Children are divers. How to choose a good diving school for a child? Take a break from the Internet

International Diving Day falls in the fall, but in Russia many professionals and diving enthusiasts consider May 5 as their holiday - Diver's Day, which is celebrated in honor of the founding of the world's first diving school in Kronstadt. This event took place on May 5, 1882, during the reign of Alexander III.

And modern times are such that the popularity of diving is growing year by year; these days this hobby has become widespread and has long been no longer the prerogative of adults. Not yet planning to write this material, I once asked my friends - dive masters and instructors - how children and teenagers begin to become interested in the underwater world. The answer was unanimous - at the suggestion of the parents. If adults fall in love with this type of recreation and exploring the world, they will certainly want to involve their children in this. This has nothing in common, they explained to me, with going under pressure to the section figure skating or many years of tormenting the violin, after which children sometimes throw the instrument away never to touch it again.

“Usually children are fans, - said one of the participants in this conversation, - I know of only one case when my friend, an instructor himself, taught his son and he perceived it as a necessity, nothing more.”. However, scuba diving is quite a responsible activity, and in the field of children's diving it is necessary to take into account both the characteristics of the child's body and the perception of the world.

Oleg Grekov, member of the technical committee of the Confederation of Underwater Activities of Russia, diver since 1981, DOSAAF instructor since 1987, CMAS instructor, IDS Staff PADI instructor, head of the Oleg Grekov Diving School, tells Letidor about the features of children's diving.

In my opinion, there are two concepts for introducing children to scuba diving. You can come to the resort and do 1-2 test dives, which do not oblige you to anything. But we will talk about something else - about comprehensive training and a serious attitude towards diving.

First of all, we should talk about two main mistakes parents make. The first is an overly frivolous attitude. Many adults who came to diving and found their first dives easy, believe that teaching a child to dive is just as easy, and that they can teach him themselves. The second, on the contrary, is overprotective. To such parents, scuba diving seems to be something extreme and dangerous, and they try to control all the actions of the instructor. Recently, my dad brought a 16-year-old teenager to the pool by the hand. This is also wrong - potential danger exists when crossing the street, and with the right approach, diving is no more dangerous than any other sport or outdoor activity.

There is no need to be afraid, but we must not forget about the specifics and serious differences in the learning process and the actual diving of children and adults. There are several reasons for this, firstly, the peculiarities of the physical training of children. The equipment is quite heavy, and the effects of high pressure under water differ for children and adults. Secondly, children do not always correctly perceive such concepts as safety precautions and responsibility. And finally, at school age it is much more difficult to understand the laws of physics and physiology on which this safety technique is based. At the same time, children, as a rule, master underwater much faster and easier than adults due to their curiosity, greater readiness to perceive everything new and a thirst for adventure.

In all diver training and certification systems (CMAS and PADI systems are the most common in Russia) there are special courses and programs for children. They differ in duration, minimum age of students, depth of immersion, but all are mainly based on game techniques with mandatory consideration of the individual abilities of each child. Here a lot depends on the instructor - not everyone is ready to work with children, since this is an additional responsibility, it is not enough to be a good diver, you also need to be a good teacher, be able to present the material correctly. In our school, for example, those instructors who work with children go through physics with them in visual and clear examples- and then in a regular school, in physics lessons, children show excellent results, even if previously they were “no good” in this subject.

Parents often ask the question at what age can children start diving. There are no uniform standards here, there are recommendations, and there is an objective assessment of the child’s capabilities that the instructor must give. In some cases, parents are advised to wait six months or a year and then come again. It can be quite traumatic for parents to hear that their child, “the very best,” is not yet ready for diving, although his peers are already engaged, but in the event of a risk or danger to health, the instructor must take a tough position.

