Learning to dive with a child? PADI OW Course?
Discussion
For as long as I can remember I've wanted to scuba dive & my ten Y/O daughter loves swimming & would really love to learn to dive having snorkelled lots on a recent holiday.
I've told her that you probably need to be 13/14+, but have this evening noticed that PADI do an OW Diver Course for which you need to be 10+, so I'm now thinking that it might not be beyond the realms of possibility for us to do it together over a period of time....
Anyone got any thoughts on this? Is it not a bloody brilliant plan?
Also, I'm likely to be embarking on another venture that will leave me beyond destitute for a while - will I need to sell my sweet little ass in the dark allies of Herts & North London to fund my fun & games?? Or is it likely that we can learn with an eye on the purse strings (ie f
king cheap)??
I've told her that you probably need to be 13/14+, but have this evening noticed that PADI do an OW Diver Course for which you need to be 10+, so I'm now thinking that it might not be beyond the realms of possibility for us to do it together over a period of time....
Anyone got any thoughts on this? Is it not a bloody brilliant plan?
Also, I'm likely to be embarking on another venture that will leave me beyond destitute for a while - will I need to sell my sweet little ass in the dark allies of Herts & North London to fund my fun & games?? Or is it likely that we can learn with an eye on the purse strings (ie f
king cheap)??I have been qualified for 15 years but my son wanted to learn - he is 11 now but did his PADI course last year. He is very confident in the water and passed all the theory tests but he really struggled with the practical tests. The problems were all down to being a child - he had to do all of the practical exercises that the adults do. Eg towing a tired diver in full kit is not easy when you are only 3.5 stone yourself!
In the end, he passed the Scuba Diver rating - meaning he can dive but only under the supervision of a dive master or instructor, rather than just with me. I think this is a good compromise.
Since then, he has done regular pool sessions to build his experience and will finish the full open water cert probably next year. In the meantime, we have done a couple of open water dives which have been great.
And can you do it cheaply? No.
Look at the cheap courses but then ask about the extras - course materials, certification fees, pool entry fees etc - suddenly, won't be any cheaper than the "expensive" courses. Realistically, you are looking at £300 each on average.
But it is worth it!
In the end, he passed the Scuba Diver rating - meaning he can dive but only under the supervision of a dive master or instructor, rather than just with me. I think this is a good compromise.
Since then, he has done regular pool sessions to build his experience and will finish the full open water cert probably next year. In the meantime, we have done a couple of open water dives which have been great.
And can you do it cheaply? No.
Look at the cheap courses but then ask about the extras - course materials, certification fees, pool entry fees etc - suddenly, won't be any cheaper than the "expensive" courses. Realistically, you are looking at £300 each on average.
But it is worth it!
Thanks for that.
I've just been looking at the website for a local shop and have decided that I need loads of gear, so any idea of doing it on a budget is now firmly out of the window!
I'm going to pop along to them this week and have a chat about enrolling in there little taster session. Exciting stuff.
I've just been looking at the website for a local shop and have decided that I need loads of gear, so any idea of doing it on a budget is now firmly out of the window!
I'm going to pop along to them this week and have a chat about enrolling in there little taster session. Exciting stuff.
Good luck with it - it is very addictive!
Don't be fooled by thinking you need loads of kit - for the Open Water course, everything should be provided so all you need are swimming shorts and a towel. Once qualified, you can hire kit very easily.
It is always nice having your own stuff, but unless you dive regularly, it is not generally worth it. I spent a fortune on kit but I was diving year round in the UK as well as overseas. Now the kids have come along, I have sold most of it and just hire equipment when I dive. I have just kept mask, fins, wetsuit and a dive computer.
Don't be fooled by thinking you need loads of kit - for the Open Water course, everything should be provided so all you need are swimming shorts and a towel. Once qualified, you can hire kit very easily.
It is always nice having your own stuff, but unless you dive regularly, it is not generally worth it. I spent a fortune on kit but I was diving year round in the UK as well as overseas. Now the kids have come along, I have sold most of it and just hire equipment when I dive. I have just kept mask, fins, wetsuit and a dive computer.
I think its a great idea, I did my open water at 12/13 and have been going ever since, almost 20 years. Its a great family hobby which means you can use man maths to justify lots of lovely holidays with the kids, or even nicer ones with the Mrs when the kids are at school.
