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Scuba Forum / Scuba Locations / May 2008

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Shark diving with 12 y/o

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Newsgroups - 04 May 2008 02:02 GMT
Hello fellow divers..I have a 12 year old son who is just newly certified
and wants to do a shark dive (what 12 year old wouldn't) However at his age
he is limited to depth of 40 ft. Wondering if anyone could point me in the
right direction. We live in northern Florida and would like keep travel to
minimum. I know Bahamas is big on shark dives, but with 40 ft limits? Thanks
in advance for any suggestions.

diveman and diveman Jr
news.newsguy.com - 04 May 2008 05:54 GMT
If he is newly certified, I think I'd let him get some confidence and
experience before doing a shark dive.  There's lots of time for sharks....

> Hello fellow divers..I have a 12 year old son who is just newly certified
> and wants to do a shark dive (what 12 year old wouldn't) However at his
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> diveman and diveman Jr
Daniel Kessler - 04 May 2008 12:17 GMT
I've experienced a number of shark feeding dives...always held in rather shallow
water.

> If he is newly certified, I think I'd let him get some confidence and
> experience before doing a shark dive.  There's lots of time for sharks....
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> >
> > diveman and diveman Jr
Jer - 04 May 2008 12:48 GMT
> Hello fellow divers..I have a 12 year old son who is just newly
> certified and wants to do a shark dive (what 12 year old wouldn't)
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> diveman and diveman Jr

If he was my kid, I wouldn't plan on showing him how some people treat
wild animals like they're pets.  OTOH, showing the sharks about how
humans should be associated with a food is what you want.  Every
encounter with wildlife teaches all participants something.

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jer
email reply - I am not a 'ten'

Greg Mossman - 04 May 2008 16:09 GMT
> If he was my kid, I wouldn't plan on showing him how some people treat
> wild animals like they're pets.  OTOH, showing the sharks about how
> humans should be associated with a food is what you want.  Every
> encounter with wildlife teaches all participants something.

But that's not what we teach kids.  We take them to the zoo to see
pitiful animals in cages, to Sea World to see "killer" whales jump
through hoops, and have them watch cartoons where animals like Bugs
Bunny and Wiley Coyote blow each other up with dynamite.  Talk about
mixed messages.
Joe English - 11 May 2008 02:27 GMT
>> If he was my kid, I wouldn't plan on showing him how some people treat
>> wild animals like they're pets.  OTOH, showing the sharks about how
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> Bunny and Wiley Coyote blow each other up with dynamite.  Talk about
> mixed messages.

How 'bout CatDog, Greg, that one really messes me up :-)
Al Wells - 04 May 2008 16:38 GMT
> Hello fellow divers..I have a 12 year old son who is just newly certified
> and wants to do a shark dive (what 12 year old wouldn't) However at his age
> he is limited to depth of 40 ft. Wondering if anyone could point me in the
> right direction. We live in northern Florida and would like keep travel to
> minimum. I know Bahamas is big on shark dives, but with 40 ft limits? Thanks
> in advance for any suggestions.

I'm pretty sure that Stuart Cove on New Providence does their shark
dives in shallow water. Also, maybe UNEXSO on Grand Bahama. I think Jim
Abernethy is still running feeding dives out of West Palm Beach, but I
think he has to get out into deeper water to do them because they are
outlawed in FL. He's only had one customer eaten by a shark so far this
year.

Despite what the operators will tell you, these dives are not without
risks. Make sure you understand them.
Jer - 04 May 2008 21:41 GMT
>> Hello fellow divers..I have a 12 year old son who is just newly certified
>> and wants to do a shark dive (what 12 year old wouldn't) However at his age
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Despite what the operators will tell you, these dives are not without
> risks. Make sure you understand them.

Yup, the risks of teaching the participants the wrong thing is something
all humans should evaluate.

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jer
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Newsgroups - 04 May 2008 22:47 GMT
Thanks for your inputs on this...Think we'll let him gain some experience
like one of you said. Lobster season starts in july down in the
keys..shallow diving there and its lots of fun.
Thanks again for your ideas.
diveman and diveman jr.