The CMAS Confederation sets the lower age limit at 8-12 years old; starting from the age of 14, adolescents can receive certificates according to CMAS adult standards. The PADI Association sets the minimum age individually for each course of study. 10-year-old children are allowed to dive in shallow water areas and in pools to a depth of no more than 6 m, then gradually, accompanied by an instructor, they are trained for diving in open water up to 12 m. From the age of 10, a child can receive a PADI Junior Open Water certificate. And in all cases, children under 15 years of age should only dive with certified adult divers.

There are special programs for the youngest, starting from 5-6 years of age. In these cases, special equipment is used, which includes a life jacket, to which a regulator and an air cylinder are attached. Thus, the child floats on the surface of the water without raising his head, and from a very young age learns to use scuba gear. Instructors who conduct such courses undergo separate certification.

Starting from the age of 8, it is permissible to make short dives to a depth of no more than 2 m. I would like to once again warn parents against overestimating the capabilities of their child and, in particular, their own capabilities. It happens that inexperienced adult divers, exceeding safe depth limits, cannot cope with the difficulties that arise, and even more so cannot help a child nearby. For an adult alone, this is risky stupidity, but it is also his personal responsibility, and if there is a child nearby, it is already a crime.

In general, almost all problems at depth are related to safety violations. In our practice, there were no tragic cases, thank God. There were several cases where teenagers forgot to check their equipment in a timely manner, and the dive had to be aborted. But they are ridiculous, but not horror stories occur periodically. We warn you many times: do not put corals in your swimming trunks or wetsuit - they will drag you anyway. One boy accidentally threw a bunch of sunglasses for the whole group into the water - then they dived in and got them out. Several times children found underwater cameras and flashlights dropped by adult tourists at shallow depths...

My son is 4 years old, he already knows how to dive while holding his breath, my wife Irina and I (she is also a diving instructor) will teach him how to dive. But whether diving will become his profession - he will decide for himself when he grows up.

Scuba diving as an independent sport discipline has existed since the 1920s: it was then that masks and fins were invented, which allowed divers to dramatically increase their time under water. However, this type of swimming, unlike sports, has been common since ancient times. It is enough to remember those who dived for pearls. Back in the Middle Ages, scientists wondered how to prolong a person’s stay under water; the great Leonardo da Vinci left drawings of devices that could contribute to this.

Nowadays, scuba diving has many directions and branches: diving, freediving, aquathlon, underwater fishing and orienteering and others. All this is extremely interesting and tempting not only for adults, but also for children. Despite the fact that in Russia and, in particular, in our city there are not many clubs and sections in which classes in this discipline are held, their number is gradually increasing, and more and more children are learning the art of scuba diving.

Young swimmers provide an excellent service to their health by choosing this activity: their muscles and muscles develop, their posture and respiratory system are normalized. In addition, scuba diving develops courage, coordination, and opens up a new, little-known world that is interesting to anyone.

How to properly care for your wetsuit

Proper use and care of a wetsuit is the key to its long service life. After each immersion in salt water, the “second skin” must be washed, since its material is destroyed due to the salt crystals that form. But if the child is immersed in salt water every day, then desalination is not necessary: the main thing is that the suit does not have time to dry completely between dives. If it has been used in contaminated water, regardless of whether it is fresh or salty, then rinsing is mandatory. At the same time, during drying it should not be exposed to direct Sun rays. Also, the wetsuit is not friendly with heating devices. In addition, strong bends and the formation of permanent folds during storage and transportation are not allowed.

A few words about children's fins

Scuba diving requires the presence of appropriate equipment - in particular, this includes fins. To choose this equipment for a child, you need to remember that children's feet require soft products so that they are less tired. Fins must be made from environmentally friendly materials. As for the models, the same types are suitable for children as for adults. Note that if the product has an open heel, then such “fins” can “grow” along with the little swimmer’s foot.

Can children go diving? And, if possible, what benefit will these activities have for little man? We asked several questions to instructors who teach children diving, as well as to parents who “enrolled their children in training.” We hope that their answers will help you make a decision - when and with which instructor to start your child's diving courses.

Instructors answered the questions:
1) Do you think diving is necessary for children?
2) Why do you work with children?
3) What is the difference between adult diving and children's diving?

