Youngest Diver to Dive Thistlegorm????

[MATTBIN]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Errrr.... actually Matt I was intending to suggest the opposite, a controlled diving experience in the proper company with all the educational benefits that scuba provides re the theory training, as compared to hanging around train stations, three sheets to the wind, smoking and other stuff too (I've seen the debris left behind the next morning).

Absolutely agree Steve, which is why I took my boy diving from the age of 14 (he's 16 now), archery, air rifles, anything to stop the street corner culture. My daughter did that, despite our attempts to persuade her to do other things instead, and we still havent got her straight!
Kids!

Matt

[Jules]

<font color='#736AFF'>I think you can all guess my thoughts on this. I wouldnt take my kids diving if I didnt think they had the sense and maturity to do it sensibly. It has certainly been good for their self esteem and far better than glue , alcohol, tobacco, mindless computer games, vandalising the local playground etc.
Everything in life has risks. Everyweek a kid in the local paper is hospitalised or worse by getting knocked off his bike.

Since she took up diving bethi (12) has got into tropical fish keeping so the education goes on and on. Not just has she learned all the science for her open water but now she is testing the tanks for Ph and ammonia etc. and learning how to adjust it . She is genuinely interested in the natural world.she would like to work with Dolphins when she is older. I love the fact that she doesnt think there is anything she cant do if she wants.
It is also something we do together and shared wonderful experience gives us another &nbsp;bond. &nbsp;
I would never take them on a dive I considered not suitable and always very careful about who they buddy. We have been very lucky and never had any shortage of nice experienced divers who would go diving with us. &nbsp;In warm water it's obviously better and easier than in the uk. Small people chill quicker. I also never encourage them to do anything they dont want to do. Matt (will be 14 in August) &nbsp;is doing his rescue diver with me this weekend at Vivian and he is a natural diver. All the guides we have had on holiday comment that he is better than a lot of adult divers. In Egypt last year the Divemaster had some fairly newbie divers in the group and had to surface to sort out someone's bouyancy. He signalled to Matt before he left that Matt had to watch the others. Matt got them all knelt down on the sand, ok-ed them all in turn, checked their air and generally kept them all happy and together until the guide got back. &nbsp;I think that you must decide if the child is up to it bfore you let them dive. But I beleive mine have really benefitted from it.
Jules

[Ian Murray]

You might find this interesting reading

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~lpt/kids.htm

Plus lots of other good stuff

http://www.mindspring.com/~divegeek/home.htm

Regards, Ian.

[Gibby]

I did my BSAC Ocean diving training recently and on the course there was a 12 year old lad. His diving wasn't a problem although I did have reservations regarding his attention span during the theory (classroom and pool) and how much of the safety info he was actually taking in and understanding.

For the CBL part of our training his BC certainly struggled to get both of us to the surface

[Dr Stevil]

<font color='#0000FF'>That's very interesting considering that BSACs minimum age limit for Ocean Diver is Fourteen
care to expand either on here or off-line?
Chee-az
Steve

[MATTBIN]

Julia
I think you are right, it depends on the child, one of the reasons I left Bsac, there were many, was the branch's attitude to my son. He's now a strapping big lad that &quot;I&quot; would have difficulty getting to the surface and detests the atmosphere in Bsac (good move by that Branch?). He too is looking to do 'something' in the natural world and has given up eating fish since diving with them. Possibly over the top but at least he is aware that they dont just turn up in the freezer by magic. We too bond when we dive and I find I treat him much more as an equal during and after the dive, which indeed he is.

Matt

[Diving Dude]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (MATTBIN @ June 03 2003,14:08)]archery, air rifles, anything to stop the street corner culture.

What, you shoot them to keep them away.

[Dr Stevil]

<font color='#0000FF'>Best fing for 'em I say, &nbsp; 'ere put that in your Maccie D wiv extra fries and download it onto yer minidisc &nbsp;
now when I were a lad....

[Chris Hall]

PADI has depth limitations &amp; as a PADI Instructor I would stick to the standards. I don't have pockets deep enough to cover the cost if something goes wrong.

There have been problems in the past in Egypt with local unqualified DM &amp; OWSI working on boats &amp; in Centres.

Be careful and above all, BE SAFE!

[Jules]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (MATTBIN @ June 03 2003,17:33)]We too bond when we dive and I find I treat him much more as an equal during and after the dive, which indeed he is.

<font color='#736AFF'>Thats it exactly! couldnt have put it better myself!