how young is too young?

[scubamommie]

I was thinking about getting my son his first mask snorkel and fins package from like walmart.... my question is how old did you start your little one with things like these.. he has always loved the water... and recently i got a mask and snorkel for me that he enjoys trying to wear... he actually puts the snorkel in his mouth and breathes through it... when i try to take it away he screams and runs away with it.... oh yeah he just two turned 2 in November.. is this too young???

[Diver Kat]

If you can find the gear small enough, and he's supervised, I don't think he's too young. All of us kids (my parents had 6) were in the water as soon as we could toddle into it, and learning to swim as soon as someone would teach us. The one exception was 1 sister who was accidentally dropped off a pier as an infant. 40 years later she still doesn't swim, and hates the water!

[hooligan]

Like Kat said, if you can find something that fits, why not? Obviously supervision is important.

[K9Pig]

November (30th) is a good month....

My daughter was 27 months when she tried the snorkel along with the swim goggles. We taught her to plug her nose at first, then we used one of those nose plug things from back in the old days. She has always been a fish, and is my dive buddy at age 14.

[mike_s]

I've got a 2 year old and I think 2 might be too young.

At that age they really don't understand water and drowning. (in my opinion)

has you son taken any swimming lessons yet? My son took them twice a week last year and still couln't really swim on his own safely. (but heck..... he's two.. .that's to be expected).

While I want to get him a mask and let him play, I just don't think he's quiet ready for it or being able to handle himself if he gets dunked to easily, can't get back to a place he can hold onto, or if his mask flooded, or trying to clear a snorkel at that age.

I may be wrong... but also every kid is different. I'm sure there is some kid out there that can swim the length of the pool at age two w/o a problem.


With all that said of me thinking he's too young, I too am dying to buy him a mask/fin/snorkel set also!

[Vercingetorix]

Don't know about the mask/snorkel thing. But teaching him to swim, why not? We've all seen those videos of infants swimming on their own in pools (supervised, of course). Kids just have the natural talent and lack the fear when water is introduced in a non-traumatic way (Diver Kat's sis excepted..sorry that happened to her).

[mm_dm]

We put water wings on our little guy at that age and stayed right with him. He's turning 12 this summer and I plan to get him certified. He's very comfortable in the water...he'll stay in till his lips turn blue if you let him. I've mulled around about getting him into scuba, but I've run out of reasons not to...plus, the kid's a fish.

[BouzoukiJoe A.K.A. wrecker130 AKA Chuck Norris AKA joeforbroke (banned)]

Besides not having breath control, I don't believe a 2 year old would have the lung volume to use any snorkel that I've ever seen. Probably going to be rebreathing and building up CO2. No way that a 2 year old could clear one. My kids are 7, 9, and 10 and are just now getting to the point where they can use small snorkels. I'd say let kids have fun swimming and playing, but they probbaly need to be somewhere around 8 before they can use snorkels properly.

[CPTOZZY]

Memories.......I grew up with a full swimming pool in my backyard. My father would not let me jump off the diving board until I could swim the length of the pool underwater. I will never forget the day I did it and got to jump off the board....I was 4.

I don't remember how old I was when I got my first mask & snorkel, but I remember building my own "hookah" tube out of a Garden hose and floaties (I didn't listen to my dad who told me it wouldn't work because of the difference in pressure and Dead space - He was right)

[ranunciado]

i think taking him to a swimming lesson first would be a better way of introducing your kid safely in water.