Vinogradov Alexey
1) Any contact with the sea makes children better, just like adults, so diving is very necessary and even useful. Children are especially good at accepting any new experience. But, unlike “adult” diving, diving should have a specific goal, since accompanying activities are important for children, and not just enjoying being under water and what they see there. Teamwork, dive planning, responsibility underwater and the knowledge that they can complete a task on their own - all this teaches children a lot that will be useful later in life.
2) I have been diving with children for many years, and I am good at connecting with young students. Teaching a child is more difficult task, compared to teaching an adult. For example, an adult can be taught in standard ways, but a child is more difficult: he or she exhibits individual characteristics more clearly than an adult, so every little student needs individual approach. My task is to find the right way to learn - and this is very interesting. Another feature of children's education is that children usually learn much faster than adults, but they also forget faster, so it is important to repeat the “covered material” more often.
When working with children, not only do I share my knowledge and experience with them, but I also get great feedback from them. If an instructor knows how to teach a child diving, and he does it well, it means he has reached a high professional level.
3) The main difference between diving for children and adults is that children may not be aware of the risks in diving. For them, the aquatic environment is more like a friend, and even if they are afraid of it, they still do not realize that they themselves are responsible for their life and health. And this is the main problem, because of which children cannot be trusted to do completely independent dives or participate in those dives that carry risks. Children's diving should be carried out in the safest and most controlled conditions possible, since the child cannot assess how safely he can dive. This awareness comes only with age and experience.
Children's diving is easier and more varied, but the attitude towards safety here should always be very conservative, unlike adult diving.

Safonov Mikhail
1) I believe that, like many other activities, diving is necessary and useful for children if they themselves want it, strive for it themselves, if they are willing to work hard and sacrifice something for it.
2) I dive not only with children, but also with adults. And I see a lot of differences and a lot of similarities. When you work with adults, you learn a lot that you can then use when working with children. And when you work with children, you learn things that you can then use when working with adults. Working with children is more interesting. In general, it’s nice to teach any person who is interested in this and who wants to do it, but he is eight years old and is a bubblemaker (Bubblemaker) or 65, and he is now taking his first step under water - for me, as an instructor, this is not important. And if a person is indifferent to this, goes diving just for company, or a child goes diving because his parents told him to, then the learning process becomes less rewarding. If you work with an interested child, then your own satisfaction from the work done and from the result is higher, because you understand that you are making a long-term investment in the next generation, which will continue to grow, mature and, probably, use the skills that they are now acquiring.
Another significant point is that diving is a socially developing activity. It develops personal skills and responsibility, the ability to interact with other people, work in a group, and the ability to sacrifice one’s own interests in order to achieve some deferred result for a group of people. When you work with children and see the process of their development, you feel the benefits of the classes - this is, of course, very pleasant.
3) The biggest difference between diving for children and adults is that an adult assesses his own needs and risks and makes his own decisions. Some with a greater level of understanding, some with a lesser level, but one way or another, they are aware of responsibility. But the child very often does not even think about it, and in many cases we are guided by the desire of the parents, sometimes by our own curiosity, which is not based on the feeling of danger that diving can carry. The child is not aware of the danger, and in this case cannot be responsible for himself. The level of internal responsibility when you work with a child is much higher than when you work with an adult.

Parents also answered the following questions:
1) Why did you decide to send your child to diving?
2) What positive aspects do you see in a child who has completed training?
3) What should a children's instructor be like?

