Babies and Children
Underwater Kids
Scuba diving is not just a thing for adults, but also an excellent and refreshing summer activity for children. It is a great way to promote the value of wholesome and healthy leisure on these young minds, while teaching them to care and love the marine environment and offering them the opportunity to learn more about the world.
Look I’m Swimming
On the other hand, despite the infinite benefits offered by scuba diving to children, one might wonder why some diving trainers are refusing to train children. Diving expert Larry Taylor, Ph.D., during his talk at Our World Underwater exhibition (Chicago, April 28, 2001), explained that he himself does not train kids because of the following reasons: scuba diving poses a number of risks and it could cause injury to ego, physical trauma or even death.
Having fun in the summertime…
If everybody thinks this way, is there any other way for children to get into the sport? The answer came recently when the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI), the world’s largest diving organisation, created an open water diving course for children. PADI’s Seal Team and Bubble Maker programs accept registration of children as young as eight years old. The programs follow specific guidelines to ensure underwater safety of children, and were particularly aimed at fostering children’s appreciation of the ocean and marine life. Aside from PADI, several diving school also offers training courses for children, so you have no excuse for never enrolling your water enthusiast child in a scuba diving class.