Safe procedures for children's swimming pool try-dive?

[ianmayo]

Hi there,
whilst on holiday at a Greek resort recently, children were offered a swimming-pool based try-dive by PADI accredited instructors.

The 1.4m pool seemed a very safe, benign environment. The 6 children (including 2 of mine) were hosted by one instructor in the water, and another on the pool side.

They donned kit, played some surface games, and did an underwater loop on the pool bottom. It was a great, safe environment for the kids to enjoy the liberty of breathing underwater.

But, during the 15 minute session there were two near-drownings. Two negatively buoyant children lost their regulators, and hadn't been taught how to sweep to recover them. This wouldn't be a problem, but they were out of their depth. They were pushing off to get to the surface, taking a gulp, then sinking back down under the weight of the kit. The in-water diver didn't see it happening. Luckily the out-of-water instructor and I both spotted it happening, jumped in, and put the regulators back in the kids' mouth. (well, one of them - the other child was too shaken to continue the session).

I dived in my Degree 20 years ago - so have some relevant experience. I had seen a 1.4m depth pool environment as completely risk free. But, it does appear that it can prove very hazardous to a negatively buoyant child who can't reach the bottom.

Should a child under such circumstances be treated more like an Open Water diver? Or are there other safety rules that were not being observed in this case?

Any guidance is most welcome. My holiday has finished - but if the company is failing to follow best-practice (or regulations) I'd like to contact them to put them straight.

Cheers,
Ian

 

[Shawn95]

What was the age of the kids? They must be eight to do the BubbleMakers program so any kids I have had in the pool doing this just stand up if there's a problem. They shouldn't be in a pool over their head although I have had a couple very short 8 year olds. If the out of water instructor saw the problem and dealt with it then at least the outcome was not as bad as it could have been.

 

[FM1520]

PADI does discover SCUBA in a pool. My kids did it at about 12 years old, the pool is 12 feet deep at the Sport Chalet here in San Diego. Pretty much one on one with the instructor. Seemed pretty safe and well run.

 

[freewillie]

Sounds like a PADI bubble maker program. You didn't mention the age of the kids and that makes a huge difference in how many kids per instructor. PADI bubble makers start at 8 yrs of age and basically a confined pool dive with scuba gear for kids. PADI Jr OW certification can start as young as 10. Most instructors will tell you the maturity of the kids plays a big parts as to when they should consider scuba classes. The biggest part of the program that will determine how safe it is depends on the number of kids per instructors. Obviously the fewer kids the better. 6 kids sounds like a lot but I couldn't tell you what PADI restrictions for number kids per instructor.

 

[Islandheart]

I do a Bubble Makers session about once a quarter. Mostly 8-11 yr olds.

After paperwork, a complete briefing using the PADI Seal team flip chart.

I have the kids swim across and back the 25 meter pool. Any that fail to complete the swim don't go any further.
I use only the 4 ft end of the pool and only have 2 kids in the water at a time.

From these B-M kids, I have a Seal Team session.... When kids complete the skills then I take them no more than one at a time to the deep end but NEVER leave any of them further than 4 or 5 feet from my reach, at any depth.

 

[ianmayo]

What was the age of the kids?

They were 10-11 years old.

They must be eight to do the BubbleMakers program so any kids I have had in the pool doing this just stand up if there's a problem. They shouldn't be in a pool over their head although I have had a couple very short 8 year olds.

The problem was completely due to the children being out of their depth. This "scary" scenario is just the instance when there's a negatively buoyant child who's not tall enough to stand up in the pool, loses their regulator, but hasn't been trained in how to either recover the regulator or inflate the ABJ.

If the out of water instructor saw the problem and dealt with it then at least the outcome was not as bad as it could have been.

Yes. Luckily everything turned out safe. But, in this circumstance, I don't think it luck should be involved...

 

[Quero]

Standards stipulate that the pool session is to be conducted in water shallow enough to stand until the chilrdren are comfortable enough to go into deeper water. It's possible that the shallow water bit was not extensive enough for those two who got into trouble. The maximum instructor-child ratio for swimming pool Bubblemaker experiences is 1:6, so having the second instructor on the pool deck seems to me to show that the dive school was attentive to the risks. Thus it wasn't just "luck" that prevented a real accident. While I'm sure it was distressing to see this happen, particularly with your own children in the water, these were not actually near drownings as that type of incident involves unconsciousness and actual inhalation of water into the lungs. The kids got into trouble, yes, but based on your description, the situation was handled adequately. Now personally, when I do Bubblemakers, I will only take one or two at a time into deeper water, and I hold their hand. For games like underwater frisbee for which I have to let go of them, I only do it in water they can stand up in.

