Introducing children to scuba diving

Scuba diving is a key that can unlock the door leading to the beautiful wonders of the underwater world. If you’re a certified diver, then that means that you have experienced this amazing realm beneath the waves. If you have kids, it doesn’t come as a surprise that you would want to share your passion for diving with them. What better way of enjoying this incredible activity than exploring different diving destinations together as a family?

scuba diving as a group

5 Questions to help determine if your child is ready to dive

According to the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI), kids as young as 8 years old can learn how to scuba dive. However, age is not the only factor that you should consider. Here are 5 basic guide questions that can help you gauge if your child is ready to learn scuba diving:

1. Does your child want to learn to dive?

  • Make sure that your child has shown genuine interest in diving. 
  • Enrolling your child in scuba diving should not only stem from your own desire.

2. Does your child feel comfortable in the water?

  • A child does not have to be a good swimmer to learn how to dive but he should feel at ease in the water.

3. Is your child medically fit to dive?

  • You can check the basic diving medical requirements.
  • PADI requires parents or guardians of minors to complete a Medical Statement/Questionnaire before children can participate in recreational diving. 

4. Does your child have the ability to pay attention to the instructor during class discussions and in-water sessions? 

  • Children have different maturity levels. This means that some kids may have a shorter attention span compared to others of the same age. 
  • If your kid gets easily distracted, it might be best to wait until he is more mature and can stay more focused. 
  • Take note that some neurobehavioral disorders such as ADD and ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) may affect learning, daily functioning, and judgment. Safety is the number one priority of parents and the dive center so this kind of situation may require special conditions. 

5. Can the child learn, remember, and follow diving principles and safety rules?

  • Your child should have adequate reading and comprehension skills to understand classroom discussions and implement them during in-water training sessions.  

Sharing the joy of diving with kids

joy of diving

As a scuba diving enthusiast, it’s normal to want your children to experience the joy of diving and embrace it as much as you do. But it’s best to set aside your personal desire and focus on what your child wants. If your answer to the first question is ‘’No’, then chances are your child may not show interest or eagerness to dive. In this case, it’s best not to force your child into it. You can always set aside the idea and reconsider when your child is a little older or more mature. 

If you answered “Yes” to the questions above, then it’s a good sign to push forward. You can enroll your children in Scuba Courses for Kids to encourage their curiosity and enthusiasm to learn and explore new things underwater. When they are ready, they can go through fun aquatic missions to practice their newly learned skills. When your child is at least 10 years old, he can progress to the Junior Open Water Diver course and become a certified diver. This will enable him to dive with a certified diver parent, guardian, or a PADI Pro to a depth of 12m. 

When your child learns how to dive at a young age, the more likely that he will develop a love for it. This may inspire him to take the next dive course to enhance his knowledge and skills. As the passion for diving increases, so does his desire to become a better diver as he grows older. 

 

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