> Hello fellow divers..I have a 12 year old son who is just newly certified
> and wants to do a shark dive (what 12 year old wouldn't) However at his
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> diveman and diveman Jr
Ed - 06 May 2008 00:05 GMT
>> Hello fellow divers..I have a 12 year old son who is just newly certified
>> and wants to do a shark dive (what 12 year old wouldn't) However at his
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>>
>> diveman and diveman Jr

Do you have your own boat with a draft less than 4'?
N25 00.922 W80 25.532

Not a great lobster dive but it is home to a group of nurse sharks and near
some good lobster spots.   Do NOT ANCHOR ON THIS EXACT SPOT.... find the
grassy area to the SE and swim to this spot.   remember... More people have
been attacked by nurse sharks than all other species... OK, so there is a
huge survival rate (Almost 100%) but they can still mess you up... be
careful.

BTW... I hate the idea of shark dives.   I love seeing sharks in the wild
but getting sharks to equate food and humans is NOT a good idea and not a
great thing to teach a new diver.   The cool thing about diving is that you
never know what you will see.   Our instant gratification culture is ruining
that as well.

If you want to see Tigers, black tips and carib reefs, try a regular wall
dive in Bimini after you son gets his advanced in a year or so.   Last
summer I saw a lemon on Molasses (2 miles from the spot above).
Dillon Pyron - 06 May 2008 21:59 GMT
[Default] Thus spake "Ed" <newsgroup@nospam.com>:

>>> Hello fellow divers..I have a 12 year old son who is just newly certified
>>> and wants to do a shark dive (what 12 year old wouldn't) However at his
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>never know what you will see.   Our instant gratification culture is ruining
>that as well.

Someone is going to die as a result of one of these.  Probably an
Austrian.

>If you want to see Tigers, black tips and carib reefs, try a regular wall
>dive in Bimini after you son gets his advanced in a year or so.   Last
>summer I saw a lemon on Molasses (2 miles from the spot above).
Jer - 06 May 2008 22:33 GMT
> [Default] Thus spake "Ed" <newsgroup@nospam.com>:
>
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
> Someone is going to die as a result of one of these.  Probably an
> Austrian.

Yup, and as soon as that happens, hundreds of sharks will be slaughtered
because humans wouldn't leave the animals alone in the first place.

>> If you want to see Tigers, black tips and carib reefs, try a regular wall
>> dive in Bimini after you son gets his advanced in a year or so.   Last
>> summer I saw a lemon on Molasses (2 miles from the spot above).

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jer
email reply - I am not a 'ten'

Dillon Pyron - 09 May 2008 00:15 GMT
[Default] Thus spake Jer <gdunn@airmail.ten>:

>> [Default] Thus spake "Ed" <newsgroup@nospam.com>:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
>Yup, and as soon as that happens, hundreds of sharks will be slaughtered
>because humans wouldn't leave the animals alone in the first place.

Sadly, that seems to be happening, human death or not.

Hong Kong Disneyland very loudly dropped sharkfin soup from their menu
about a day after it opened.  Friend who went there last month says
it's back on.

>>> If you want to see Tigers, black tips and carib reefs, try a regular wall
>>> dive in Bimini after you son gets his advanced in a year or so.   Last
>>> summer I saw a lemon on Molasses (2 miles from the spot above).
Jer - 09 May 2008 04:47 GMT
> [Default] Thus spake Jer <gdunn@airmail.ten>:
>
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
> about a day after it opened.  Friend who went there last month says
> it's back on.

That's not revenge, it's plain ol' greed from the Galapagos area with
the help of the Ecuadorian government.

>>>> If you want to see Tigers, black tips and carib reefs, try a regular wall
>>>> dive in Bimini after you son gets his advanced in a year or so.   Last
>>>> summer I saw a lemon on Molasses (2 miles from the spot above).

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jer
email reply - I am not a 'ten'


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