Fadeeva Maria, Dani's mother
1) The child himself decided to take up diving. For his tenth birthday, he asked to give him a scuba gear. But then we thought that education was possible only from the age of 12, so we decided to wait with such a gift. But a year later Danya repeated his request, and then I started looking on the Internet where I could teach my child scuba diving. There I found the MSU pool, where the MSU Underwater Club (later grown into RuDIVE) provided training, and since I myself studied at MSU and therefore know this pool well, we settled on this option.
2) It was a little scary to send a child to study alone, so we bought a package of courses for Dana and dad, and they went to study together. My husband also dreamed of going scuba diving since childhood, but previously this dream was difficult to realize. Now my husband and son are very happy. My son loves to swim and he is happy that every week he goes to the pool at the children's club. We often go on vacation at sea, and now my men have the opportunity to dive together. We recently went to Malta, where they received new certificates, which we are very happy about and do not intend to stop there!
3) You can be professional teacher, an instructor, but does not know how to communicate with children. Therefore, first of all, a good children's instructor must love and understand children. I believe that here, at the MSU Underwater Club, we have it. I really like the attitude towards children and the atmosphere. Danya intuitively reaches out to positive people, and practices at the club with great pleasure. In 2011, we sent him on a diving trip alone for the first time, and his son was delighted with his vacation. Now he is going to a children's camp on the White Sea in winter. We have only positive emotions from diving and I hope this will continue.

Sergei and Maria Zelenov, Polina's parents
1) Polina dived into the pool for the first time at the Golden Dolphin festival and liked it. The next day we arrived at the festival again, she dived there for the second time and realized that diving is now her favorite activity.
2) After training and taking her first steps in the world of diving, Polina wanted to go on more diving trips and take new courses. She has learned to solve problems well and independently calculates surface intervals and nitrogen groups. I (Sergey) don’t understand anything about this, to be honest :) And now I myself want to catch up with my daughter and also start diving. All that's left to do is persuade your wife.
3) The children's instructor should be friendly, the life of the party - like, for example, Irina Kvasova!

Minyaev Ilya Evgenievich, Ivan’s dad
1) I sent my son to learn diving so that it wouldn’t be boring to dive alone on trips. And most importantly, to spend more time with your child.
2) I see the positive aspects of scuba diving. First of all, diving adds responsibility and self-confidence to the child. And one more important point: the child develops a feeling of satisfaction from the fact that he can already achieve something himself.
3) A children's instructor should not be afraid of children, he loves and understands them. It is not so important for him to be a professional underwater swimmer, but rather to be a teacher, a psychologist who can understand why a child is worried, why something is not working out for him, and help him overcome natural fears and anxiety.

Smyslova Elena, Katya's mother
1) It was my husband’s childhood dream to go diving. When he found a club that taught children, he immediately decided to send his child there. Katya really enjoyed it and tries not to miss a single lesson.
2) Over the past year that my daughter was diving, she never got sick. I can’t link this unequivocally with scuba diving, but it seems to me that it had a very strong impact on improving my health. The second point is that cognitive interest develops. Children learn a lot of new things, such as underwater navigation and the basic laws of physics. Katya is not yet familiar with physics, and it’s great that she gains basic knowledge on this subject through diving classes. And, most importantly, she communicates with very nice people!
3) Firstly, the children's instructor must take diving safety very seriously, and secondly, he must be charismatic so that the child enjoys communicating with him.

Milekhina Anastasia, Oleg's mother
1) This is an old story, and it began with me thinking about how to teach a child to swim correctly. I found a professional instructor who, working with Oleg, taught him all the skills, and my son was able to feel confident and comfortable in the water. Oleg likes the aquatic environment, so I realized that I wanted my child to not only swim well, but also learn to dive. Oleg himself, guided by his own criteria and ideas about how to properly learn scuba diving, found a diving club on the Internet. That’s how we ended up in RuDIVE, where Oleg liked it, and where we continue to practice to this day.
2) The most important thing is that the child likes diving, he has an interest. Second, when a person dives under water, he must be collected, organized, and serious. Diving develops these qualities, which in the case of Oleg, this is especially important. And diving also develops a child’s interest in biology, geography, zoology, algology and other sciences related to the sea.
3) The children's instructor must be professional, reliable and calm. So that when communicating with a parent, he can accurately explain what the child can do and what doesn’t, and form the correct idea of diving. I know adults who, somewhere, once tried to dive in the wrong places, got a negative experience for the rest of their lives and now dissuade everyone around them from this activity. Many friends ask me: am I afraid to send my child to learn diving? Communicating with an instructor who knows how to connect with children and has feedback from the children’s parents, I gained a sense of confidence in my son and I making the right choice.

