On the subject of junior cave divers, I generally agree with many of the
sentiments expressed here. I don't have a problem with a parentally
supervised certification for OW diving. To be sure, kids are still
developing, but my son was ready to dive at 15 and I got him certified then.

I do question certifying children at age 12. I don't really think they are
developmentally ready to deal with the life and death decisions that one
might have to make, even in OW. We all know the risks associated with
breathing compressed air and changes in pressure and I'm not sure that a
child would have the wherewithal to keep his panic in check and ascend
slowly after resolving the problem or telling his/her buddy if something
went wrong. 

Here in Georgia, we are now talking about restricting driver's licenses at
age 16 even further and not allowing kids to have unrestricted licenses
until age 18. Kids simply have less of a capacity to make good judgements.
Many adults do not have that capacity either, but kids just aren't up to it
in most cases.

I certainly do not think that there is ANY reason to get a 12-year old
certified cavern, even with a parent's supervision. What I'd rather see is
something like this:

1) At age 12 a child can be "certified" to snorkel under supervision.
   Naturally, if your kid's a good swimmer, teach him/her yourself earlier
   as your good judgement as a parent dictates.

2) At age 14 a child can be certified as Junior Diver. He/she could only
   dive under direct adult supervision and as buddy to another adult.,
   preferably and advanced diver.

3) At age 16 a child can be certified as a Junior Cavern Diver, same
   requirements as above, and a certain number of "snorkels" and dives as a
   Junior Diver (20 or 30 each?) before he can enter the Junior Cavern Diver
   program. AND he can only cavern dive under the supervision and as the
   buddy of a full cave certified diver. Being in the vicinity of a cave
   would require that this child's buddy be capable of following the
   child into the cave if necessary to effect a rescue.

4) At age 18, a young man or woman may be fully certified cavern and then,
   with the appropriate number of dives and then with enough cavern
   experience and through the proper steps, certified full cave.

At age 12 what reason does a child have to enter a cavern zone? What would
the purpose be? Why even have him/her breathe compressed air in a
circumstance in which he/she could be killed or injured? What's the hurry?
Let him/her get experience swimming and snorkeling, too many divers are weak
in this area to start with. Then at age 14 he/she can get some experience
using scuba equipment and then with sufficient dives and experience and if a
parent is a cave certified diver or has access to such a person as a buddy
for his child (with a cavern class for example), get him/her cavern
certified.

These steps would require the kids and parents to interact with other, it is
hoped, responsible divers and with each other. The steps would also maintain
a stream of certification dollars to instructors and agencies if that is the
worry. What I currently see is a continual dumbing down of certification
requirements as the agencies compete for diver dollars. One can look at
these ages, maybe 14 is too young for SCUBA, but the idea is the same,
progressive instruction and the time to learn.

Let them be kids for a while, they have their whole lives to be stupid!

Later,

JoeL

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