PADI Junior Scuba Questions...

[chrisc]

My daughter 11 is very interested in getting certified. She has taken several of the free "Discover Diving" classes at the LDS, and has done quite well on the basics i.e. clearing mask, switching regulators etc. Now her is my question... She has a learning disablity that has hindered here reading ability. She currently is reading below here grade level and has a hard time with large words. She can recite information read to her, without a problem. If I remember right, while taking my Open Water class there was a child taking the PADI Junior Scuba class and they had to take the same test as I. Is this the case? And are there exceptions to the rules, or does she have to wait until she can fully read the exam by herself.

Thanks-
Chris

 

[DiveTyme]

Chris,
PADI standards are for Junior Open Water Diver say"Students must independently complete written PADI Open Water Diver Quizzes and Exams-oral exams are not permitted for divers under the age of 15 (except when diagnosed with a learning disability)"
A letter from a credentialed health care practitioner (medical doctor, psychologist, ect,) stating the diver has been diagnosed with a learning disability is needed for oral exams.
Make sure your daughter is mature enough to handle the respondsibility of diving. And just a word of encouragement, my father had the same problem and struggled thru all grades of school. He is now semi-retired and the CEO of a large corparation he built from the ground up.
Tim

 

[DORSETBOY]

Chris, exceptions can be issued by padi to a student but not to the dive centre or instructor teaching, your best option would be to contact either directly and confirm what they require for an exception. Diving is meant to be about inwater skills and padi have led the field in moving away from largely unnecessary written work. I hope that your daughter takes the open water course and I wish her all the best as it's a great way for anyone adult or child to improve their confidence.

 

[SCUBAMedicBill]

Chris,

I believe that you will fid that PADI, as well as other agencies, will have a system in place. This is a result to the Americans with Disability Act which pretty much dictates that every effort must be made to teach the material to the student. Any extra cost to do this can be passed onto the student, but they can't be disqualified because of the disability. This exception is for the didactic portion of the program. They still must be able to perform all of the physical requirements, even if it is done with special procedures or devices.

As an instructor who teaches emergency responders, I often get students with learning disibilities. In most cases, all, with help, get through it fine.

All I add is that you know her better than anyone. Just don't push her beyond her capabilities. Good Luck.

Bill

 

[chrisc]

After talking to PADI and another LDS, I have found an instructor that is willing to train my daughter. The instructor met with me daughter for 45 minutes in the store asking her different questions and having her try on different set ups to make sure she was confident in the equipment choices. The Instructor felt very confident that she would have no problems at all.

The first LDS flat out refused to train anyone that could not complete the written test. This by the way is also the LDS that we have had several issues with before. I mentioned that I had talked to PADI and stated what they had told me about oral tests, the LDS said it was thier call, and they did not care what PADI stated (they are a 5 star from PADI). I am thinking that this is in violation of the Americans with Disablilities act. But they will never receive any more business from our family!

Thanks for everyones help.

Chris

 

[DORSETBOY]

Hope it all goes well and shame on the LDS in question!

 

[Tom Winters]

I'm not sure that the ADA applies to scuba instruction, but if your kid is really motivated to learn to dive and the instructor is willing to acocmodate her, then she'll do ok. My g/f's kid is certified at 10 - both she and the ex are ex-PADI instructors so they were gung-ho that the kid get certified as soon as she was eligible.
She did well in the class and no problems with the skills at all, but since she's ADD (attention deficit disorder), I watch her like a hawk in the ocean. Plus I realized that after the last dive with her, she didn't really care that much for it. And since the parents got tired of having to do every step of setting up and breaking down her gear, they cooled off on the idea of diving with her.
I'm not that wild about this junior certification stuff, but I understand it from a business point-of-view. It all boils down to how thrilled about diving the kid and how well they understand the inherent risks. I taught myself how to dive when I was 9 using the NOAA manual and doing everything over and over again - I never ran across an instructor until I was 17 and got a C-card from him in return for some nice photos I took of him underwater.

 

[seabat]

Best wishes to your daughter in her diving.

After reading the post and replies I was wondering if her reading abilities would effect her use of dive tables or interpeting the information on a dive computer?

 

[SubMariner]

The first LDS flat out refused to train anyone that could not complete the written test. This by the way is also the LDS that we have had several issues with before. I mentioned that I had talked to PADI and stated what they had told me about oral tests, the LDS said it was thier call, and they did not care what PADI stated (they are a 5 star from PADI). I am thinking that this is in violation of the Americans with Disablilities act. But they will never receive any more business from our family!

Chris, I strongly suggest you make a complaint to PADI HQ about this dive shop. They are contravening both PADI standards and the AWD act with their attitude. Something you may want to point to PADI out in your correspondence to them.

However, that being said, you are right to never darken their door again. But don't let them get away with their BS unpunished!

Wishing your daughter success in her scuba adventures,

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Chris, I strongly suggest you make a complaint to PADI HQ about this dive shop. They are contravening both PADI standards and the AWD act with their attitude. Something you may want to point to PADI out in your correspondence to them.

However, that being said, you are right to never darken their door again. But don't let them get away with their BS unpunished!

Wishing your daughter success in her scuba adventures,

Don't know I'd be that harsh.

An instructor is under no obligation to accept any student. Without a letter certifying a diagnosis of a learning disability, the shop was quite correct that a written exam would be mandatory for a student age 11. To treat the student otherwise would be a standards violation.

To answer two of the original questions: 1) Yes. Junior Open Water students must pass the same test as adults to earn certification - no exceptions. 2) Junior Open Water students must take a written test unless a credentialed health care practitioner certifies that a learning disability exists.