starting your kids

[gman]

I have read several threads by a number of you who dive with your sons and daughters. How old were they and how did you start them out? I read on a freediving instructional sight that they accept students at age 12. Amazingly they hold classes in Monterey Ca. which is only about 2 hours away from me.

Back to the point, though, how young were your kids when you started diving with them as dive buddies and how did your start them initially?

 

[Jimbo]

I have my 4 year old son with goggles on and his water shoes (doesn't like his little fins) he can go to the bottom of my 6 ft pool and swim along for a while and pick up the toys my 2 year old throws in the water! He's really improving all the time. This summer I have gone in the pool with him almost every day. He hated private swimming lessons and being forced to do it, he'd scream. We gave him a break for a while and then got him floaties and eventually he started to do it without them and now is diving down! Can't wait to get him into the ocean. He just follows me and copies everything and my goal is to make him happy and comfortable in the water.
Hope this helps,
jim

 

[Tord]

My daughter is 8 years, and got her free diving certificate this summer. We (I) had planned to do this last winter, and spend a lot of time in the pool with her, training to hold her breath, being underwater with mask and so on. The course was in Bergen (Norway) with approx 15 kids (8-12 years). Even in the summer the water is pretty cold here, so they had to have suits. I can still hear the noise in my head, when 15 kids, eager to jump in the water, was struggling to get their open-cell suits on . The instructors did a very good job with them, getting them to have fun and secure in the water. A lot of rescue theory and so on. Now I have ordered a suite for her (Omer 6.5 mm), and hoping to get a lot of dives during the autumn.

 

[gman]

Thanks for the replies. My two sons both are pretty comfortable in the water. My youngest, who is 9, is on a beginner swim team (transaltion: lots of lessons wearing the same team suits as the big kids) and is really getting comfortable. It is approaching too cold to swim in our backyard pool unfortunately. I think I will get them some better masks and just let them watch me like Jimbo says. I would love to find a kid's freediver class like the one Tord mentions in Norway. That would really be awesome.

 

[spaghetti]

I wonder: how does it happen the very first time? Is there a reflex that makes children hold their breath while underwater?
I don't remember anything about my own first UW breath hold, but I keep a clear memory of sea water flooding my throat when I was a very little child. This is why I was a bit worried when last month my 18 months daughter made her first dive by self initiative. I just heard her screaming "Tuffi! Tuffi!! ("dive! dive!") and she jumped into the sea, then surfaced after a few seconds, laughing.
Everything was ok, but I did not allow her to do it again!

 

[gman]

I think it is a pretty natural thing. THe hard part is learning to do things correctly and safely. I wonder if boys are more at risk for BO's due to their competitive nature and testosterone....
Both my boys love the water and like to swim underwater. We have never been in the ocean though. It is very cold here and wetsuits would be a necessity. Then we have small amounts of weight to get underwater and then is the visibility issue. Ten feet out here is a good to average day. What I will probably end up doing is getting wetsuits and no weight. Then we will just go out with masks and snorkles and fins and just kick and float on the swell to get used to the cold and the big movements and the sounds.
We are going to a high altitude lake during November and again next summer for vacations. Maybe we can do some safer and more secure diving there.

Spaghetti, it sounds like you have a handful with your daughter. Congratulations!!! I know exactly what you mean when you say your would not let her do it again. I stull struggle with that and my boys are 9 and 11

 

[XyseR]

I wonder: how does it happen the very first time? Is there a reflex that makes children hold their breath while underwater?

Back in the day...when doing bubble blowing games...i just loved the water - and still do. i think one of the final test was "holding your breath for 10 seconds..." i held mine for like 15-18 seconds and my teacher got worried. i vividly remember my father chuckling a bit, 'cause he knew i was fine. later when i played sharks and minnions i'd always win, 'cause i'd never get taged since i was good at swimming underwater. i think that if you child enjoys the water and never was scared of swimming lessons and or didn't mind having their whole face underwater then anything can happen! later on, i'd have breath holding compitions with my friends at a local pool during summer camp...i'd win