Need answer ... I am confused

[jfproul]

My son will be 11 years old this month and he is doing his junior OW
now and i am going to Bonaire in January for his certification dives , his
instructor told me that until he is not 12 years old we are gonna need a monitor
with us on every dives after his certification dives ...

according to the Padi instructor manual it says :

-After certification , a 10 or 11 years old junior scuba diver must dive with a padi
professional. dives must not exceed 12 metres / 40 feet.

-After certification , a 10 or 11 years old junior scuba diver must dive with a parent,guardian or a Padi professional.dives must not exceed 12 metres / 40 feet.

what is right ? i am comfused. i was planning on shore diving with him after
his certif dives but but now i don't know anymore.


thanks

 

[scuba70]

I've just reviewed the instructor manual for PADI, and here is what it says:
A Jr. scuba diver (which is different than a jr. open water diver) must dive with a PADI professional to a depth not exceeding 40'.
If your child is being certified to Jr. open water diver, then your child must dive with you as a certified parent, guardian or a PADI professional also not exceeding 40'.
After your child reaches age 12-14(still a jr. open water diver) they can dive with a certified diver that is of "legal age", which is 18 here. If you are traveling to a different country, that age may be different. Also realize that the laws of the country that you are in may be different from the US, so a local DM isn't a bad idea either. He could act as your guide and show you some cool stuff. Either way, I'm glad to see another diver in our midst. I know it's exciting to have your son certified. My son was certified this past summer(also 11), and we've been diving ever since. Hope this helps.

 

[jfproul]

ok now what is the difference between a junior scuba diver and a junior ow diver ?


thanks

 

[RJP]

"Scuba Diver" certification only requires completion of OW dives 1 and 2.

"Open Water Diver" requires OW dive 1-through-4.

The limitation for Scuba Divers to dive under supervision of a PADI professional applies regardless of age.

 

[SteveAD]

The scuba diver cert is essentially a permanent resort course. Anyone, child or adult, who gets a scuba diver cert must dive with a pro. The only purpose of the cert is so they don't have to go thru the academics and pool of the resort course on every trip. The class consists of open water academics chapters 1-3, confined water 1-3, and ow dives 1 and 2. Don't waste your time with scuba diver, make sure your son gets his ow.

 

[Walter]

You have less than 200 dives in over 10 years of diving. That's less than 20 dives per year. I see nothing in your profile that indicates any experience in dealing with preventing accidents or dealing with problem divers in general. Do you believe you are qualified to protect an 11 year old diver from himself? If you do, then he's your son, do what you think best. I've been diving 24 years, I generally make 100 - 150 dives per year and I have extensive experience teaching all levels up to and including Instructors, making real rescues and preventing accidents. If it were my son, I would not feel comfortable letting him dive at that age. If he's extremely mature, I'd let him dive in a year or two. The benefits simply do not outweigh the risks, IMO.

 

[jfproul]

i haven't update my profile for a while , i am a rescue diver now with 350 dives and i am doing my trimix course so don't worry for me and my son , i am a very safe diver,
i am may be an unsafe diver for you because i don't know the difference between
an junior open and a scuba diver but what can i do , my son instructor was wrong ,
he could dive with me alone after his 4 certifications dives ...she told me no but she was wrong.

thanks

 

[rickydazla]

I took an 11 year old girl and her father for their checkout dives yesterday at Monroe Quarry, MI. The water was 55 degrees, viz was about 20 feet and she wore a 2-piece 7mm (Henderson Gold Core) suit, hood and gloves. We dove to around 35'. I also had another two students. She was the the most comfortable diver in the group and performed skills better than the other three, possibly even when doing the air sharing ascents. At one point during the underwater tour two certified divers wearing dry suits and slinging nitrox pony bottles churned passed us. She carefully hung back and let them pass, with a quizzical look on her face.

Despite the few minutes longer than everyone else she spent shivering after the dive when I felt bad and gave her my thinsulate gloves, I felt it was perfectly reasonable to dive with Tia. Will I certify her to, and in the knowledge that she may, dive Bonaire (80+ degrees? 100 foot viz? 3mm shorty?) with her father, to no deeper than 40'. Sure. I only wish I could go too.

 

[diversteve]

i haven't update my profile for a while , i am a rescue diver now with 350 dives and i am doing my trimix course so don't worry for me and my son , i am a very safe diver,
i am may be an unsafe diver for you because i don't know the difference between
an junior open and a scuba diver but what can i do , my son instructor was wrong ,
he could dive with me alone after his 4 certifications dives ...she told me no but she was wrong.

thanks

Consider it from your son's perspective.

Suppose something happens to you at depth. Can he save you? Or would he panic and possibly become a second fatality. Or die trying to get you up to the surface?

Can he tow you in against even the small current/surge you can run into on Bonaire occasionally?

All of your training does him no good when you pass out u/w for whatever reason. Or get tangled up in something accidentally.

If he had to leave you behind to save himself, which is what I'm sure you'd want, what sort of guilt trip is that to lay on him until he's mature enough to understand it.

I don't mean this to be so harsh sounding, but it is a reality to consider.

DM's work cheap on Bonaire. Do Bari Reef with a naturalist, it'll cost you a little extra but your son may enjoy doing an official REEF fishcount. Salt Pier would be another good site, easy entry, lots to look at and I don't think it exceeds 40' until about the third set of piers. And it's DM required diving now.

 

[scubajb]

I am fairly new to all this as well. I got into it the same time my son was certified as junior ow at 10. Since then, i've learned a lot through continuous reading and diving around the states, bahamas, mexico, keys... etc (advanced and will be doing rescue hopefully this winter/spring). He has been diving with me every step of the way, and, from day one, has been one of the best divers on every trip. As a father, sure I am concerned and pay very close attention but I would say with all the people that I have dove with, I would choose my son as my partner. Early in the summer, he actually had an equipment failure at 20 feet. He handled it perfectly and calmly. He may be the exception because he lives and breathes diving, at this point in time. I definitely respect your opinion relating to his and you are absolutely, right, it is definitely a very big decision. My other son, who will be 10 this next year, I will not allow him to get certified. He does not show the maturity and cognitive level that I would be comfortable with... Definitely a major issue and needs to be evaluated seriously by the parent... well, just my thoughts...