Quote:
Originally Posted by MSilvia
If they're really interested, I see no reason to start them on training, but I'd want them to start slow. Start them out with a snorkeling class, and you'll not only get a chance to assess their comfort and enthusiasm in the water, but also start with a relatively small initial outlay of funds. Masks, fins, snorkles, etc.
Once they can demonstrate proficiency with those fundamental skills, comfort in the water, and enthusiasm for continuing training, try out a discover diving class with them, and if it goes well, sign them up for diving.
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This is very good advice. and in retrospect is what we did. First off the kids have to be able to swim well. this means more than simply passing the PADI minimum 200 survival swim. while untill a 200 yeard swim is not a big deal and very easy.
I don't know if y even really need a snorkle class. even if they are not great swimmers yet you can have them use a PFD (a.k.a. "live vest") and they can paddle around on the top of the water while looking down with the mask and breathing with a snorkle. Some kids will never get past the point of screeming about water in the mask or snorkle. if that is the case scuba is years away at best. Eventually the kids will tell you they think the PFD the really stupid and they want it off. If they say that they are likely correct. But make sure they have on at least a shorty wetsuit wetsuits float almost as well as a PFD)
Hopefully you live some place were you can take the kids snorkleing frequently enough so they can learn and get comfortable with it. We live in So. califorina wit the ocen only 10 minutes from the house.
I did forget abot all this in my other post. My son was able to snorkle pretty well and could git down to 20 feet deth and swimm around almost a minute and di not panic in kelp nd knoew how to duck under surf and was comfortable in the ocean.
Now for a bad story. One not to be duplicated. Kids do not handle panic well. A local diver here in So. Cal. put his 13 year old in OW class. The kid was not really great in the water, not a swimmer and have not much experiance in the ocean. well the short story was the kid paniced in easy conditions, 20 foot of water over a sandy botton 10+ feet of vis. He held his breath all the way up and died on his fist after class dive. Kids need to feel at home in the ocean, they don't panic if the ocean is a comfortable place that they are used to. Not only did the kid panic but the dad did not know how to recognise the problen or how to prevent a runway acent.