Posted by Jim Hoffmann on June 30, 2003 at 10:38:46:
In Reply to: Should 10 year olds be diveing? posted by Captain Tim on June 29, 2003 at 21:58:04:
Tim
The answer to your question is no. Both of my kids learn to dive at about 9 or 10. They needed custom suits (which they out grow in less then a year) and custom BC (seatec made them ), and smaller tanks. They could only dive with us and only in very good conditions.
Both were not self-reliant divers until they were older and bigger ( and I think that is the real problem here). These little kids need a strong (strong.... someone that is very comfortable in the water and someone who has common sense) adult diver with them to make a dive safely. Most of the adult divers (with these kids) do not meet this criteria.
If PADI and SSI want to do certify children, then they need to have a program for the adults who are diving with them (a program like the H.S.A. has). To do this type of program right, the adult and the child need to be evaluated together. That’s the only way to make this type of program safe for the child and the adult.
I have to wonder if the authors of these programs had kids. I have to wonder about the instructional experience of the authors of these programs.
I think that if you look closely at the 10 year old certs., it shows what happens when the marketing department is involved with making standards (I hope that is not what is happening with NAUI right now).
Divers should not be certified until they are self-reliant in the water, Period.
Jim Hoffmann
NAUI 5888
PADI 6301
Scuba-Toys and Schools Inc.