Gorelov Kirill, Ilya's dad
1) I dive myself, and one day a child asked to dive with me. He liked it, so we signed up for courses and completed Bubblemaker, then Junior OWD. Having gained experience, Ilya wanted to take part in children's trips to the sea. It was Ilya’s decision to go diving, and I did not influence him in any way, but I helped make his dream come true.
2) When diving, a child becomes more disciplined, learns to think about his actions first, and tries to help others.
3) A children's instructor must be able to work with children, know how to interest them and help them get out of difficult situations.

What the children say:

Oleg Drobot
Diving opens up a lot of possibilities, for example, you can explore the ocean - it's very interesting. Diving is both calming and allows you to feel a lot of emotions. I recently read an article that says that scientists have invented a way to breathe underwater without scuba gear. I would like to try!

Introducing RuDIVE instructors who conduct children's classes:

Katerina Kusacheva
Leading instructor of junior courses and children's club RuDIVE since 2015. PADI instructor, EFR instructor (first aid courses), educational psychologist (developmental psychology). She has been working with children since 2010, including teaching children diving in children’s and student camps on the Black Sea. He easily gets along with children and loves to invent and carry out diving activities. Active, cheerful, purposeful, responsible, knows how to captivate and interest a child.

Irina Kvasova
Head teacher-administrator of RuDIVE, instructor of junior courses, EFR instructor, educational psychologist (direction psychological counseling and psychotherapy). Before becoming a diving instructor, she worked as an educational psychologist in schools, children's camps, and rehabilitation centers. She has been teaching children diving since 2002, and is a tour leader of family and children's diving tours.

Alexey Vinogradov
A PADI instructor since 2003, he is an educational psychologist and has taught diving to several hundred children. He considers it important that the student is safe and comfortable underwater, that the person does not destroy the underwater beauty, that he is attentive to his partners, that he learns new things and enjoys the wonderful scuba diving.

Alexey Pobozhakov
Instructor of RuDIVE junior courses, EFR instructor, educational psychologist (special psychology), psychodrama therapist. After studying at the university, he worked as a family psychologist in educational institutions Moscow. Since 2000, he has taught children diving, mountaineering, and sailing tourism in children's camps. At RuDIVE, she teaches diving to adults and children, a tour leader for family and other diving trips, and the head of the summer children's educational ethnic program "Indians of the White Sea" and a career guidance program for teenagers.

Sergey Burykin
Graduate of the Russian State University of Physical Culture and Technology, specializing in "Underwater sports and diving." Completed teaching practice teaching sports swimming to children on the Black Sea. In 2008, he went to the White Sea and spent several years under the ice, accompanying adult subglaciers on their adventures. In 2011, he became a PADI instructor, returned to Moscow and now teaches diving to adults and children in the pool, on Spas-Kamenka and on diving tours.

Children's programs at Crocus City Oceanarium

You can now immerse yourself in the world of the Indian Ocean or the Red Sea in Moscow, on the Moscow Ring Road. The RuDIVE group of companies invites your children to educational underwater excursions. If your child has not yet taken a diving course, then under the careful guidance of an experienced children's instructor he will make his first, very interesting and beautiful dive. He will look at sea animals, bright coral fish, and you, standing on the other side of the aquarium, will be able to see your child’s first steps in the underwater world.

If your child is already a certified diver, then together with a diving instructor he will swim underwater and, if desired, will be able to take a special neutral buoyancy course or become a participant in the global AWARE project. Before the start of the underwater excursion, the children are told who they will meet during the dive, what the characteristics of these animals and fish are, etc. The dive itself will also be very exciting and informative. After the dives, you and your children (both those who dived and those who did not dive) will be able to continue the excursions and visit the land part of the Oceanarium’s exhibition.

