PADI requires that an enriched air student be age 15. Any thoughts on why this is? If the student can grasp the concepts and do the math, why is there an age limit, especially when a junior open water diver should be diving with an adult anyway?
Why an age requirement for Nitrox course?
- Thread starter adjuster-jd
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Mostly because there is very little scientific data on the effects of elevated PPO2 on children.
JDMerk
Contributor
What does a child under 15 need with EANx?
Shouldn't any diver considering EANx or any other more "advanced" type of diving get a significant amount of experience with the basics first? The youngest I think any agency will certify divers is 12 right? I think is wise to err on the side of caution with children this young I mean is three seasons of diving really that conservative to wait till going to Nitrox?
Shouldn't any diver considering EANx or any other more "advanced" type of diving get a significant amount of experience with the basics first? The youngest I think any agency will certify divers is 12 right? I think is wise to err on the side of caution with children this young I mean is three seasons of diving really that conservative to wait till going to Nitrox?
OP
What's advanced about EANx diving with the likely profiles that junior divers would do? I normally dive nitrox using an air profile just to further reduce the unlikely risk of DCS. This same reduction in n2 percentage might likely benefit a junior diver as well. All that is necessary is to not exceed a max depth and to be aware of O2 saturation. Most agencies don't even require dives with enriched air classes.
Well, 15 is the age at which PADI certified divers are just 'certified divers' not juniors so the depth restrictions that apply to junior divers are gone putting the divers in the same depth range where nitrox is a clear benefit instead of the shallower dives where the only realistic benefit is the added conservatism.
Rachel
P.S. Many of the major agencies are certifying juniors at age 10.
Rachel
P.S. Many of the major agencies are certifying juniors at age 10.
JD,
I have read a few papers on children and diving, many of which the helpful folks at DAN forwarded to me when I first considered taking on young scuba students. I've taught perhaps a dozen under-fifteens to dive.
My thoughts are:
My feeling is: If it were my child I would restrict the diving to forty feet and build in swims, snorkels, and other activities during the day. Nitrox would be a moot point.
-Bryan
I have read a few papers on children and diving, many of which the helpful folks at DAN forwarded to me when I first considered taking on young scuba students. I've taught perhaps a dozen under-fifteens to dive.
adjuster-jd:
adjuster-jd:
My thoughts are:
- Risk/reward considerations are at play here.
- The physiological issues of children and diving are not yet well understood.
- Abstract thinking, impulse control, and sound judgement typically develop after age 11 (see for example Jean Piaget's "Formal Operational" phase). These skills are crucial in staying safe on nitrox if the dive site has no hard bottom at or above the MOD.
My feeling is: If it were my child I would restrict the diving to forty feet and build in swims, snorkels, and other activities during the day. Nitrox would be a moot point.
-Bryan
NudeDiver
Contributor
A local tech diver (instructor, blah blah) I know thinks that all dives under 100' should be on nitrox (for the extra conservatism) - just forget about air entirely.
There are lots of people that believe that, however, it has nothing to do with the OP's question.
R
NudeDiver
Contributor
Maybe not - but I was responding to the post above mine ("Nitrox would be a moot point").
psychocabbage
Contributor
Would we still have all these "rules" if America were not so sue happy?
I have 3 daughters, the oldest 15 and youngest 10. All dive..
So what if the wife and I are on Nitrox and we have to do the buddy thing and have one of our kids breathing off our tanks on the way up? Thats what? 3-5 minutes of nitrox.. Is that dangerous?
Do they ever administer oxygen to patients that are children in the hospital.
I think far too many people err on the side of caution. If I had started this when I was a kid, at least then there were not that many rules and I am sure I would of gotten to do more than what is now typically allowed..
I have 3 daughters, the oldest 15 and youngest 10. All dive..
So what if the wife and I are on Nitrox and we have to do the buddy thing and have one of our kids breathing off our tanks on the way up? Thats what? 3-5 minutes of nitrox.. Is that dangerous?
Do they ever administer oxygen to patients that are children in the hospital.
I think far too many people err on the side of caution. If I had started this when I was a kid, at least then there were not that many rules and I am sure I would of gotten to do more than what is now typically allowed..
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