Courtesy Kids Sea CampA group of kids gets familiar with their pint-size diving gear. Dive camps give kids a chance to hone skills among their peers.
There’s no easy way to describe the feeling you get when one of the littles in your life develops an interest in something you love, like diving. From that sparkle of discovery in their eyes, when their curiosity piques, each subsequent development brings pure joy—almost as though you’re reliving your own experience right alongside them.
Many wetsuit-donning parents look forward to the possibility that their kids may one day grow to become their dive buddies. But let’s face it, while plenty of kids may love suiting up and exploring with their parents, kids will be kids, and sometimes they simply want to be among their peers.
But young divers, those under the age of 18, make up a relatively small fraction of the total global scuba certifications—just 10 to 15 percent. That can make it trickier for kids to find opportunities to spend time in the water with other divers their age, especially when home is landlocked or otherwise inaccessible to regular diving.
Enter: scuba diving camps. Designed with little divers in mind, these curated programs give kids the opportunity to hone essential skills alongside their peers—and sometimes with parents too. Our list of camps includes liveaboard and resort-based options, and plenty of itineraries for all ages and skill sets.
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1. ActionQuest
Founded in 1986, ActionQuest offers a range of water-based summer camp programs for kids, including sailing, marine biology and scuba diving. Most dive programs are three weeks, during which kids tour the British Virgin Islands while diving and learning new skills.
In addition to core dive courses, kids can choose from a plethora of distinctive specialties, such as PADI Coral Reef Conservation or Digital Underwater Photography. There are even scholarship opportunities for families who need financial assistance.
2. Broadreach
From breezy Caribbean diving to more advanced sites in the Red Sea, Broadreach offers worldwide camp programs for kids of all skill levels. Immersive learning, with a focus on conservation, is the name of the game here, and older kids can even earn college credits while they dive and learn. Excursions last from just one week to 21 days.
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3. Jack’s Diving Locker
With a selection of (mostly) one-week-long kids’ programs, all based at their shop in Kona, Hawaii, this day camp makes it easy for parents to transform their already planned Hawaiian vacation into a dive trip for everyone—while giving the adults some much-needed alone time. Plus, unlike many programs, Jack’s has camp options for kids as young as 6.
4. Kids Sea Camp
For the past 25-plus years, Kids Sea Camp has curated dive getaways that cater to individual family needs. Most itineraries are one week, with destinations from around the world to choose from, including the Galapagos Islands and Lembeh. Both liveaboard and resort trips are available, which can include as much or as little diving as guests want in addition to a variety of other land- and sea-based activities.
5. Sail Caribbean Divers
Young divers can hone their skills while sailing throughout the British Virgin Islands aboard a catamaran. The two- to three-week excursions give kids an opportunity to explore underwater while earning advanced certifications along the way. Many programs combine diving with sailing skills, giving budding divers an even larger toolbox of skills to rely on at sea.
