With their natural curiosity and affinity to learn new skills, children can make some of the best scuba divers. Scuba diving for children starts at the young age of 8 years. Here is a quick overview of the programs available to young people and what age kids can learn to scuba dive.
The PADI Bubblemaker is the perfect program if kids between the ages of 8 and 9.
Who should take this program?
Bubblemaker is as fun as it sounds – a chance for kids to blow bubbles while scuba diving. Children who are at least 8 years old can use scuba gear to breathe and swim around in shallow water.
Your child must be 8 years or older and should be comfortable in the water, but no prior experience is necessary. Parental approval is required.
What will your child learn?
Bubblemakers get a chance to:
- Experience scuba diving under the direct care and supervision of a PADI Pro.
- Take their first breaths underwater in water shallower than 2 metres/6 feet.
- Learn how to use scuba diving equipment made for children – not adults.
- Have lots of fun.
How can you start having fun now?
Contact us to schedule a Bubblemaker program or to organize a Bubblemaker party.
Once your child turns 10 he or she can already join the PADI Junior Open Water Diver Course.
The PADI Open Water Diver course is the world’s most popular scuba course, and has introduced millions of people to the adventurous diving lifestyle. Kids take the exact same course as adults with only one difference, their depth limit. Children aged 10 to 14 are limited to a depth of 12meters.
The fun part about this course is….just about all of it because learning to dive is incredible. The kids breathe underwater for the first time (something they’ll never forget) and learn what they need to know to become a certified diver.
The PADI Junior Open Water Course takes some 4 days to complete and we start courses literally every other day with small group sizes (average of 2 to 4 students).
The course includes 5 confined water modules where your child learns the basic scuba diving skills, 4 open water dives where they demonstrate that they can perform those skills themselves and 5 theory sessions where they’ll watch 5 videos, self-study the student manual and complete some homework which we call knowledge reviews. There are also 4 quizzes (multiple-choice) to be completed to test their knowledge, so we are able to give additional information and prepare the youngsters for the final exam (50 questions, multiple-choice).
Most of the dives are conducted in shallow water off the beach or in our swimming pool. However on the last day of the course we will take your child out by boat for their final two open water dives. We will visit a dive location in the vicinity of Coral Island, famous for its marine life and beauty. On this day we will provide lunch and refreshments and will dive to a maximum depth of 12 meters.
The duration of the training day will depend on your preference. We normally start at 09.00am, watch some videos, do some theory, go twice into the water for training and are finished between 4pm and 6pm with a good hour lunch break in between. On their own leisure time you can assist them to complete the self-study (“homework”) in the manual.
Course prerequisites:
- Your child must know how to swim (there will be a 200m swim test)
- Your child must know how to float (there will be a 10minute float test)
- You need to be able to write “No” to all questions about your child in the PADI Medical Statement
Exploration, Excitement, Experiences
That is what the PADI Junior Advanced Open Water Diver course (aka JAOW) is all about. This course helps your child increase their confidence and build their scuba skills so they can become more comfortable in the water. This is a great way to get more dives under their belt while continuing to learn under supervision of a PADI instructor.
The JAOW course certifies children of 12 to 14 years to dive to a depth of 21meters. The course includes 5 adventure dives and can be completed in 2 full days. There will be no final exam and the only homework is to read the appropriate sections in the Adventures in Diving student manual and to answer the questions at the end of each chapter.
Your child will conduct the following dives:
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Underwater Navigation
- Deep Diving
- Night diving (can be changed to another adventure dive if you prefer)
- Final adventure dive for you to choose (i.e. wreck diving, fish identification, drift diving)
Course prerequisites:
- Your child must already be a PADI Junior Open Water Diver (or equivalent from another organisation) and at least 12 years old
- You need to be able to write “No” to all questions about your child in the PADI Medical Statement
