When did you start your children?

[AllenG]

You have asked about the age at which diving parents have apparently thought it safe for their children to begin diving. Everyone has told you that it depends on the individual child. This certainly is true, but perhaps your question should be rephrased to "what are the key issues to be assessed before allowing a particular child should be allowed to be trained and certified. When I enrolled my then 10-year old daughter in a course, key issues I had considered included:

1. Interest and curiosity in marine life in the underwater world
2. Motivation to complete the training and become a diver.
3. Cognitive capacity to understand and retain the body of knowledge associated with diving.
4. Physical capacity
5. Readiness to consistently, accurately and independently perform all of the pre-dive and post-dive activities on her own (even though I would be with her on every dive).
6. Inclination (or, in this case, lack thereof) to engage in risky behaviors.
7. Inclination to follow instructions and respect limits set by me and her instructor.
8. Tolerance for uncomfortable situations (e.g., mask flood).
9. Panic potential.
10. Propensity (or, in this case, lack thereof) to be overly dramatic.
11. Tendency to maturely carry herself when around a group of adults.
12. Interest in/willingness to become certified as a lifeguard (e.g., American Red Cross has a pre-lifeguard training program).
13. Complete comfort in deep water for an extended period (e.g., snorkeling in 30' open water setting where shore line is more than a swim away).
14. Strength as a swimmer.
15. Fearlessness BUT AS A RULE-OUT FACTOR, NOT A RULE-IN FACTOR (at this age, fearlessness means they absolutely will push a limit some time in the future).
16. Tolerance of ambiguity.
17. Impulsivity (or, in this case, lack thereof).
18. Adolescent growth spurt has already kicked in.

I also did talk with the instructor and then a diving doctor re bone physiology before allowing my dauther to dive.

With all this information, I felt that I could make an informed judgment re the safety of my daughter diving at such a young age. Suffice it to say, I allowed her to be trained, she had a great time, she handled herself well, and we are booked for another AKR visit in August!

Hope this helps!

 

[Espinosa]

welll said allenG

i think that number three is the most imortant, IMHO.

these are all things to take into heart.

i think about your number 15 fearlessness. very true!! fear is without a doubt a learned response. fear is gained via pain and experience.

nice list and i think it hits the nail right on the head.

NICE work!!! :yea:

well after re-reading there are more than just #3 that i agee with 100%

 

[wch]

Thanks for so many well thought out reponses. He has had the PADI training part to their into dive, he just did the 25 minute pool part, not the dive, when we were in Maui last year. He is very comfortable in the water. And he has shown composure in stressful sporting situations, which is not life or death, but an indicator.

I have never pushed him in any sport/activity, this has come from his desire. He has saved the bulk of his allowance over the last year for a BC. - Let's not get into whether he should start with BP/Wings - Not to say that I am not looking forward to diving with him someday.

Netdoc, he is a healthy kid, 5'5", 130lbs, and gets annual checkups for football. but the health concerns are a real factor.

Any more input would be appreciated, his mother and I have not given him an answer.

Bill

 

[Drew Sailbum]

I have been diving with certified 10 year old divers who were far more skilled and mature than their adult counterparts. So I agree that the child must be evaluated individually.

One of the points I try to evaluate is the willingness of the child to accept the limitations that come with a junior certification. Ask yourself whether your child will respect the depth limits placed upon him if/when he becomes certified? Will he try to ditch you as a dive buddy if other youths are in the dive group?

The factor to consider is the child's tendency toward rebelliousness. An overly headstrong youth may tend to ignore important safety considerations purely to act in defiance to parental authority. Such a children may be a hazard to themselves and others diving around them.

 

[DennisW]

My son was 12, Walter was the instructor. My Daughter was 13, and has a Padi Junior cert. They are both old enough for an upgrade now, but it is up to them. Both are good in the water, but I wish my daughter had been able to use Walter as her instructor. He is better than the instructor we found.

Like Walter, we limited their dives and depths. The reason? Nitrogen will dissolve into the bone. It stands to reason that it will dissolve into growing (soft) bones more than geezer bones. No one really knows what damage can be done and I never wanted my kids to be guinea pigs.

 

[Jarhead]

My son is 13 (14 in July) and last Friday he made he's first deposit on his OW class. The class starts June 13th. He has persued this since last year and is paying for his own class. Last year I had reservations about his maturity level. I bought him his personal gear/snorkeling gear last summer and he snorkeled around the dive boat while we dove. His goal is to persue a Marine Biology degree from the University of South Alabama.

My biggest question is: He is 5'4", 110 lbs and size 11 1/2 feet. Does he really "need" fins?

My daughter is 19. She'll probably never dive. When asked if she is scared of the water, her response is "No, just the critters in the water". ( although last year she borrowed a mask and jumped off the dive boat just to "see" the 5 foot Barracuda that was "camped-out" under the boat).

Jarhead

 

[TJA1950]

My daughter was certified at 12, she is now 23 and a very responsible diver. She's been my dive buddy for years. I think it is up to you as a parent, you know your children better than anyone.
Happy Diving
Terry:tree: :tree:

 

[MSilvia]

My dad and I both got certified when I was 14. I felt ready for it, and would certainly have done it sooner if it had been an option. I definately think it depends upon the maturity of the individual though.

 

[budgy]

I still remember being refused instruction when I was around 12.
At the time I did not think it was fair, now I think an instructor should not be put in a situation where there is any chance of having any unruly children under the water.

 

[WreckWriter]

my father taught me when I was about 8 or 10. I got certified at 14 (1973). My son is now 9 and simply chomping at the bit to get to dive. He's free diving to about 35' now and very comfortable underwater. He routinely begs me to teach him scuba but I won't do it.

When he is 10 I will get a friend who is still an active instructor to certify him. I have some reservations about doing it this early but he's a smarter kid than I was and I'm still here (and even still diving) all these years later.

As most others have said, it very much depends on the kid.

Tom