You can always adjust that policy once you see how the parent and child perform underwater. It is a whole lot easier to relax a policy than it is to tighen it up mid course.