Can kids scuba dive?

As a parent, you want to give your children all the opportunities in the world. Taking your kids on holidays to experience things outside the home and school environment is something most people want to do. Camping, hiking in the mountains, or snorkelling would seem to be ordinary, wholesome activities for a family to participate in. If you love the idea of adventures underwater, you would probably like your whole family to join in together - but the big question is can kids scuba dive?

According to PADI  (Professional Association of Dive Instructors), children are allowed to enrol in the certified Junior Open Water course as early as the age of 10. If your children are keen on water sports, the good news is they can sometimes start even earlier as most certified scuba diving organisations offer scuba diving courses in the pool for children as young as 8 years of age. It is always better to prepare your children and be confident before diving in open waters.

When shouldn't kids scuba dive?

Unfortunately, not every child may be suitable to join in the diving courses. There are a number of factors that parents, children, and diving instructors must consider. First of all, your children must be medically fit to dive as the pressure underwater can be life-threatening. Your children must pass a swimming test to indicate that they are comfortable and confident in the water. Their literacy level must be adequate to be able to read the same materials and take the same examinations as adults. Their attention span, multi-tasking skills, and the ability to memorise the theory and apply it in real situations are crucial to determine their readiness for open water diving. Divers as young as 10-11 must always be accompanied by a scuba certified adult or a diving professional and must never descend below a maximum depth of 40 feet. This depth increases to 60 feet for divers aged 12-14. No further training is required for a junior certification to be upgraded to an adult certification from the age of 15.

Ready to get diving?

If all the boxes are ticked, then yes, it is now time to let the adventure commence. Centara Ras Fushi Resort and Spa in the Maldives offers open water diving activities for your whole family. There are several programs based on locations and sessions of diving for you to choose from such as house reef, boat dive, more than 5 dives, and more than 10 dives. The cost of diving starts from USD$80 per person and this includes professional PADI certified guides, all diving gear, applicable boat fees, towels and refreshments.

Safety is our top priority, and to ensure that communication is flowing clearly and in both directions from start to finish while training, our diverse team of diving instructors means that we can cover a multitude of languages including English, Italian, Spanish, German, Maldivian, Hindi, Indonesian and Mandarin. All PADI standards are followed strictly to provide all divers with safety and pleasure in diving. The instructors and boat crews are Emergency First Response certified, and mouthpieces used during dives and lessons are also disinfected to make sure that they meet the high standards of hygiene required in scuba diving and water-related excursions.