Scuba Diving As A Family: What You Need to Know

Recently my family and I decided to take on a new adventure together. During our visit to Beaches Resort in Turks and Caicos we decided to sign up to get our resort diving certification as a family. Many resorts offer this as an option to introduce people to the scuba diving experience without having to commit to the full certification process. It was perfect – inexpensive, minimal time commitment and expert training. Plus, at Beaches, we can use our certification in future at any of their Beaches or Sandal’s resorts and take advantage of the free dives twice per day!

We were all very excited to give scuba diving a try. My tween daughter and teen son were on board and my husband, despite some hesitation, was up to give it a try. We completed our in pool component and went out for our first dive the next day.

We learned a lot along the way. So, if your family is thinking about scuba diving, here are some tips for you:

Everyone reacts differently: One thing I did not expect was how each of us would respond to the dive. My daughter had issues with equalizing her ears, I experienced claustrophobia and my husband had trouble getting himself down to the deeper parts and staying submerged. Be prepared for a variety of stops and starts.

The weather matters: We had some incredibly windy weather in Turks and Caicos. This didn’t impact us under water but it meant a drive and then a long and wavy boat ride to our dive site. My daughter was brutally seasick and the rest of us struggled with nausea on and off throughout the day. My advice? Do your first dive on a calm day!

Be aware of your ears: My daughter ended up with a terrible case of swimmer’s ear due, in part, to the dive. Take the necessary precautions and speak to your doctor beforehand if you or someone in your family is vulnerable.

Enjoy the view: Don’t forget to document your experience. We bought a disposable underwater camera to make sure we had evidence of our adventures!

Listen to the experts: We learned so much from our fellow, more experienced divers on the boat and at the resort about the best spots to dive and ideas on where we may want to visit in the future. A few started like us with a resort certification from Beaches/Sandals and have since received their full certification and become very accomplished divers. Something to aspire to!

I am not sure I am cut out to be an underwater adventurer but the resort diving certification was a fabulous way for our family to give diving a try as a shared experience. It also gives us more options for future explorations together or, as the kids grow, on our own.

Go on! Get out there and try something new with your kids!