a day ago
Dad Who Threw Son, 7, Off Cliff Faces Criticism as He Takes Him Tandem Scuba Diving 'Deep Down Into the Sea'
The Bucket List Family dad Garrett Gee previously went viral for his method of teaching his child to cliff dive
NEED TO KNOW
The Bucket List Family dad, Garrett Gee, posted footage from a recent tandem scuba dive with his 7-year-old son, Callahan
Viewers took to the comment section to question whether or not it's safe for such a young child to scuba dive
Gee went viral for his adventurous parenting style earlier this summer, when he shared how he taught Callahan to cliff dive by throwing him into the water
One dad's adventurous outing with his 7-year-old has split the internet's opinion on matters of water safety.
Garrett Gee, the influencer behind The Bucket List Family page, posted a video on Sunday, Aug. 10, to share how he took his youngest son, Callahan, tandem scuba diving. In a voice-over that played alongside footage from their dive, Gee described how he dives into the water first while his son watches from their boat, waiting for his father's signal to jump in as well.
While they submerged, Gee explained, "My last bit of advice to him was equalize often to help with the ear pressure as we go deep down into the sea ... The more I release air, the deeper we sink."
Videos filmed underwater show the father-son duo checking in about how their ears feel with the pressure. Gee said he continuously asks Callahan how he is doing while they scuba together. "My biggest concern for him is his comfort, but most of all his ear pressure as we go deeper and deeper," the viral parent added.
At one point in the post, Callahan signals to his dad that he "wants to go back up" to the surface. He said that they had "no need to a safety stop" on their way since they didn't dive too far down below. Gee inflated his vest to propel them upwards; once they reached the air, Gee confirmed that Callahan asked to climb up due to an issue with his ear.
"Wanna try again or be all done?" Gee asked. His son replied, "Be all done."
Many social media users applauded Gee's parenting, though some questioned whether or not scuba diving was an appropriate activity for someone so young as Callahan. An Instagram user who identified as a "dive professional" commented to express some disapproval.
"Children that age should not be diving ... No one should inflate to go up," they wrote. "How are you going to help your child if you can't move effectively. My list could go on."
Another person weighed Gee's interest in fun against some typical scuba standards, noting that "most experts recommend" waiting until a child is "around 8 years old" before teaching them to dive.
"I totally get wanting to share fun moments, but sometimes it's better not to push kids too much just for content," the person commented. "By the way, I'm a fan of this family! 🥰 Just don't overdo it, Dad."
Gee previously sparked some heated discourse online when he posted a video about teaching Callahan to cliff dive by throwing him from the rocks into the water. The content creator even referenced the viral clip at the beginning of his diving video: "Instead of cliff throwing, I took my youngest son, 7-year-old Callahan, tandem scuba diving," Gee said in his recent voiceover.
The father of three shared the cliff diving video on July 13, and he paired it with a lengthy caption explaining his teaching method. Gee clarified that the post was not meant to serve as "parental advice" nor "something [he advises] you try." He also made clear that this tactic isn't one they've done with their other two kids.
"Each kid is quite different so the way we parent, discipline, and teach HOW TO CLIFF JUMP is quite different :) For sure 1st priority is safety. 2nd is learning that YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS. 3rd is HAVE FUN :)," he wrote.
Read the original article on People
Solve the daily Crossword
