What is the minimum age to take part?
Snorkelling: No minimum age
Skin diver: 8 years
Bubblemaker: 8 years
Seal Team/Master Seal Team: 8 years
Pool parties: 8 years
Try Dive/Scuba Experience: 10 years (but 8 to 9 years for Bubblemaker)
Open Water Diver/Scuba Diver: 12 years to dive in the UK because of the minimum age imposed by the open water dive sites that we use for training.
Children aged 10 to 11 years can complete the course by a referral.
Children aged 10 to 14 years earn the Junior Scuba Diver/Junior Open Water Diver qualification.
Advanced Open Water Adventure Dives/Diving Specialities: Please see individual specialities for details.
What other prerequisites are there?
You will need to complete a medical questionnaire.
All paperwork must be countersigned by a parent or legal guardian for participants under 18 years.
If I answer Yes to a question on the medical form does that mean I cannot take part?
Not necessarily!
The medical questionnaire is to make sure that you are generally fit to dive and must be answered truthfully. Positive answers do not necessarily prevent you from diving but you must get approval from your GP before you can take part. We will give you a form for your GP to complete.
How deep can I go?
Scuba Diver: 12 metres. You must dive under the direct supervision of a PADI Professional.
Open Water Diver: 18 metres. You can dive with your buddy (12 m for Junior Open Water Diver see below for restrictions on who Juniors may dive with).
Advanced Open Water Diver: 30 metres with a buddy (21 m for Junior Advanced Open Water Diver).
Deep Diver: 40 metres with a buddy
What is the difference between the Junior qualifications and the adult ones?
The content and requirements of the courses are exactly the same for children as they are for adults. However to qualify as a Scuba Diver or Open Water Diver you must be a minimum of 15 years old. Below this age a diver qualifies as a Junior Scuba Diver/Junior Open Water Diver and is subject to some restrictions:
10 to 11 years old must dive with a qualified parent or guardian or a PADI Professional.
12 to 14 years old must dive with a certified diver of legal age (i.e. over the age of 18 years in the UK or as defined by local laws).
Junior Scuba Divers/Open Water Divers have a maximum depth limit of 12 metres.
Junior Advanced Open Water Divers have a maximum depth limit of 21 metres.
When a Junior diver reaches 15 years of age they can simply apply for an upgrade to their qualification on payment of an administration charge.
Can I do the theory part of my course online, with PADI eLearning?
We thoroughly recommend coming into the classroom at the centre to complete the theory portions of your course, but you can use PADI eLearning if you prefer. eLearning is available for the following courses:
Open Water Diver
Advanced Open Water Diver
ReActivate
Equipment Specialist
eRDPml
Rescue Diver
Digital Underwater Photographer
Enriched Air Diver
Underwater Videographer
Dive Theory
Divemaster
Instructor Development
Is diving in the UK cold?
Water temperatures in the UK are generally lower than in holiday destinations abroad but with the appropriate equipment this is not a problem: it is possible to dive in the UK all year round in a dry suit with a good insulating undersuit.
You can do the Dry Suit Diver Speciality alongside your Open Water Diver course or you can do it at a later date. If cold-water diving really is not your cup of tea and you only want to dive on holiday then the Open Water Referral course is for you.
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