Scuba diving has become more accessible for children to start at a younger age, with more and more options for kids scuba lessons.
It’s now possible for them to start the learning process of how to dive from the age of 8 years old, with the PADI Seals Team and the SSI Scuba Rangers program. Both of these are conducted in a swimming pool or pool like conditions to a maximum depth of 2m. Both are a fun and interactive program. It takes the first steps to becoming a certified Scuba Diver when they reach 10 years old and complete the full open water diver training. Raja Ampat is not the ideal place to do these programs and it’s something to do with your children at home, find your local dive club and as which program the offer. For children that have completed these programs we can take them for a shallow dive to 2m on the house reef in calm conditions and a few select protected shallow sites. Even for kids that have never had lessons with a half day session they can still experience the magic of the underwater world with a certified instructor on our house reef.
For both course is they are effectively an expansion of the first three confined water training session of the open water diver course. For the SSI Scuba rangers they learn about the equipment, firstly with a fun and interactive book and video. They then learn how to put it together and how it all works and how to do their safety checks on their own kit. They learn in water safety and even rescue skills such as how to throw a life line or safety ring out to a swimmer in trouble.
Both courses have a number of levels and sessions, it usually is between 6-12 sessions and a couple of hours a session, making it an ideal activity for the weekends at home.
Are there different diving levels for Kids?
Once they are 10yrs old they can begin their Jr Open Water Diver Training program. Upon completion of this they can continue to the Jr Advanced Adventurer with SSI or Jr Advanced open water with PADI and there are a number of different specialties that they can complete between the ages of 10 and 11 such as Coral Reef conservation, Fish Identification, Boat diver, Digital underwater photographer, Perfect Buoyancy, Sea Turtle Awareness, Whale Shark Awareness, Naturalist and underwater Navigation specialties. Once 12 years old there are further options of different specialties to participate in such as; Shark conservation Drift/Currents, Multilevel and computer diving, Night Diving, and Search and recovery.
Organization for kids scuba lessons
The Jr Open Water diver programs are the same as the Open Water Diver Training for Adults. Comprised of theory sessions, confined water training and Open water dives. The majority of places sticking to standards will start with the Theory before entering the water for the first confined training session. Previous to any in water activities both adults and children have to pass a 200m swim test and 10m tread water/survival float. Once the theory and confined training is completed they can then head to open water for their certification dives.
Learn more information about teaching kids to dive
Which are the main activities in the classes?
The theory classes are available in book with DVD or online learning. Both options Consist of 5 or 6 chapters (depending on the agency) of information about diving, the underwater environment, scuba equipment and much more. Each section has short review questions to help check full understanding of the information at the time of reading. The online versions are more interactive with new short videos integrated into the learning.
The confined water training takes non divers to divers and introduces the students to all the key skills need to be safe and comfortable underwater. It builds up in its development with 5-6 pool or ‘confined water’ sessions. It’s in this controlled environment students get to try all the different skills needed to be a safe and competent diver. The Instructor will demonstrate each skill and have each student practice each skill until they are comfortable.
Once all the confined water skills have been completed and passes to standard, it’s time for the open water dives. Here the instructors do not demonstrate the skills but show the students the signs of the skills to be done, this is the time for the students to show their instructor what they have learned and that they have mastered the skills. After 4 open water training dives with all the skills completed they become a certified open water diver.
How long is the course?
Depending on the number on the course, on average courses take between 3 and 4 days, depending on the theory being completed before training. The majority of the theory is self study and depending on the comprehension of the materials depends on the amount of time this will take to complete. On average it can take a few hours to a couple of days to complete the reading.
The confined water training with SSI is 6 sessions and 5 with PADI, these can be combined together and completed in a full day. Its then the 4 open water dives to complete which are often scheduled at 2 dives a day over 2 days.
Do the kids need previous skills for kids scuba lessons?
There are no specific skills that are required before kid’s scuba lessons, for their own comfort and ease of learning it helps if they are comfortable in the water and can swim. The new online interactive training makes the learning more fun for children so they quickly absorb the information presented.
Is there any official certification for kids scuba lessons?
Depending on the country you are from there may be an accreditation system to count towards their grades, this is very varied depending on the country of residence.
Upon completion of a full diver training course they receive an accredited Diver Certification that is recognized worldwide and they will be able to use it anywhere in the world to go join diving boats and dive clubs to join in on dives according to their certification.
