12 y.o. child sleeps with dive fins on his feet

[Jiheu]

Hello,

My 12-year-old son's main interest is diving, which is not surprising at first, but it is unusual because he is particularly interested in fins.

He is passionate about the fins, so he sleeps by putting them at his feet, but sometimes he takes them in his arms as he would with a blanket.

In the morning before leaving for school, he installs them comfortably on the pillow and covers them.
Obviously, it's a pleasure for him to put them at his feet.

I think he is attracted by the contact of the rubber and the prolonging appearance.

When we go to a sports shop, he asks to see and test the fins.
He prefers the Beuchat Contact Spirit fins.

Can I let him live this passion?

Thanks.

 

[Butterfly88]

If there's any chance it's the appearance he likes maybe you can try getting him socks or slippers that look like dive fins.

 

[Nervous Rex]

Can I let him live this passion?

I don't see why not. Is it causing any problems?

 

[BraidedPony]

I don’t see a problem with it, he isn’t wanting to wear them to school.
It sounds kind of sweet actually.

 

[GrownupGirl]

He's not harming himself or others, let him do it. It actually sounds pretty cute.

 

[FreeDiver]

As a professional free diver myself. I only like solid rubber fins. I can't stand those multi-piece plastic ones. There just too rigid and make my feet sore.

 

[SusanLR]

I don't dive, but, he obviously gets comfort and satisfaction somehow from them.
If it causes no problems, let him be happy.
It will probably progress to something else in time as special interests can change.

 

[DJones]

My son went through that. Just be grateful he doesn't want a whole dive suit like mine did! He'd some of these little custom action men that I'd found somewhere and there was a group of SEAL/SAS operators in with them. The toy maker must've had some obsessive types working for them 'cause these little 4 inch figures were decked out! Miniature dive suits, rubber fins, scuba lights - the works!

To make things worse, he had started playing some video game around the same time that featured - of course, Navy frogmen in detail.

That went on for a good while. I'd told him that he couldn't have diving equipment until he'd passed the certification, so that limited the gear to fins. He never made it to combat swimmer rating but at least he became a proficient swimmer out of it, lol.

Ja, rubber fins for sure.

 

[Progster]

So he likes diving? Cool! If the passion continues it could lead to a career. As long as he's not doing any harm, there's no reason why he shouldn't wear the fins.

 

[Crossbreed]

Maybe, he's a deep sleeper...?

 

[Jiheu]

Hello,

To avoid possible problems of mockery and other "nuggets", he knows that he must work in "public mode" when he receives (which happens rarely) a friend at home, he does not wear the fins and tidies them in the cupboard , and he personalized his notebooks on the theme of diving.
When there is no one but us at home, he puts them at his feet.
That which leaves nothing to guess his affection for the fins.

Beuchat Contact Spirit floating leisure fins with nozzles designed for initiation, they are extremely light and comfortable.

 

[Mia]

I see no harm in it. When you mentioned that he likes to sleep with the fins on, it reminded of a movie with Cher, called 'Mermaids.' In which the youngest daughter spent most of her time attempting to hold her breath underwater in the bathtub. She walked around in the house with fins and a diving mask on. And wanted to become an olympic class swimmer or diver.

 

[BraidedPony]

I thought of that movie too, Katie was the character’s name. That was Nina Ricci’s first movie role I think. Anyway, in the movie little Katie’s love of swimming ends up saving her life.
Ohhhh goose bumps! One of my favorite movies.

 

[Pats]

Maybe it is the feel he likes. No harm. It's a comfort and he seems to manage it well. I had a jean jacket that I kept at my side 24/7. My grandmother hid it from me once and I refused to go to bed until I got it back. I remember she finally got up and gave it back to me. I don't know what eventually happened to it.

 

[FreeDiver]

I had a question to ask about your son. Does your son have any real interest in swimming/diving? Has he ask you about going to the pool? And if so. Does he try to swim down to the bottom at all? Has he ever tried snorkeling? Does your son understand what the real purpose of that gear he's playing with is?

 

[Jiheu]

My son is a regular pool diver and should be in the wild soon, and is training in both bottle diving and snorkeling.
He knows what the fins are for.
He knows all types and sizes, short or long.

 

[Sid Delicious]

That's adorable! I originally trained/worked as a rescue diver, but can't say I ever had any specific interest in the equipment. It was enough of a struggle managing to fall asleep in bed without swaying onto the floor after being in the ocean all day. I imagine having a pair of fins next to me would make it a lot harder! I'm not even sure what type mine are. That's made me smile though! Thanks!

 

[Jiheu]

Do you know the animated series "Shuriken School"? One of the characters is always dressed as a diver and sleeps with his fins !

 

[Tom]

Because he understands and is willing to limit it to times safe from possible mockery I think it is fine. Its a good compromise.

 

[FreeDiver]

Because he understands and is willing to limit it to times safe from possible mockery I think it is fine. Its a good compromise.

As long as he's in the water. Wearing them in public is just fine. Here's a PSA video of what happens to you when you do use you flipper as shoes.