At 13 I wouldn't splash out on anything more than a mask, fins and snorkel because shes probably soon to grow out of it, also no need to go out and spend hundreds on brand new top end stuff, a good search on EBAY will get you a fair bit or at least open your eyes to whats about, go local so you can actually go and have a look at it unless you really want to risk it ( also be aware you should probably service anything more complicated than fins or a suit before you use it in anger) but I recommend you get the qualification first before you spend lots.
The school will have everything you will need to try it out, so you don't actually have to buy anything right away and even then other than the basics you can always hire everything so unless you going to be diving lots in the UK its maybe not worth it.
Starting now though its not going to be getting any warmer so if your doing your Open water dives in the UK make sure they have a suit that's going to fit your daughter, nothing worse than having to cope in the cold.
Speak to the local schools, see how you like them its a potentially a big part of your life so if you want to do lots of it you need to be able to get on with the people, don't go just on price.
You will soon be able to introduce your daughter to the delights of Wraysbury.
At 13 I wouldn't splash out on anything more than a mask, fins and snorkel because shes probably soon to grow out of it, also no need to go out and spend hundreds on brand new top end stuff, a good search on EBAY will get you a fair bit or at least open your eyes to whats about, go local so you can actually go and have a look at it unless you really want to risk it ( also be aware you should probably service anything more complicated than fins or a suit before you use it in anger) but I recommend you get the qualification first before you spend lots.
The school will have everything you will need to try it out, so you don't actually have to buy anything right away and even then other than the basics you can always hire everything so unless you going to be diving lots in the UK its maybe not worth it.
Starting now though its not going to be getting any warmer so if your doing your Open water dives in the UK make sure they have a suit that's going to fit your daughter, nothing worse than having to cope in the cold.
Speak to the local schools, see how you like them its a potentially a big part of your life so if you want to do lots of it you need to be able to get on with the people, don't go just on price.
You will soon be able to introduce your daughter to the delights of Wraysbury.
Slightly different but I have also been planning to learn next year with my 2 daughters (10&11)
I also want to do it reasonably cheaply but I have zero interest in doing it in England.
Where is the cheapest place abroad to do it? Someone told me Thailand but I haven't researched it yet.
Any other suggestions (I realise the travel will cost a lot more but I am not counting that as it will be our holiday too)
I also want to do it reasonably cheaply but I have zero interest in doing it in England.
Where is the cheapest place abroad to do it? Someone told me Thailand but I haven't researched it yet.
Any other suggestions (I realise the travel will cost a lot more but I am not counting that as it will be our holiday too)
rhinochopig said:
It depends on the maturity of the child, but I think it's too young. You need to ask yourself how will you kid cope with sucking in water rather than air - which isn't unusual.
Really? How does that happen?Never happened to me before, although admittedly I've only dived a dozen times or so.
As to how a kid will cope- presumably PADI set the age at 10 for a reason? I am constantly surpised at how mature 10 year olds actually seem (and not just gloating about my own- other peoples 10 year olds too)
blindswelledrat said:
rhinochopig said:
It depends on the maturity of the child, but I think it's too young. You need to ask yourself how will you kid cope with sucking in water rather than air - which isn't unusual.
Really? How does that happen?Never happened to me before, although admittedly I've only dived a dozen times or so.
As to how a kid will cope- presumably PADI set the age at 10 for a reason? I am constantly surpised at how mature 10 year olds actually seem (and not just gloating about my own- other peoples 10 year olds too)
It happened to me on my first ever ow dive and i'm not sure I'd have stayed down aged 10. As you correctly point out though, some kids mature very quickly. I would certainly take it very slowly and stay shallow though; perhaps do a private course so there is pressure to go deeper?
rhinochopig said:
Regs can and do draw water occasionally. It's rare but it not unusual. A quick purge usually clears them, but breathing water can lead for a mad rush to the surface, if you don't get hold of your panic quickly. Or regs / masks can get kicked off.
It happened to me on my first ever ow dive and i'm not sure I'd have stayed down aged 10. As you correctly point out though, some kids mature very quickly. I would certainly take it very slowly and stay shallow though; perhaps do a private course so there is pressure to go deeper?
THat makes sense and probably suits us perfectlyIt happened to me on my first ever ow dive and i'm not sure I'd have stayed down aged 10. As you correctly point out though, some kids mature very quickly. I would certainly take it very slowly and stay shallow though; perhaps do a private course so there is pressure to go deeper?
