Best place for kids to do Cert Dives?

[Mike Petrik]

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for recommendations in the Miami/Key Largo area for my 13 and 11-year-old kids to do their certification dives. They are both good in the water, and won't be difficult to train, and am looking for someone who will show them a good time. I will be there with my girlfriend diving at the same time, either with them or not with them, whichever.

Thanks for any input

Wetvet

 

[flyboy08]

South Beach Divers.

 

[Bubblesong]

I took my 12yr daughter to Tampa/st Petersburg area for check out dives. We did dark and spooky quarry dives, with turtles, then a couple dives to a sunk sailboat. Viz wasn’t great.
We had more fun next trip at Pompano Beach staying at Sands Harbor Resort and Marina with South Florida Diving Headquaters in the hotel lobby and boats right outside lobby. Super easy BUT, check that rental gear like your life depends on it. I got a broken BCD and daughter’s computer was locked out from previous renter. Pompano Dive Center is Down the boardwalk, i would use them, but we’ve bought our gear now. My daughter dove without me first time when she was 19.

 

[sportxlh]

I have never done training with Rainbow Reef in Key Largo, but I've watched them certifying divers, some of which were young divers. My bet is that they would do a very good job with your kids

 

[KathyV]

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for recommendations in the Miami/Key Largo area for my 13 and 11-year-old kids to do their certification dives. They are both good in the water, and won't be difficult to train, and am looking for someone who will show them a good time. I will be there with my girlfriend diving at the same time, either with them or not with them, whichever.

Thanks for any input

Wetvet

You might consider Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo. They have a dive op and offer training programs. They also have a small lagoon (with a Spanish Shipwreck) that is popular with snorkelers and a good spot for dive training, see link below:
John Pennenkamp Coral Reef State Park

What time of year will you be traveling? Florida waters can be cold and rough in the winter/spring and that may not be the best way to introduce young divers to scuba.

DiveTech on Grand Cayman offers a Kids Camp all year round with activities geared toward families and kids of various ages, see link below:
https://www.divetech.com/kids

But keep in mind that your children would need passports to go to Cayman.

 

[RyanT]

My vote would be Key Largo. I love Pompano Beach and Pompano Dive Center, but the majority of their dive sites are more on the advanced side, current is almost always present. Key Largo has a greater variety of shallow reefs available that would good for training kids.

 

[tekkydiver]

My vote would be Key Largo. I love Pompano Beach and Pompano Dive Center, but the majority of their dive sites are more on the advanced side, current is almost always present. Key Largo has a greater variety of shallow reefs available that would good for training kids.

Dive ops from West Palm to Ft. Lauderdale routinely certify kids 10 and up. Plenty of shallow reefs for beginners. Should be no problem.

 

[Blues Runner]

Key Largo and Rainbow Reef Dive Center are an excellent choice for training divers of any age. Rainbow is extremely safety conscious and is one of PADI's largest instructor training centers in the world.

Key Largo's dive sites are relatively shallow and offer a great opportunity to gain dive experience and confidence.

www.rainbowreef.com/

 

[PoolsOpen]

+1 for Rainbow Reef at Key Largo.
Easy shallow reefs, pretty fish and very flexible schedule

 

[tfleming23]

Both of my kids were certified as JR Open Water with Rainbow Reef at 10. I cannot recommend them enough and will be bringing my daughter there in a little more than a year when she is 10. They are outstanding with kids.