Wondering what is the right age to scuba dive? Or maybe you don’t know if scuba diving is for kids? Well… convincing children to play sports can sometimes be difficult. In the age of game consoles and advanced computers for home use, riding a bike or playing ball can seem common.
What’s different when it comes to scuba diving! Going down into deep water, penetrating shipwrecks, admiring sea creatures and overcoming one’s own fears and weaknesses can be really appealing! That’s why we recommend scuba diving for kids as a way to move, explore the world and get away from glowing screens.
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Right age to scuba dive – advantage of diving
If your child wants to scuba dive, it means that he will actively spend his free time. He can also experience amazing adventures underwater, whether in the pool or on an exotic vacation.
A child in a diving class, especially scuba diving, will learn how to operate diving equipment and feel a sense of responsibility for himself and other divers around him. This is a significant step towards teamwork and partnership. By the way, he will also gulp some knowledge of physics and biology, but he will also learn about himself, his weaknesses and strengths.
What does learning to dive look like?
Before a child can even go underwater, he must complete a professionally prepared scuba course, which consists of two parts, theoretical and practical. The practical part includes lectures in an accessible form on the construction of equipment, basic physics and knowledge about the first aid. After the theoretical classes comes the time to learn to dive in the pool, where we can practice all the necessary skills in shallow water.
Elements of theory are constantly assimilated and reminded by the diving instructor, and the child learns primarily through having fun. And most importantly – if he doesn’t feel up to it, he is never forced to go underwater.
Is scuba diving for children?
Every parent knows their child best. Some toddlers as young as a few years old are so curious about the world that nothing will stop them from seeking new experiences. Therefore, if an eight- or ten-year-old wants to go scuba diving, and there is nothing to stop them.
For many kids, diving is a lot of fun, but also an opportunity to show off to their peers their unique skills and unconventional hobbies. And this is more than great, but of course it must be carried out under the guidance of an experienced diving instructor.
For the sake of the diving safety of our youngest students, we have some predetermined restrictions on going underwater. Children between the ages of 10 and 15 can go down with diving equipment to a maximum depth of 12 meters. On the other hand, when it comes to something like the best age to scuba dive, it depends entirely on the child and his parents.
Is scuba diving safe for kids?
Whenever I deal with a young diving adept, his parents ask about safety. I am able to understand their concerns, even more so if they are not divers themselves and simply have no knowledge of what exactly happens underwater.
Any images from movies, or the mass media in general, are unfortunately most often a bunch of nonsense with basic factual and even logical errors and misunderstandings. This unfortunately seeps into minds and memories, and when a child says he wants to dive, we see all sorts of worst-case scenarios.
And as I write this text, I don’t really know what I should say here. That diving is always super safe? That won’t be true. Why? For a simple reason – we humans are not created to be underwater. To do so, we must cross a line and enter a world, by design, inaccessible to us. I think you understand that this, already by design, must carry some risk. To understand a little more, please read my other text on safety in diving. In this article, I described some important apsects on the subject.
Should my child go scuba diving?
Above I mentioned safety in diving and that painting everything only in bright colors is not my goal. Some risk is unavoidable, but following this line we can enter into an academic discussion about, for example, road safety. That doesn’t make sense, so let’s focus on how to conduct diving activities for children so that they are simply enjoyable.
The most important thing is that the child feels comfortable in the water and this is the role of the diving instructor. Fear of water, of being submerged, getting their face wet or claustrophobia are all factors that may be something we need to work on. Not everything can be jumped over and, of course, there is no room for forcing.
You may wonder if your child can dive, because, for example, you have already tried together in the pool and nothing came of it. This is an interesting psychological aspect, but despite the unquestionable authority of the parent, on issues such as overstepping one’s boundaries, the child often prefers to use a professional and his authority as an expert in the field. In other words, it is sometimes easier for me to convince a child to take a dive than it would be for his parents.
Is scuba diving a big investment?
Scuba diving, like any other hobby, can be very expensive, and when it comes to development, courses, and buying equipment, I guess it’s enough to say that “the sky’s the limit.” However, parents do not need to invest significant resources to get a child to start scuba diving. It is not necessary to have your own equipment to start the course, because in any good diving center, the use of diving equipment during training classes is included in the price of the course.
Of course, as the child grows and wants to practice this recreational activity more often, it is advisable to get basic personal equipment such as a diving mask, snorkel and fins. Next will come a diving wetsuit and a dive computer. But as a diving instructor and a parent, I strongly prefer to buy my children diving equipment rather than another meaningless toy. But this is just my opinion….
Diving is a safe sport for childrens
Undoubtedly, diving is a great way for a child to learn and develop. We are, of course, talking about recreational diving in a controlled environment, under the guidance of an instructor. However, with time, after a few or a dozen dives, he will be able to enjoy it even more.
Many children also come to the course with their parents. Attending classes together binds the family together, helps strengthen bonds and fosters a fascination with the sport. So you may find that your next family vacation will be a diving one.
Such an alternative to lazy beach vacations can prove salutary for family relations. However, it is always a good idea to keep all diving participants in mind, to watch over them and support them in more difficult moments. Completion of a scuba course in the good dive center is the basis for successful diving, whether the student is 10 or 100 years old.
Right age to scuba dive – let’s recap
Diving for kids is the best idea you can come up with. You can surprise the whole family by buying them a scuba diving course during your next vacation. Think about how such an experience will affect your family ties and how it will boost your child’s self-esteem. Classmates have a new iPhone? Cool, but your child has become a certified diver and underwater explorer. Not even the latest gaming console can beat that!
