How young is too young to freedive in the ocean?

[jimqpublic]

As someone very correctly prophesied, my six year old daughter's water skills are advancing at a scary fast rate.

In the pool with swim goggles on she will jump from the edge in a cannonball, then unfurl and swim about the bottom like a Galapagos Iguana. She fights positive bouyancy by staying head-down and unconsciously kicking her feet. When she comes up she blasts water from her flooded sinuses and takes a breath.

Our community center pool is quite shallow- only about 5'. I don't know if she is equalizing her ears or not.

Her one time in the ocean with mask, snorkel, fins and wetsuit was a bit more apprehensive- but not much. Last Sunday we went out and she showed her aptitude there as well. She was a bit upset that with the wetsuit and snorkeling vest she couldn't dive down.

My intent was that for the next few years I would insist that she be highly bouyant for any ocean snorkeling; i.e. surface snorkeling only. I'm not sure that will work. She may do like seals and start eating rocks to overcome the suit's flotation.

Obviously her safety is my foremost concern. What is a safe progression?

Jim

 

[Seal]

Last summer my 4 year old nephew wanted to try my mask, I was very suprised that he used it correctly. Then he got the snorkel, and that worked out too. This was in Norway, with a steep slope down to 25m, so he's not scared of deep water : )

Then he thought he could dive, and put his head under, that didn't work : )
He then snorkeled by himself in a lagune, catching crabs, while my father had supervision.

What I did later was, I let him climb on my back, and then he would hang on while we snorkeled at the surface. He thought it was great.

In Cape Verde the kids where diving without suits at age 7 and up. But I don't think anyone under 15 where diving with a weight belt. In order to get to the bottom I saw them holding a rock to get down. Seemed somewhat safe, as they could let it go at any time. But then again. I must admit kids and water scare the heck out of me.

 

[f3dive]

My daughter had her 4th birthday at the local pool, 2 of her friends (Jack, son of ADR and cousin) were already diving like little pro's. That night she asked for a pair of goggles and nose clip - whammo. An apneaist was born. the next day and her first dive was a 5 metre dynamic. I was so proud.
We have started taking her and her 3 year old brother out in the boat but haven't put them in the ocean yet.
They both have grown up with mummy and daddy in the water catching crays and spearing fish. The looks on their faces when mummy comes home from diving (the teaching kind) they are gutted I haven't got dinner for them to torment.
One spearo has had his son in the water since 5 years of age. Recently they were out hunting when the son blacked out, dad felt some instinct take over, he surfaced to find his son blacked out on the surface face down. It was a happy ending with a harsh reality check for the young freediver.
I too am the result of a life altering experience in the water, mine at 14 years of age. I am cautious, fearful at times and always respectful of her mighty strength. I think it is important my children learn this at an early age also.

 

[island_sands]

AIDA regulatation are that kids have to be 16 before certifying in a freediving course. I am teaching a 10 year old scuba right now, and still have fears for her tiny little ears.

 

[Marwan]

my buddy started diving when he was 5 years old... his dad is a famous diver/photographer (he did a lot of stuff for national geographic), so i guess it came with the territory....

 

[Boppex]

Well. I'm only 15 years old. Almost 16 but it doesn't matter. I've been diving for a few years now and my record is 75 meters in dynamic, a little over 3 minutes in static, but I haven't had a chance to go diving in deep waters. (working on it)

I think it's absurd to say that "you are too young to start freediving or to freedive". If you give you kids a good lesson about pressurising etc. they can go freediving with no problems. Or am I wrong?

Age doesn't matter so much in this sport. If the person is acting perfectly fine and you can't see anything wrong with him/her, why shouldn't you let him/her just dive? If you let them know their limits, cause I don't think they know where those limits are, they can freedive. Ofcourse under supervision.

 

[island_sands]

Read up on bone development and the effects of diving on kids

 

[wes]

Isalnd Sands,

Please recommend some links or posts that talk about bone development and kids. I have a two year old daughter Zan who is also on a very steep freediving learning curve. I did hear first hand from Martin Stepanek that monofins should not be used with kids until 12 years of age due to affects on the spinal cord development and this is widely accepted as rule for fin swimming as well. Martin started earlier than that, maybe 7 years old and suffered quite a bit with his back.

Thanks and Cheers Wes

 

[azapa]

my 5 year old recovers things from a 2M pool (its a long swim down when your only 80cm tall!) and does 10M DNF like nothing. The sad thing is we all seem to loose this natural ability as we get old and lazy. I won't take him into the ocean snorkeling (its rough and cold here) until he's 10. If it were the tropics, calm and clear, I would take him already.

 

[wes]

Azapa,

That is great for your 5 year old. As far as getting old and lazy speak for yourself!! I am 42 years old and just did a 48m CNF dive personal best. Feels to me like I am just getting going. If the brain leads the body will follow.
Cheers Wes

 

[azapa]

Hey Wes, congrats, 48CNF is really awesome. What was the dive time?? I have "just got going" again recently, and am 39 years young. My PB with fins being half or your without My biggest limiter is no dive partners, I never push anything. But I always have fun and surprise my self how easy it is to progress in this sport.
Safe dives