Children and Diving

My 13-year-old son recently completed his Junior Open Water Diver certification, which
provided training to a maximum depth of 18 metres (60 feet). The Advanced Junior Open Water Diver certification is good to 20 metres (70 feet). I understand there are physiological differences between a child and an adult, but what is the rationale for the depth limits?
Opinions vary among dive medicine experts about how to mitigate the complex issues around children and diving, such as age requirements, training levels and limitations. Children are still developing both physically and mentally, which affects the decision about whether a young diver is fully capable or requires some modification. Some training agencies allow in-water
experiences for children as young as 8 years old and certification by age 10.
Concerns about decompression sickness (DCS), out-of-air emergencies and gas toxicities that
occur at greater depths affect depth limitation guidelines, which vary among the training agencies. Along with DCS is the theoretical concern that bubbles from a dive could
occur in and injure an epiphysis (the rounded end of a long bone). In children up to age 18, bones continue to grow from the physis (growth plate), which in long bones (arms and legs) is near each end.
This area, which is quite vulnerable and consists mostly of cartilage, depends on the diffusion of vital substances to and from adjacent tissues that have a blood supply. An injury to this area could result in abnormal bone growth. The main causes of injuries to this region are from activities such as skiing, rollerblading, ice skating and football. Fortunately, no evidence exists of this growth-inhibition injury in young scuba divers, which may be the result of the safety measures imposed along with strict compliance by parents, guardians and dive operators. Decompression stress exists in most dives and at any age.
Other concerns about children and diving involve their maturity level, ability to handle the weight of the gear, higher risk of barotrauma, susceptibility to dehydration, vulnerability to hypothermia, ability to do a self-analysis and willingness to accept risk. While a child’s
maturity can be difficult to assess, questions such as whether you would allow that child to drive a car on the open highway (if trained and the law allowed it) starkly addresses the issue of maturity and judgment.
Additionally, most children will not understand the significance of a subtle symptom or risky situation and may be reluctant to timely convey their concerns. Close, adult supervision is necessary. Comprehensive studies involving children are rare and extremely difficult because of the need for approval from an ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB), which is responsible for protecting the welfare, rights and privacy of human subjects and reviewing
all research involving human participants. With more children diving, however, more data are
being compiled.
— Robert Soncini, NR-P, DMT
provided training to a maximum depth of 18 metres (60 feet). The Advanced Junior Open Water Diver certification is good to 20 metres (70 feet). I understand there are physiological differences between a child and an adult, but what is the rationale for the depth limits?
Opinions vary among dive medicine experts about how to mitigate the complex issues around children and diving, such as age requirements, training levels and limitations. Children are still developing both physically and mentally, which affects the decision about whether a young diver is fully capable or requires some modification. Some training agencies allow in-water
experiences for children as young as 8 years old and certification by age 10.
Concerns about decompression sickness (DCS), out-of-air emergencies and gas toxicities that
occur at greater depths affect depth limitation guidelines, which vary among the training agencies. Along with DCS is the theoretical concern that bubbles from a dive could
occur in and injure an epiphysis (the rounded end of a long bone). In children up to age 18, bones continue to grow from the physis (growth plate), which in long bones (arms and legs) is near each end.
This area, which is quite vulnerable and consists mostly of cartilage, depends on the diffusion of vital substances to and from adjacent tissues that have a blood supply. An injury to this area could result in abnormal bone growth. The main causes of injuries to this region are from activities such as skiing, rollerblading, ice skating and football. Fortunately, no evidence exists of this growth-inhibition injury in young scuba divers, which may be the result of the safety measures imposed along with strict compliance by parents, guardians and dive operators. Decompression stress exists in most dives and at any age.
Other concerns about children and diving involve their maturity level, ability to handle the weight of the gear, higher risk of barotrauma, susceptibility to dehydration, vulnerability to hypothermia, ability to do a self-analysis and willingness to accept risk. While a child’s
maturity can be difficult to assess, questions such as whether you would allow that child to drive a car on the open highway (if trained and the law allowed it) starkly addresses the issue of maturity and judgment.