Holidays on the Red Sea

The RuDIVE group of companies invites you to Jordan and Egypt! We organize family trips, in which certified young divers, their parents, as well as children who have not yet scuba dived, but love the sea and are interested in its inhabitants, take part. Our programs are planned mainly during school holidays, so children do not need to miss classes to have a good rest, sunbathe and dive. By participating in our trips, children and adults will get acquainted with the fish and animals of the tropical seas and the Indian Ocean and learn a lot of interesting things about their lives. If a child taking part in the program is a diver, he will dive with experienced RuDIVE children's instructors. If he has not yet completed children's diving courses, he will also study the life of reef inhabitants from the surface, swimming with a snorkel and mask, accompanied by experienced guides.

Diving daily in the Red Sea - in Egypt or Jordan, you will see an amazing alluring and colorful underwater world. Who lives in its blue-blue waters? What are the names and how do these colorful corals, mollusks, invertebrates and fish grow? Where is their home and who are their friends? If you and your child are interested in learning the world, then we are waiting for you in our programs!During the day between dives and in the evenings, after going ashore, program participants, through various games and activities, learn to communicate, learn about the world and their role in society, make friends with peers and help each other. Typically, children's and family programs are designed for a week, and children will spend this time usefully, improve their health, gain new experiences and a charge of positive emotions, and find like-minded people and friends. The guys will get acquainted with a rich animal and flora, and at the same time they will understand how fragile and vulnerable he is and needs to be treated with care. Those who have not yet received their first certificate will be able to complete the Junior OWD course by completing an open water trip. Certified divers can improve their level through the Junior Advanced OWD course and PADI children's special courses.

Philippine vacation: the very air of Puerto Galera is full of secrets!

On the Philippine island of Mindoro, where RuDIVE organizes children's adventure diving tours,there is a small cozy one family hotel, located right on the ocean. The hotel offers comfortable living conditions,tasty and varied food, including fresh fruits, meat and poultry,snow-white sandy clean beach, tropical palm trees, and near the shore there is a lively bright house reef.

The most interesting underwater world

In Mindoro you can meet 580 out of 793 existing species corals, twelve thousand species of mollusks and 1200 species of corals fish That's twice as much as Australia's Great Barrier Reef! Turtles, octopuses, giant tridacnas, sunken ships, brightly colored fish and other marine life await us.

Maldives Vacation: Educational and Adventure Game

During our educational journey into the heart of the Indian Ocean, the children will consciously and safely become familiar with the water element, learn new skills, and broaden their horizons. Every day and every hour will be filled with activities, active activities, discoveries will be made - we never get bored!

Our diving safari is amazing world, in which young divers communicate and interact a lot with each other, play team, active, intellectual games, learn to interact with nature and appreciate its beauty. The children will have a whole week of intense relaxation at fresh air, in the company of peers. Such a trip will remain in the memory for a long time!

Knowing the ocean, knowing yourself

During the safari, children and teenagers, based on their own observations, get to know the ocean, nature, the world, and learn new things.

Take a break from the Internet!

Our guys spend their time in the ocean so intensely and interestingly that there is simply no time left for a tablet! But what awaits them is " computer game in reality" with advancement through levels, gaining points and obtaining artifacts.

Program for children and teenagers

You can entrust your children to our children's instructor for the entire day on the diving safari.

During the trip, children can take part in the following diving programs:

(from 8 years old);
(from 10 years old);
(from 12 years old).

in the water: swimming, snorkeling, diving, kayaking:
on land: lectures on marine biology, knot tying, active team games(frisbee, ball), educational Board games(“Evolution”, “Jangle Speed”, “Mafia” and others).

Comfortable living conditions (5* cabin)
Our Maldivian yacht is designed for travel participants who have never lived on the water, so we took care of the coziness and comfort of our divers. The ship provides safe, comfortable and convenient accommodation in double cabins with all amenities. Meals on the yacht are four times a day, tasty and varied: even the pickiest child will find something tasty dish. The menu includes seafood dishes and there is always fresh fruit.