To be honest, all my dives have been relatively shallow (max 10 metres?) and I've loved every single one of them so I don't want a PADI to necessarily go deep, but more for the independence and to not need to do all the beginner stuff every time.
Am doing the PADI OW with my kids at the moment. We have been waiting for our youngest to reach 10 years of age so that we could do it as a group. In terms of equipment I agree with what was noted above, you can limit the outlay to mask, snorkel and fins, but wetsuits are worth it too. Renting a wetsuit that loads of strangers have peed in is not that pleasant a thought.
A popular destination for doing the PADI course used to be Hurghada in Egypt, diving in the Red Sea, but post arab spring that may be less desirable/viable!
A popular destination for doing the PADI course used to be Hurghada in Egypt, diving in the Red Sea, but post arab spring that may be less desirable/viable!
Kill joy here.
Please with young kids, by those I mean children who have not finished growing, keep to depth limits, the air from your tanks is balanced to the ambient pressure you dive at, as you know, when you go deeper the air you breath is at higher ambient pressure, there are thoughts that this is not too good for young lungs.
Cheers, know I am being a kill joy, I dive a little, love it lots and just sharing some info.
Other advice, go for it, underwater is great.
Please with young kids, by those I mean children who have not finished growing, keep to depth limits, the air from your tanks is balanced to the ambient pressure you dive at, as you know, when you go deeper the air you breath is at higher ambient pressure, there are thoughts that this is not too good for young lungs.
Cheers, know I am being a kill joy, I dive a little, love it lots and just sharing some info.
Other advice, go for it, underwater is great.
We did a quick trial in the pool a few weeks back and both loved it, but sadly the only time available let for lessons is Wednesday nights, which will result in a silly bed time, so I've signed IP to commence the OW on my own next week.
I'll probably wait until my daughter's settled at big school (yr 6 ATM) before she learns.
Bloody brilliant fun though. Even just 1/2 hr in a pool was great. I'm an absolute cretin for not doing this years ago.
I'll probably wait until my daughter's settled at big school (yr 6 ATM) before she learns.
Bloody brilliant fun though. Even just 1/2 hr in a pool was great. I'm an absolute cretin for not doing this years ago.
We go to Krabbie a lot, as we live near, my Kids wanted to dive when they were around 10, the problem with Padi was the theory, but the diving school at Rai Lai did an introductory dive day for them, they thought it was great and did a few nore days like that before taking their Padi when they were older. In Thailand at least you will have no problem doing some sort of intro day,
Hi, have you considered joing a BSAC club? It is a much cheaper option than PADI and a great way of meeting other divers. If you google BSAC there will be a postcode search on their site for clubs in your area. I am not sure on their minimum age limit but she would be welcome to go along and snorkle.
fizzo said:
Hi, have you considered joing a BSAC club? It is a much cheaper option than PADI and a great way of meeting other divers. If you google BSAC there will be a postcode search on their site for clubs in your area. I am not sure on their minimum age limit but she would be welcome to go along and snorkle.
BSAC is 12, however SSI do a course for 8-12, which I am trying to find out about.If that doesn't lead anywhere, then I'll take your advice and look at some of the local clubs, of which there are many.
Slightly OT, I completed my Open Water at the weekend up at Gildenburgh nr Peterborough. It was much warmer than anticipated and visibility was about 3m or so, which is more than I expected.
Bloody amazing brilliant fun. Even just swimming around an old bus at 14-15m or so with a big pike following us was special. Can't wait to do more.
I am thinking about going up there again in Nov, then maybe looking at AOW and some other courses so that I can gain a little more experience (my buoyancy in particular needs some work) before I consider what to do next.
glad you had fun. welcome to the fun, now never take your wallet or cards to a dive shop or show, all things shiny cost.
And you will find out that the new things do nothing new but are shiny, books, holidays and everything will relate to diving...
enjoy. practice your drills and as you relax it all becomes easier, until you see something new or laugh, then it bubbles and crap buoyancy
And you will find out that the new things do nothing new but are shiny, books, holidays and everything will relate to diving...
enjoy. practice your drills and as you relax it all becomes easier, until you see something new or laugh, then it bubbles and crap buoyancy
Gassing Station | Sports | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff