Under the sea
Deborah dickson-smith reveals all you need to know to plan a family dive holiday.
Deborah Dickson-smith reveals all you need to know about planning a family diving holiday.
If you’ve ever watched Finding Nemo with the kids or David Attenborough’s latest Great Barrier Reef doco, there’s a strong possibility you’ve been inspired to explore the underwater world. But with kids in tow it’s all too difficult, right?
Not at all. With a bit of planning, it’s possible to keep diving with children. And while a diving holiday needs a little extra research and preparation, some expensive equipment and weather to consider, it’s really not that hard.
Can you dive?
Scuba diving, much like skiing, requires training. Skiing carries the risk of something going wrong if you throw yourself down a mountain at full pelt without learning how to stop. Diving carries the risk of something going wrong if you don’t know how to use your equipment. But diving poses fewer risks, if you pay attention to your equipment, and it requires far less physical fitness or coordination than a day on the snow. Training, though, is essential, and, unlike skiing, you can’t dive without it.
You can get qualified at a local dive centre before you go or get your qualifications while on holiday. The first option gives you more time to relax on holiday without having to set aside three days of training. The second is an opportunity to learn how to dive as a family, often in warm, clear tropical water. A third option is to try a Discover Scuba Dive, which allows you to give it a go with just a short session of instruction beforehand. If you like the experience, you can decide to take it further (and deeper). If you are qualified to dive, but haven’t done so in a while, it’s also a good idea to invest in a refresher course.
Dive-fit
Scuba diving doesn’t really require a great deal of exertion, so you don’t need to be triathlon fit. It does help, however, to be swim-fit, or at least, a reasonably good swimmer, as you will use less air and be able to stay underwater longer. Same goes for kids, although if yours are anything like mine, they’ll be fitter and their air consumption better.
Don’t dive if you have a head cold or an ear infection as it will affect your ability to clear your ears as you descend, which can be painful and dangerous.
Where to dive
One of the best destinations for diving families is already famous for being kid-friendly: Fiji. Treasure Island has its own Padi-affiliated dive centre offering various courses and scuba experiences. The resort’s location allows easy access to a variety of dive sites catering for both beginner and experienced divers, and its own dedicated dive training pool makes it an ideal choice for first-time divers.
Castaway Island has a five-star PADI dive centre offering the full range of dive courses from introductory programs to Dive Master certification. Its purposedesigned dive boat, Sokia, can whisk you away to a wide range of easy dive sites.
Jean-michel Cousteau Resort in Savusavu on Vanua Levu is already famous for being one of the most family-friendly luxury resorts in Fiji, with a great kids’ program and nannies or buddies for each child, depending on their age. The diving here in northern Fiji is spectacular; think beautiful reefs covered in colourful soft corals.
Vomo Island Resort in the Mamanuca Islands offers a ‘bespoke diving’ experience, meaning you can go diving with your own personal dive guide, whenever you want, without being restricted to fixed departure times. It’s family-friendly and offers a ‘Refresher Dive Package’, so you can get straight back up to speed.
A cruise with Captain Cook Cruises Fiji is a wonderful option. The onboard kids’ club has a program for children aged five to nine, and the bonus for divers is that you’ll visit Fiji’s more remote dive sites such the world-famous Rainbow Reef, in a kid-friendly environment. Children as young as 10 can try a Discover Scuba experience in the pool before venturing into the sea.
Elsewhere in the South Pacific, Bali Hai Diving Adventures offers diving experiences on Bali’s Lembongan Island, and at Menjangan Dynasty Resort in Bali’s pristine
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northwest. The Lembongan option is also available as a day trip from your chosen Bali resort, with your base camp for the day a beach club or a large pontoon equipped with water slides, swimming pool, kayaks and semi-submersible coral-viewing boats.
Wakatobi Resort on Indonesia’s southern Sulawesi is a purpose-built, family-friendly, five-star dive resort, with luxurious accommodation, fine dining and seriously mind-blowing diving. The resort was established after an extensive search to find the perfect location in terms of ocean topography, marine biodiversity and climate, and it is only a short hop from Bali via private charter plane. A pristine continuous reef passes right in front of the resort, easily accessible from the beach to be explored on snorkel, while divers are dropped at the most impressive spots, just a few minutes by boat.
Wakatobi offers the full gamut of childcare, too, from nannies for the toddlers to Bubblemaker courses for younger kids and Discover Scuba dives for the bigger kids, while certified junior divers can dive with their parents. Wakatobi Kids’ Club includes a great range of activities for five- to 12-year-olds, including kayaking, kite-making and flying, nature hunts, palm weaving, treasure hunts and snorkelling. Kids’ Club activities can also be personalised, so if you want your child to join the dive boat for a snorkel, or to go on a Land Tour, this can be arranged.
Uepi Island Resort in the Solomon Islands’ Western Provinces has access to some of the world’s best easy diving. Pristine coral reefs and friendly reef sharks are as close as the resort’s own jetty and there are land-based activities, kayaking and safe swimming in the lagoon for kids.
B&J Diving Centre on Tioman Island in Malaysia offers the full range of kids’ PADI diving options, including the Bubblemaker program and Seal Team Courses for eight- to 10-year old kids, where they can learn basic scuba skills and take part in specialty
Aquamissions. They even have kid-size mouth pieces and kid-size tanks. It’s everything you need – and more – to make a family diving holiday a reality.