I always thought that being fit for diving depends only marginally on atletic capabilities, such as swimming 200m in less than 2 minutes. Most of the fitness comes from brain and body control, particularly when under stress or in danger situations.
This partly comes with experience, and partly is genetically determined.
Some people never get this control, even after decades of experience and more than 1000 dives.
Some others reach a complete control in just 3 or 4 years, during which they make just 100 dives.
If you are in the second group (which in my experience amount to 25- 33 % of students) and you start early enough (at 5-6 years), and you manage to conduct 100-150 dives with your instructor parents, at 12 you have got enough self control for being quite a safe buddy, and you can start diving "normally".
I mean, in a group of 4- 6 divers, with a buddy of similar experience and following a divemaster.
During the previous 6 years, and the first 100 dive, the child is not yet a reliable buddy, and should dive only together with an experienced instructor, capable of providing safety for both.
The problem is with divers of the first group. 40 years ago, when I started, these students were identified along the 6-months-long diving course, and not certified. They were told they were unsuitable for becoming divers, and that was all. Only 25% of students of a diving course were being certified.
But around 1980 PADI arrived, convincing people that "everyone can become a scuba diver", thanks to modern equipment (BCD, suit, octopus, SPG, and later computer), and that learning some "skills" was a reasonable substitute for lack of brains and body control.
40 years later I must admit that for adults doing light rec diving Padi was right, diving can be fun and reasonably safe for everyone.
I am still convinced that this is not true for male youngsters in the risky age (14-24)...
So, having male sons, better to act earlier. Around 6-8 a good instructor can easily find if a child is genetically equipped for reaching proper self control. In this case, proper training can start and be completed before entering the risky age range. If the child is lacking self control, then better to postpone scuba diving (and any other dangerous sport) until 24 or 25...
This partly comes with experience, and partly is genetically determined.
Some people never get this control, even after decades of experience and more than 1000 dives.
Some others reach a complete control in just 3 or 4 years, during which they make just 100 dives.
If you are in the second group (which in my experience amount to 25- 33 % of students) and you start early enough (at 5-6 years), and you manage to conduct 100-150 dives with your instructor parents, at 12 you have got enough self control for being quite a safe buddy, and you can start diving "normally".
I mean, in a group of 4- 6 divers, with a buddy of similar experience and following a divemaster.
During the previous 6 years, and the first 100 dive, the child is not yet a reliable buddy, and should dive only together with an experienced instructor, capable of providing safety for both.
The problem is with divers of the first group. 40 years ago, when I started, these students were identified along the 6-months-long diving course, and not certified. They were told they were unsuitable for becoming divers, and that was all. Only 25% of students of a diving course were being certified.
But around 1980 PADI arrived, convincing people that "everyone can become a scuba diver", thanks to modern equipment (BCD, suit, octopus, SPG, and later computer), and that learning some "skills" was a reasonable substitute for lack of brains and body control.
40 years later I must admit that for adults doing light rec diving Padi was right, diving can be fun and reasonably safe for everyone.
I am still convinced that this is not true for male youngsters in the risky age (14-24)...
So, having male sons, better to act earlier. Around 6-8 a good instructor can easily find if a child is genetically equipped for reaching proper self control. In this case, proper training can start and be completed before entering the risky age range. If the child is lacking self control, then better to postpone scuba diving (and any other dangerous sport) until 24 or 25...