Does anyone here scuba dive?

[SAWYER]

My oldest son just turned 10 and our neighbors across the street own a dive shop and he wants to take lessons. He is an excellent swimmer and has been swimming since he was 3, at 10 do you think he is old enough? That question is for people who scuba obviously

 

[AMDZen]

14 I think is the minimum age to get certified

EDIT: Found this

Minimum Age:
10 years old
Students younger than 15 years, who successfully complete the course qualify for the PADI Junior Open Water Diver certification, which they may upgrade to PADI Open Water Diver certification upon reaching 15. You must be at least 13 years old to take scuba lessons online with PADI eLearning, due to international internet laws. If you’re younger, you can still learn to dive – just have your parent or legal guardian contact your local PADI Dive Shop or Resort.

Bottom line, I learned at 14 and I had been swimming since very young as well. I would say no, he isn't too young to start learning - but too young for diving out in the open until a bit older.

 

[olds]

Yes, but not me.

 

[Crusty]

Yes, but I have no idea what the minimum age is.

 

[danzigrules]

I got my junior scuba license when I was 10, never went any further though I would have loved to do it.


from the padi site:

Junior Open Water Diver (ages 10-14)
Young people can take the full PADI Open Water Diver scuba certification course and upon completion will become Junior Open Water Divers with certain age limitations for scuba diving:

Junior Open Water Divers ages 10-11 years old must dive with a PADI Professional or certified parent/guardian. Dives must not exceed 12 metres /40 feet.
Junior Open Water Divers ages 12-14 years old must dive with a certified adult. (13+ years old can take the Open Water Diver course online.

 

[Kreon]

I learned to Scuba dive at 14. IIRC, at the time that was the youngest you could get certified.

Upon looking on their site, it seems the have courses for people as young as 10
http://www.padi.com/scuba/padi-cour...ll-padi-courses/open-water-diver/default.aspx

I don't know what kind of courses/certs they offer at your local dive shop, but I guess its feasible.

I personally think 10 years old sounds like a good time to start. At 10 I had a similar background to your son, being an excellent swimmer (I spent almost every minute in the water).

A note about where he learns to dive: make sure its a body of water he is familiar with, or at least the water/bottom conditions. I learned in a lake that that was an absolute muckpit (wicked cloudy water, mucky bottom conditions, etc). If I hadn't been familiar with it, I would have been a bit offset by it.

 

[Texashiker]

More important then the age is the maturity level.

Scuba can be dangerous if not respected. In fact, it can be deadly, even at somewhat shallow depths.

How do you get a 10 year old to understand that if he does something wrong, there is a good chance he will die.

How many 10 year olds do "exactly" as they are told? and with scuba, you need to do just that - do exactly what you are told.

 

[Kreon]

How do you get a 10 year old to understand that if he does something wrong, there is a good chance he will die.

My dive instructor was a cool guy even when I was 14. at 10 years old anyone who does something extreme seems cool (SCUBA fits this I bet).

I agree that when you tell a 10 year old "it could kill you" it doesn't really sink in. Instead, you tell them "if you rise to fast, your lungs will explode", and it gets the message across a lot better. At least it works with 12-15 year olds.

 

[SAWYER]

I think the dive shop gives lessons in a local pool

 

[Sinsear]

I'm sure plenty of people here do. As long as you consider taking a character to the bottom of lakes, ponds and rivers in Azeroth scuba diving.

 

[dleiss]

I good place to ask followup questions:

www.scubaboard.com

 

[911paramedic]

I wouldn't teach anybody that was younger than 14, period. There isn't enough data regarding the physiology and what happens to the body as it's developing with regards to breathing compressed gasses at depth.

Yes I am a PADI instructor, and it really does mean Put Another Dollar In. If they can find a way to charge somebody for something they will.

 

[spidey07]

I wouldn't teach anybody that was younger than 14, period. There isn't enough data regarding the physiology and what happens to the body as it's developing with regards to breathing compressed gasses at depth.

Yes I am a PADI instructor, and it really does mean Put Another Dollar In. If they can find a way to charge somebody for something they will.

I agree with this, NAUI here. But I don't see the harm in an introductory class where a depth of under 15-20 feet for short times to teach the basics. Them have him do the full cert later.

They only recently lowered the age. I'm sure this is still hotly debated among instructors.