Question About 10 Year Old Child Certification

[urbaneve71]

Hi everyone. Yippie, my son who is turning 10 next month wants to scuba dive with me. We are vacationing down in Florida next month and I wanted to know if there is a temp dive certification he can earn down there. He wont be able to get into classes until the following month so we are kinda stuck.

Any input would be great. Thanks

 

[sheeper]

Where in Florida will you be? We may be able to help you out with that!

 

[urbaneve71]

we are going to orlando area first -- then traveling somewhere down in the keys -- where are you at? we are kinda open ended about where we are going -- any good ideas

 

[urbaneve71]

also -- if we would like to include swimming with the dolphins too if you have info in that

 

[C P]

At 10 he is old enough for a Jr. Open Water Cert. The question is if he is ready for it, The course is the same as the adult course so its a tough call for a parent. That warning out of the way, both our girls got certified at 10. Some of the best dives I have ever been on were with them. The oldest is an avid diver with her Trimix and full cave.

Most training agencies offer a short course in which after some academics and pool work he can dive with a Instructor or DM (and you) to 40 feet. Its not a cert though. Probably all of the shops in the Keys can handle that if you call them. Another option is doing the pool and academics at home and getting a referral for the open water dives in Florida. Not sure where Sheeper is, Florida geography isn't my best, but at least some questions to ask.

 

[Reku]

Like everyone else said: If he is ready for it mentally then sure why not!

I wish I would of started when I was 10!!!!

 

[Skulmoski]

My daughter completed her PADI Junior Open Water when she was 10. She completed the elearning theory component at home and at her own pace.

Have a great vacation!

GJS

 

[Storker]

Like the others say, if he's ready for it, he can do it.

That said, I think it's good to be aware about one issue, which may or may not be relevant depending on the type of diving you do. A ten-year-old is, in my opinion, not a competent buddy. They haven't developed the mental focus nor the mental and physical strength to be of any help if their buddy has a problem. So if you're doing the type of diving I do (independent buddy teams, no DM to oversee us in the water), you will then be solo diving with the added responsibility for a child. This is the reason I've held back until my kids turned sixteen. I need a somewhat competent buddy, and I don't trust myself to be competent to oversee a child under water while essentially solo diving.

 

[kierentec]

It is great to hear your son is interested in diving! There is a dive center on just about every block in South Florida, so you will have plenty of options. There are a few things you wil want to consider when selecting an instructor for your child, though. There was an excellent article on the subject recently posted on the SDI blog page here: How Do I Find a Scuba Instructor for My Child? | SDI | TDI | ERDI

 

[docmartin]

Most training agencies offer a short course in which after some academics and pool work he can dive with a Instructor or DM (and you) to 40 feet. Its not a cert though.

Sounds like one of those Discover Scuba deals. I am surprised that would be available for 10 year olds.

As far as getting certified, both our sons were certified right after turning 10. As mentioned by others above I recommend e-learning and pool sessions at home with checkout dives in the Keys. Otherwise your vacation will have to be organized all around the course. The issue with (PADI) e-learning is that they do not let you start the e-learning before age 10 so you can't enroll before the birthday. It sounds like your child's birthday is close to your trip date. That may not leave enough time to complete e-learning and pool before the trip.