Kids & SCUBA Materials ????

[CincyBengalsFan]

Does anyone think that making the text and or the O/W text a little more simple for kis (12-13) is a good idea or what? I'm not saying change the whole test but maybe reword some of the questions. Shorten the questions. Use simpler words like balance instead of equalibrium when it comes to the ears, etc. etc.?? Maybe define eqalibrium on the text for them. The books don't give definitions for the bigger kid words. I don't want to make the test easier at all but just change some of the words and questions to something a little simpler.

I understand and I want everyone else to understand that these are my opinions and that most posts in this thread are constructive only and probably opinions also. :doctor:

I'm looking for good and bad reasons to have a childs text and test.

 

[JamesK]

I do not beleive in certifying children to scuba dive, so I am guess you can figure out how I feel on the text.

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

I understand entirely. I teach PADI as well and refuse to teach the 10-11 yr. olds.

 

[JamesK]

Good for you!!!! I am happy that some are standing up. Personally, I don't even like the idea of anyone under 16 diving, and to me 16 is pushing it. Of course, I also feel that no one should drive a car until 17 either, so maybe I am a little more extreme than others.

 

[Friggincold]

If they can't understand the tests that are given now they haven't been trained well enough or don't have the maturity level to dive. I believe that there are only a few young kids(12-16) that have the maturity level to dive safely. My $.02

 

[jonnythan]

If a kid can't understand the questions the way they are, maybe they shouldn't be doing something as complicated and intricate as diving.

I dunno, IMO, diving is much harder and requires more complex thought and a longer attention span than the simple "copy-n-paste" questions in my OW manual. I definitely feel that if the child cannot calmly sit down and read the OW manual the way it is, they shouldn't be getting OW certified.

13 years old is.. 8th grade. My entire class and I were writing 12 page (they felt like 1200!) essays about character development throughout Orwell novels. This probably isn't really the norm, but I can't imagine my 8th grade class was *that* much more intelligent and coherent than the average class.

I'm looking for good and bad reasons to have a childs text and test.

The gear and underwater environment are the same for both adults and children, so they should be held to the same standards. If a child can't responsibly act and think the way a reasonable adult would underwater, *I* don't think they should be diving.

BTW, if you have MS Word, type up a couple pages from your OW manual and do a stats run on them. Word will give you a score on the Reading Ease scale that corresponds to a grade level. I would guess that it will be 6-7 already.

So, in short, I disagree. Most (all?) 12 and 13 year olds aren't ready to be divers, and the ones who are have to be exceptional children and should be able to read the texts the way they are.

 

[PA/NJdiver]

I recently certified an 11 year old. He is going to turn 12 next month. He was much better than the adults both in the water and the classroom. He was telling his father how to use the tables and how to control his buoyancy. He understood buoyancy control, etc. far better than most adults I have seen. Everything clicked with him, but I don't think he was your average 11 year old.

I never thought I would say children should be certified, but I think it depends on the child. If they don't understand the material/book the way it is, they should not be diving. I think the child I had was an exception. He was really interested in scuba diving and intelligent. I would rather have him than some adults.

Stacey

 

[Diversauras]

I have also had some good younger students but I have a nagging worry that for all their mastry and (seeming) understanding of the skills and equipment, they will probably NOT handle a real emergency as well as an adult. I understand that many adults don't handle them well but the unmatured responses to fear and helplesness are a HUGE unknown.

 

[Diversauras]

The original question, I do not think that rephrasing or rewriting the text or tests to lower the comprehension level needed should be done.

 

[Jersey]

I agree with PA/NJ Diver - I have met 14 year olds I would buddy with and I have met 40 year olds I don't want to be near in the water. So much is determined by the individual.

I do believe early education and exposure. PA & NJ modified their driver license laws over the last couple years to limit driving with friends in car, driving only during daylight hours, and a couple other restrictions. Perhaps the certification could be modified to allow only escorted (buddy only with DM or above) diving only until a more reasonable age? Say (arbitrarily) 17...