 

[ianmayo]

Standards stipulate that the pool session is to be conducted in water shallow enough to stand until the chilrdren are comfortable enough to go into deeper water. It's possible that the shallow water bit was not extensive enough for those two who got into trouble.

Aah, I see. In this situation they were out of their depth for the whole period, though for the first half they were positively buoyant.

The maximum instructor-child ratio for swimming pool Bubblemaker experiences is 1:6, so having the second instructor on the pool deck seems to me to show that the dive school was attentive to the risks. Thus it wasn't just "luck" that prevented a real accident. While I'm sure it was distressing to see this happen, particularly with your own children in the water, these were not actually near drownings as that type of incident involves unconsciousness and actual inhalation of water into the lungs. The kids got into trouble, yes, but based on your description, the situation was handled adequately.

Yes the situation was handled adequately. But, I'm sure the situation should not have arisen. My gut feeling is that the only way it could have been safely run was for to only allow children in the session who were tall enough to just stand up if they got into trouble. They were given no instruction in how to recover their regulator (the instructor place it into their mouth himself).

If a child hadn't had the strength to push to the surface, then the problem wouldn't have been spotted. I can only imagine that they would have simply died underwater.

Now personally, when I do Bubblemakers, I will only take one or two at a time into deeper water, and I hold their hand. For games like underwater frisbee for which I have to let go of them, I only do it in water they can stand up in.

This certainly seems like a more healthy ratio.

 

[Crowley]

Important points to note:

For the PADI DSD:
- Regulator recovery should be practiced at the surface prior to repetition underwater
- Inflator / deflator operation is a mandatory skill during a DSD with an emphasis on "PUSH THIS AND INFLATE" any time you are at the surface.

Many dive centres do not conduct "intro" dives to the standard of any agency. They just put on gear and splash around - it's an unfortunately very normal practice, however conducted well it's generally quite safe. Kids being allowed to be negatively buoyant without a regulator is unacceptable. It's a problem that can and will occur - and the instructor should be on hand to deal with that. It's not always possible to deal with every situation, but some basic training and a good briefing should have eliminated those concerns.

10 - 11 years old is a full DSD not a Bubblemaker - but there are standards that have to be observed. Ability to swim is irrelevant because even a good swimmer who is negatively buoyant and not in possession of a regulator is going to sink and there's not a lot that anybody can do about that. Unfortunately, in many locations, there is no law that "try dives" have to be conducted to any kind of standard. This is not an agency failure, it's a failure of the business involved. Clearly the operator was doing certain things correctly - with one person in the water and one observer out of it, but there are no circumstances where an instructor should have to jump in the water to give a regulator to a child who is about to drown.

I wasn't there, and I can't comment on the situation directly, but if they were sold a DSD and standards were not met, then report the dive centre and instructors involved.

C.

 

[Sevenrider860]

Important points to note:

For the PADI DSD:
- Regulator recovery should be practiced at the surface prior to repetition underwater
- Inflator / deflator operation is a mandatory skill during a DSD with an emphasis on "PUSH THIS AND INFLATE" any time you are at the surface.

Many dive centres do not conduct "intro" dives to the standard of any agency. They just put on gear and splash around - it's an unfortunately very normal practice, however conducted well it's generally quite safe. Kids being allowed to be negatively buoyant without a regulator is unacceptable. It's a problem that can and will occur - and the instructor should be on hand to deal with that. It's not always possible to deal with every situation, but some basic training and a good briefing should have eliminated those concerns.

10 - 11 years old is a full DSD not a Bubblemaker - but there are standards that have to be observed. Ability to swim is irrelevant because even a good swimmer who is negatively buoyant and not in possession of a regulator is going to sink and there's not a lot that anybody can do about that. Unfortunately, in many locations, there is no law that "try dives" have to be conducted to any kind of standard. This is not an agency failure, it's a failure of the business involved. Clearly the operator was doing certain things correctly - with one person in the water and one observer out of it, but there are no circumstances where an instructor should have to jump in the water to give a regulator to a child who is about to drown.

I wasn't there, and I can't comment on the situation directly, but if they were sold a DSD and standards were not met, then report the dive centre and instructors involved.

C.

I would actually change your emphasis...

- Inflator / deflator operation is a mandatory skill during a DSD with an emphasis on "push this and inflate" any time YOU ARE AT THE SURFACE. I believe the DSD video and briefings emphasize that the inflator not be used underwater and that the PADI dive professional will adjust your buoyancy.​