Additionally, most children will not understand the significance of a subtle symptom or risky situation and may be reluctant to timely convey their concerns. Close, adult supervision is necessary. Comprehensive studies involving children are rare and extremely difficult because of the need for approval from an ethics committee or institutional review board (IRB), which is responsible for protecting the welfare, rights and privacy of human subjects and reviewing
all research involving human participants. With more children diving, however, more data are
being compiled.
— Robert Soncini, NR-P, DMT
Posted in Alert Diver Fall Editions, Alert Diver Winter Editions, Dive Safety FAQ
Tagged with Scuba children, Diving Kids, Junior Open Water Diver
Tagged with Scuba children, Diving Kids, Junior Open Water Diver
Categories
2022
January
February
UNCERTAINTY AFTER DIVING: Case Report and Recommendations #1.UNCERTAINTY AFTER DIVING: Case Report and Recommendations #2UNCERTAINTY AFTER DIVING: Case Report and Recommendations #3UNCERTAINTY AFTER DIVING: Case Report and Recommendations #4DIVERS LOSING ACCESS TO EMERGENCY CAREPreventing Breathing gas Contamination
March
When Should the Rescue Begin?Celebrating Young and Old in Turks and CaicosScuba Cylinder RundownChasing WeedsUnderwater Smartphone PhotographyAir and a SpareUnderwater Photographer: Fred BuyleBuilding Better BalanceLow-Visibility DivingMore Than a Sore ShoulderNot Only for DivingLaryngospasm and AnxietyPulmonary Hypertension and DivingTitan Meets TitanicPool Operation: Know Before you GoThe Argonaut Octopus and the jellyfishShort but Beautiful Lives
April
A Sense of PurposeMexico’s Sardine RunHigh-Pressure Hose injuriesA Hole in My HeartGoing UpConcussion and Return to DivingMarfan Syndrome Recommendations.South African Sardine Run by Walter BernardisSouth African Sardine Run By ProdiveSardine Run Port Elizabeth by ProDiveSardine Run Port St Johns by ProDiveScuba Diving In MauritiusScuba Diving in TanzaniaScuba Diving in the SeychellesScuba Diving in Nosy BeScuba Diving in MalawiScuba Diving in KenyaScuba Diving in South AfricaScuba Diving in Mozambique
2021
March
Old Habits Die HardSave a Diver, Save YourselfCylinder SafetyUndercover CrabsReef safe sunscreenPhysics, Biophysics and Decompression SicknessModels and Marine LifeSunscreen and CoralCristina Mittermeier: Commitment to ConservationDiving After a StrokeCurrent DivesThis Bites: Prevention TreatmentEnvironmental Considerations for Disinfection
April
Aqua Pool Noodle ExercisesUnderwater Photographer and DAN Member Madelein Wolfaardt10 Simple Things You Can Do to Improve Your Underwater PhotographyCOVID-19 and Diving: March 2021 UpdateDiver Return After COVID-19 Infection (DRACO): A Longitudinal AssessmentGuidelines for Lifelong Medical Fitness to DiveExperienceFitness Myth or Fitness Fact?The Safety of Sports for Athletes With Implantable Cardioverter-DefibrillatorsCardiovascular Fitness and DivingHypertensionPatent Foramen Ovale (PFO)Headaches and DivingMiddle-Ear Barotrauma (MEBT)O’Neill Grading SystemMask Squeeze (Facial Barotrauma)Sinus BarotraumaInner-Ear Barotrauma (IEBT)Middle-Ear EqualisationAlternobaric VertigoDecompression IllnessOn-Site Neurological ExaminationTreating Decompression Sickness (The Bends)Top 5 Factors That Increase Your Risk of the BendsHow to Avoid Rapid Ascents and Arterial Gas EmbolismUnintended Rapid Ascent Due to Uncontrolled InflationUnexpected Weight LossFlying After DivingWisdom Tooth Extraction and DivingYour Lungs and DivingScuba Diving and DiabetesDiving after COVID-19: What We Know TodaySwimmer’s Ear (Otitis Externa)Motion SicknessFitness for DivingDiving After Bariatric SurgeryWhen to Consult a Health-Care Provider Before Engaging in Physical ActivitiesFinding Your FitnessHealth Concerns for Divers Over 50Risk Factors For Heart Disease