Diving with a Junior - Continental US

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tfleming23

Registered
Messages
15
Reaction score
7
Location
United States
# of dives
200 - 499
My 10 year old son just got Jr. Open Water certified in Crystal River Florida and we are looking to do a long weekend trip, somewhere in the Continental US, potentially around MLK Weekend. Trying to figure out the best places to go. Any suggestions?
 
I agree on Key Largo, but I don't know what conditions are like that time of year, so you will want to check that out. Much of the reef diving will entail max. depths under 40 feet, which is ideal for your son. And it's got nice coral & fish to see. I did 20 dives September 2013 with Rainbow Reef Dive Center at the end of the Courtyard Marriott, where we stayed. My trip report.

Richard.
 
Took by granddaughter, then 11, to Blue Heron Bridge and she had a blast. Did two dives that year and went back this year for her 12th birthday and we did 5 days of diving right around MLK holiday. Max depth 23' - allows for about a 90 minute dive with her on a 63 cu ft tank. Getting chilled was more of an issue than air as water temps were in the low 70s in January.
 
Ditto Key Largo, most dive sites are 25-35 ft deep, clear, lots of colorful life. Perfect for Jr & newer divers and photogs & videogs.

BHB is also a great shallow dive with lots of life.
 
Last edited:
Agree with Key Largo but be aware that, that time of the year the winds can be an issue. If the winds are a-blowing and waves are a-churning, what seems like a relatively easy reboarding process for an adult can be really challenging if not impossible for a 10 year old especially if they are on the smaller size. Came across that issue with my little one when she was first certified.

---------- Post added September 4th, 2014 at 01:01 PM ----------

I agree on Key Largo, but I don't know what conditions are like that time of year, so you will want to check that out. Much of the reef diving will entail max. depths under 40 feet, which is ideal for your son. And it's got nice coral & fish to see. I did 20 dives September 2013 with Rainbow Reef Dive Center at the end of the Courtyard Marriott, where we stayed. My trip report.

Richard.

Agree with RRDCand Marriott. They are a good outfit especially for shallower reef dives. Using one of their packages offer a significant savings on the hotel and the fact that the hotel is right next to the dock is so convenient - especially with a 10 year old. Although RRDC puts a DM in the water with you I did ask for a private DM for the first couple of dives and their rates for a private DM were very reasonable.
 

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