I can't say what it might cost in your area, but call a few dive shops and
they will be happy to tell you. As far as equipment goes, most courses
require that you purchase the personal gear (Mask, snorkel, flippers,
booties, gloves). A knife is optional, but a good idea.

Is your daughter fairly strong? The gear she will be wearing is a tad on the
heavy side. Especially if the dive involves any kind of walking up or down
hills/stairs to get to/from the water. The tank and weight belt especially.

The sport itself is reasonably safe provided she pays attention to the
details of the course and practices them religiously at first. Some women
take to it like fish. I guess it all depends on how much fear they have of
claustraphobia, drowning, darkness.. stuff like that.

I hope she has a good dive buddy? Maybe you should take the course with her?
hehe.. good luck convincing her of that one. ;-)

Yea, I would be very afraid if it was my daughter at 15 too. Put on a brave
face and have faith in her abilities.

Let us know how it goes.

Is she pretty?

The cost of scuba courses varies from one to the next, as does what you get
for your money.  Most courses require her to have her own snorkel, mask and
fins.  Get some help in picking them out.  Masks have to fit right and all
fins are not created equal.  Some courses alwo require her to own her own
weight belt.  The pocket type are more comfortable than the strap type.
Other equipment is often provided for the course.

The best advice I can offer is meet the instructor.  Generally speaking, all
certification agencies cover the same material.  While we all have
preferences, they are usually based on periferal issues.  I, for example,
don't like PADI's corporate attitude.  They put advertising and profit ahead
of all other considerations.  Their instructors, at least the good ones, put
teaching their students to be safe divers ahead of all else.  The right
instructor will take time to talk to you, will be enthusiastic about diving
and teaching and will not casually dismiss your conserns about your
daughter's safety.

My second best advice is take the course with her.  Diving is very special
and can be made infinetely more special by being shared between a parent and
child.  Make time to share your daughter's hobby.  You'll be glad you did.

Beware of statements that "diving is safe."  Diving is not safe.  It can be
done safely, but doing so requires a bit of attention to detail.  Take
diving seriously and it will reward you, and your daughter, with a livetime
of joy.  Take it too casually and that lifetime may be significantly
shortened.

Lee

My daughter received her certification when she was 14. That was three
years ago. I taught her to swim only a year before that and although she
is not what I would call a strong swimmer, she's done very well with her
diving. Personally, we make it a point that she dives only with me as a
buddy until she's 18. Nobody knows her like I do. I make sure that we
dive conservatively and that she stays within her limits. She knows well
enough to do this anyway, but it makes me and my wife feel better. She
will undoubtedly learn the buddy system of diving, which all beginning
courses teach. She can find buddies at your local dive club, but you
might consider learning to dive with her ... a great family sport.

I wouldn't worry too much about the weight of her gear compared to her
size if she is small. Small lungs can do with smaller tanks. My daughter
prefers 72 cubic foot tanks which are small and reasonable to carry, and
she doesn't require much weight for buoyancy.

Now for the real tricky question. My daughter at fourteen was very
mature for her age. She took the course and sport seriously and has an
interest in medicine anyway, so she is cogniscent of the dangers. Some
15 year olds have the maturity of 8 year olds. Only you and the dive
instructor can assess your daughter's readiness for scuba diving. While
it is generally a safe sport when practiced correctly, there are
inherant risks. Email me off list if you have any other questions.
Actual eamil is oldscopeatnyc.rr.com - just substitute @ for "at".

Bart F.

How much depends on where and who.  You can spend $99 on a course, but
I wouldn't.  You can spend $500 on a course, but again, I wouldn't.
Find out what the course really costs.  I've seen "cheap" courses that
didn't include little things like books and rental gear.  She'll need
a mask, fins (and booties in all likelyhood) and a snorkle.  This can
cost as little as $100, as much as $250 or more.  It depends on what
you decide to get.

Is she comfortable in the water?  Are you comfortable with her being
in the water without you?  How emotionally mature is she?  I
personally am uncomfortable with a 15 year old in one of my classes.
There is a certain level of maturity, self confidence and
responsibility required, and many 15 yo's don't have have it.  Of
course, there are many 40 year olds that don't meet that standard, but
society holds them responsible for their own actions.  A 15 year old
doesn't have the experience to judge entirely for themselves.

If you are worried, you should either try your best to hide it before
it infects her or wait another year.

It's going to cost *thousands* of dollars. "lessons"? Ha. You might
as well just take your wallet out and hold it up to the wind.

What good are they if you don't go diving? Obviously you don't dive,
and haven't any idea. Everytime your little lamb wants to go diving,
it's going to cost you at *least* $100. Then there's going to be the
big moon-eyes when she wants that pretty wet-suit. She's just *gotta*
have bio-fins. Then she's going to look up all innocent-like and ask
you if it's true that you can get pregnant from using a rental
regulator. Whoops... a couple K is gone and she hasn't even gone
diving yet.

Instructors are another story. They are all but unregulated and
teaching qualifications are purchased, not earned. They don't even
require a high school diploma. Child molesters and rapists all.
Well, you're not in a position to know better, are you?

All this for a sport she is too young to appreciate anyway.
She won't like it. It frequently involves discomfort and hard work,
two things that teenagers cannot abide. If you're lucky, when she finds
out that there's no cellphones or text messaging underwater, she'll lose
interest in it before she hits you up for a waterproof IPod.  

If you don't dive, your daughter shouldn't learn. She'll die for
sure. Wait till she's 21 and has life insurance with you as beneficiary.
I don't think you're equipped to see to the safety and completeness
of her education, or to supervise her first forays into the most
unforgiving, dangerous environment she has ever encountered.

Did you hear about the diver last week that was attacked by a
Great White Shark? It bit his head clean of at the neck, and
swam away. Kuel!
http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/West/08/18/shark.attack.ap/index.html

It's a phase dad.

Give her a couple hundred bucks and send her to the mall.
She'll get over it.

safe diving,

bullshark