Safety of diving from 5 meters

Question
My 8 year old son and 11 year old daughter both recently jumped from a 5 meter platform and survived nicely. They both love the water and are good swimmers, but when I learned about this I got worried that really they should not attempt this without careful training. What is your advice?

Answer
Philip -

Since they are only jumping from this height, enjoy it and are showing control, I see no harm in letting them do it for fun from time to time. The key word here is showing control. This means that they take off carefully, demonstrate good balance in the air and enter the water straight up and down with either their arms at their sides or straight over their head. The arms can be outstretched during the descent but not upon entry. Their feet should also be together and if they can, point their toes. I would advise you not to let them go any higher and definitely not head first.

If you want to find a coach in your area go to www.usadiving.org. Their is an icon for parents to click on to find a club in your town with a safety certified diving instructor.

Tom Trapp