Posted by Wayne on January 03, 2002 at 17:20:29:
In Reply to: Re: Child abuse and diving : response for Wayne posted by finfan on January 03, 2002 at 16:08:02:
I consider rock climbing and skiing to also be "dangerous", but my kids also do these sports. Tomorrow they will be skiing (dang it, I have to be at work) and there are all those trees waiting to be hit. I consider the odds of injury to be greater in skiing than I do in the diving we allow her to do.
As far as her rescue skills, she is capable of many things, but dragging me back to a boat or beach while rescue breathing is not among them. Far too many adults also fall into this category. So that makes me a solo diver with her. Fine, I usually dive alone. But you are right that anyone who dives with children needs to recognize the situation they are in as they plan their dives. This is also true of people who dive with strangers or inexperienced adults. If I take some newbie or non-local divers out, I am solo diving in the same circumstances as if I am diving with my young kids. I just have better insurance for the former -- and then again, I KNOW her skills and experience for the latter.
probably safer with the kid.
As to long term effects of diving, this one is often bantied around because it is not possible to prove a negative. Some of the long term effects I know of are a deep resepect for the environment, a desire to study science, and concern for all creatures on the planet. If a kid gets DCS, then it is a problem, but DCS is easily avoided through conservative diving.
You mention decision making skills that come with age and experience. You are right that a 10 year old cannot be expected to make decisions that an adult could make. But then again, a young diver used to being in the ocean is better than an adult non-beach-swimming OW diver. It is not just the age, but reflects largely on the comfort level.
I often see divers whom I think should not be allowed to dive in unsupervised situations. I'll stack my kids up against them almost anytime. But then again, my kids do not dive unsupervised.
So when you dive, do you always have a fully qualified buddy? Do you always discuss signals and proceedures. Do you always work out the dive plan together before you are geared up? Do you always go over each other's gear configurations and how everything works from weights to octo and instrument attachments? When diving with the kids, I always do.
And anyone who chooses to allow their kids to dive MUST do this and more. Diving with kids or strangers is not something to be taken lightly.
I have my share of fear associated with young divers who have resort diver parents. These parents and their kids are often not equiped to deal with diving situations. They are often not equipped to make their own decisions about dive planning either.
I think it is a rare kid that should be allowed to dive and a rare family that should allow its kids to dive. I think the same about many other activities. For example ever watch non-swimming kids playing in the surf on a hot weekend? Now that is dangerous!
But is not that the family has to be "special", it is that they must be aqua-types. My kids grew up at the beach and swimming in the ocean moving below those dangerous waves is a good thing.
Wayne