I just got done doing something really neat!

[DetectorGuy]

My sister is a teacher for Isanti Middle School and asked if I would come in and talk to the kids someday about diving. Yesterday I took the day off of work to talk to all the 6th graders about how reading and writing is important to diving and being a PSD. There were 155 kids total, but only 25 in each hour long class. I wore my drysuit and all my gear for all of the classes as I told them about how we fill out dive logs after every dive and how we can learn from our own mistakes that way. I told them how we fill out training reports and writing SOP's for the dive team. I told them about reading the manuals when studying for a certification and the written tests involved. I made 155 copies of my last 67 logged dives and gave them to each of the kids to read later. With 2 dives on each side of a sheet of paper that was 2,596 pieces of paper. I showed each class a youtube video of a dive at Arco Mine pit playing with the fish, and the video of Shooter recovering the ring on Mille Lacs. I talked about why we train so often, so that when someone needs to be recovered, we can do that as quickly as possible. I saved the last 20 minutes of each class for Q & A. Those kids ate up all the info I gave them, and wanted more stories (I obviously left out the gruesome ones). I told them that being they are all about 11 years old, that They can get certified at 12 years old.

So now for the neat part. All 155 kids wrote me a thank you letter talking about the parts they liked most, so I just got done reading those. They really appreciated the copies of the last 67 dives. About 1/2 asked more questions in the letter. About 1/4 said they would like to learn to dive someday. Reading all those letters made me feel really good. In this day and age when kids that age are so involved with electronics and whatnot, Its good to see that they can be interested in something else.
John

[scubafreek864]

That was very thoughtful to do this for the kids.  Congrats.  More divers on the way.  ;D

[DetectorGuy]

My daughter Maddie was one of the 155, so If she turns into my dive buddy someday, that would be perfect!

[AandA]

As a teacher I know how much those talks mean to kids! Wearing your dry suit was such a GREAT idea to capture and keep their attention! I love how your focus was on the importance of reading and writing for an such exciting sport! I don't doubt that you've convinced quite a few of them to become divers! Excellent!!

Aly

[Dragon Eye]

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

That is wonderful!  I know that sweet daughter of yours will be your dive buddy some day- you don't grow up a fish and not end up in scuba

[DetectorGuy]

I just don't want to push scuba on her. She knows that she needs to be 12 before she can be certified but lately she has told me that she might wait a bit to get certified so that she will (in her own words) comprehend the training. When she told me that I knew that she understands how important it is to learn correctly. I told Art that when Maddie is ready, that I would want him to be her instructor. There are good instructors and then there are instructors that you would want to teach your kids. Art is that thorough, that I trust him with the task when it comes up. 

[Dragon Eye]

Many kids see scuba through a dive in an aquarium or through the tv on the nature channel.  See she sees scuba through your eyes, which you should be grateful for.  She knows there's more to it than what the general public sees, because you've shown her and no doubt talked about different things with her. Many things probably beyond basic scuba, but that exposure is good for future learning too.  So she waits another year or two- if that makes her a more comfortable and thank heavens a competent young diver then I think that's worth waiting for. 

[jeffberry]

I was a leader for the Scouts in Isanti!  we took a few on a discover scuba!  They loved it!
That was 7 yrs ago!

[DiverQueen]

I'm with a Boy Scout Troop in Brooklyn Center.  In June I made the offer that any Scout in the Troop could take the full Scuba class if they wanted it.  I've heard one positive response so far!

[DetectorGuy]

I think kids can get a mini Cert when they are 10 yrs old but I wonder how much the kids understand at 10. on the other hand kids are an information sponge, and maybe they learn it better when they are young instead of being older.