when is my child old enough to dive?

5/17/2017

by Diver Randy

When is my child old enough to dive? This is a question I get asked often as a Scuba Instructor. I want to change this to “When should my child dive?” Before we answer this question let us look at what is needed to dive safely and responsibly. Remember the goal of scuba training is to make divers, who can dive independently. Let me say that I have trained children as young as ten years old who have become great divers, but we always took the following five aspects into consideration:

1. PHYSICAL ABILITY

Is your child up to the task of carrying tanks, swimming against a current, strong enough to assist in an emergency? Unless you plan on diving only the warmest of waters most children do not have the physical mass to withstand long periods of heat loss.

2. MENTAL ACUMEN

Does your child have the discipline to follow a dive plan, more importantly make a safe and reasonable dive plan? I recently had to replace a regulator before a dive because a child dragged it across the floor. Worse is that neither the child or parent were aware the regulator had rocks and dirt in the second stage. If you plan to buy gear for your child, will they take care of it?

3. EMOTIONAL STABILITY

Sometimes things just do not work out, O-Rings blow, buckles come undone, masks keep fogging up. Will your child be able to handle a problem in a calm, reasonable manner that does not put them or others at risk?

4. DESIRE TO LEARN

Does your child want to engage in this sport or do you want them to? I have seen too many parents bring their children in because the parent wants this. If the child does not want or enjoy the underwater realm then no amount of training will make them want to dive.

5. EQUIPMENT SIZING

If your child is very small, finding gear that fit may be a challenge and take away from the enjoyment of the experience. At Abyss Scuba we carry a variety of sizes and colors though to fit the most discerning little divers. Give us a call and let's talk!

After certification, 10 to 11-year-old children are restricted to diving with a parent, guardian or diving professional to a maximum depth of 12 meters/40 feet; 12 to 14-year-olds must dive with an adult certified diver. Will you be happy limiting your dives? Remember if you disregard the rules so will your children.

5 Comments

Rosalie Lombardi

6/29/2017 08:57:29 am

My grandson is a 14 year old solid swimmer.
Diving may be something of interest to him.
May we set up an appointment to simply discuss and take a tour?

Thank you.

Karin @ Abyss Scuba

7/1/2017 04:08:37 am

Hi Rosalie,

Of course! 14 is a great age to start diving. We are closed for the long holiday weekend, since we took a short trip to Dutch Springs in PA to certifiy students. The certification process is very simple: You have to complete academics that can be done in class or online, some fun pool work and four open water dives that can be done of the location of your choice. Why don't you come in to the store at 29 Marble Avenue in Pleasantville after the 5th or give us a call at (914) 244-3483 and we can give you an informational tour. Sounds good?

Looking forward to talking to you.

Karin

Jeff Townley

6/20/2018 11:43:19 am

My son,12, is going to take a Marine Ecology course in Key Largo. They have the option of snorkel or scuba diving. He wants to scuba dive. How long does it take to get certified, his trip is in October, and what is the cost? He's a smart kid and a strong swimmer. His dad, me, might join in to get certified as well. Thank you. Jeff

Hazel Owens link

7/25/2018 04:55:51 pm

That's good to know that you've trained a child as young as 10 years old to scuba dive and that it really just depends on different factors, like if they have the disciple to follow a plan and make sure it's safe and reasonable when they dive. My family is planning on taking a trip in the fall and we were thing about going scuba diving with my two kids but my daughter is 9 years old and my son is 11 years old so we weren't sure if they'd be able to go. Luckily, they both tend to be disciplined and can focus really well on things they are interested in so I think we might be able to take them since they'd be able to focus on how to make a dive plan.

Kauai Scuba Diver link

11/7/2021 10:49:21 pm

Such a great article topic and you have done an amazing job covering all the key factors to diving age. I'm really glad I found this article as I often get asked about this topic. This a perfect article to share and inform parents for deciding when to introducing kids to diving. Thanks