On Wed, 13 Mar 2002 12:55:51 -0500, Steve Weigold <[log in to unmask]>
 wrote:

>> >PS I wonder if Time is getting enough scuba content now?? <big grin>
>>
>> I'm not getting any work done!!!

Tim, the correct way to spell "work" is "w*rk" here.  The only other
acceptable substitute would be "w**k"!
>
>Yeah.. me either :-)

Wot did I tell ya, Tim?  See, all you have to do to get the scuba
folks out of the wood work is to pose a topic for discussion, and voila!

As I said at the outset, I am an interested but disinterested reader
on this particular topic, but having browsed through most of the
arguments advanced in this thread pro et contra, I feel obliged to
cast in my two cents, based on what OTHERS said, but nothing "me too"
about it!

Here goes:


*>(2) Name a topic
*>
*>Certifying 10 year olds,  < ... >

My response would first be a question:  MENTAL age or PHYSICAL age?


Why?  That seems to be the CRUX of the argument/reasons advanced by
the discussants, mostly against:

(1) too immature to make "adult" decisions.  That's clearly a question
    of implied MENTAL AGE.

What about a child of PHYSICAL age 10, but MENTAL age 18?
What about an "adult" of PHYSICAL age 18, but MENTAL age of 10?

On this finer distinction, I would be inclined to be against the
LATTER, but not the former, and would not contradict ANY of the reasons
given against 10 year olds on the grounds of "maturity" in decision
making.  A 10 year old with a mental age of 18 would be in MUCH better
position to understand the PHYSICS of diving, than an 18 (or 30 year
old for that matter <g>) old gorilla with a mental age of 10!

The fly in this oitment of qualification by MENTAL age is that the
dive organizations may find many of their employees unqualified.  :-)


(2)  A 10 year old is too young/weak to rescue (pull) his buddy to
     safety should the occasion arise.

INVALID argument!!

(a) There is no skill in Open Water cert that REQUIRES rescue skills.

(b) Most small WIMEN divers would not be able to pull ME to safety
    from anywhere, whereas I've seen 10 year olds who could hoist
    me on his back!   So, it's really NOT a matter of physical age
    at all, but physical ABILITY.  A OW cert does require SWIMMING
    skills.  Some of the 10 year olds who are Olympic champions
    by the time they are age 14, could out swim me at 10 with my
    fins on, at any age!

(c) Finally, the ability to rescue a buddy is not of primary importance
    to any self-sufficient diver, as I strive to be -- NEVER count on
    having anyone to rescue me.   If they are around to do so, fine.
    But I won't DEPEND on them.


Then there is that ever-present question of where to draw the line for
YOU, and where to draw the line for ME kind of argument, very much
like the line of 130 fsw or 90 fsw.

There NEED not be any hard-and-fast ABSOLUTE line on age, depth,
or other arbitrary boundaries.  The final analysis comes back to
commonsense and the RULE:  Know YOUR limits (and limitations) and
dive WITHIN them.   :-)   Replace the "YOUR" with "YOUR 10 year old",
and the same rule would apply nicely.

I'll take a 10 year-old with a 200 IQ over a 20 yr old with a 50 IQ
anyday.   :-))

-- Bob.