Parents, grown children and other adults on our trips they will also be able to have a good rest and, if desired, take PADI diving courses: AOWD, part of the OWD open water course, the most interesting PADI Specialty Courses.
Family diving trips strengthen your family because you, parents and children, have one common interest - diving! By diving together, you gain the opportunity to discuss what you see on an equal basis, share your impressions with each other; your children can help you prepare for the dive, identify fish and corals, and much more.

Our instructors have raised more than one generation of scuba divers and therefore feel confident in the field of upbringing and education of the younger generation. Together with us, each child gets the opportunity to open up from a new side for themselves and those around them.
Learn, dive, develop! And we will help you with this!

Children's programs on the White Sea

Children's camp "Arctic Circle" conducts programs during the winter, spring, summer and autumn school holidays. The White Sea children's camp is part of the Polar Circle tourist center, located on the shores of the White Sea. The tourist center includes a hotel, a dive center, a dolphinarium, an excursion center and a spa center. The Polar Circle tourist center has existed since 2003. Children's programs have been running since 2005. The duration of programs (shifts) varies from 6 to 14 days. The programs differ significantly from each other. About half of the children come to us with their parents, who use all the capabilities of the tourist center. If your child is attracted to adventure, exploration and the world of northern nature, then feel free to take part in the program. If this is what you like, come along.

In our programs, through activities and games, children learn to communicate, explore the world, make friends and help each other. You and your children will meet the nature of the Russian North. This amazing and beautiful region has long attracted travelers and researchers. Rocky shores, water surface and uninhabited islands still hold many mysteries. During any of our programs, the guys will try to uncover some of the secrets of the White Sea, get acquainted with local history, go on excursions, participate in sports activities and just play. Depending on the age and interests of the child, he can participate in biological, theatrical, sailing, linguistic, photo-video, career guidance and hiking programs. We want your children to feel like real explorers, travelers and sailors, learn more about the world around them and learn to appreciate it.

Biological programs in the Moscow region

The Spas-Kamenka diving center is open for cooperation with all clubs and instructors; we are ready to provide everything necessary for comfortable diving courses in the Moscow region. In addition, all certified divers can also come here to dive. IN summer season on weekends at Spas-Kamenka you can take open water diving courses for children and adults.

PADI Bubblemaker (for children from 8 to 10 years old)
created specifically for children who are already eight years old but have not yet turned ten. In the pool, under the guidance of a qualified PADI instructor, they take their first steps in diving and learn to breathe underwater. By giving the course the name Bubblemaker (derived from English words“bubble” - bubble and “maker” - creator), the PADI association accurately noticed the interest of children in the game of bubbles in the silver shimmer of water. It all starts with observing this interesting phenomenon. This helps children adapt to their new environment. Then there will be the first attempt to put on equipment, the first breath underwater and swimming at a depth of up to two meters. While the child is more interested in the process itself, parents are primarily concerned about safety. The PADI Association fully supports them in this. The rule that applies to all PADI programs also applies to the Bubblemaker course: only after mastering all the prescribed skills can you receive a certificate of completion of the course.
Now, after completing the Bubblemaker course, a child can receive, in addition to a diploma, a plastic certificate card. The child enters all information about the dives into a special children's journal PADI Bubblemaker, independently recording his impressions there and solving puzzles on underwater topics.

PADI Discover Snorkeling course (for children from 8 years old)
With the Discover Snorkeling program, your child will be able to look into the underwater world and get the most out of swimming. He gets acquainted with equipment designed for surface swimming and diving (mask, snorkel, fins, scuba gear). During classes, built in a playful developmental form, the child trains breathing and learns to breathe correctly, studies different styles swimming. Training takes place individually with an experienced instructor, at any time convenient for the child and you.

FREEDIVING FOR CHILDREN
Elementary Junior Freediving and Skin Diver (for children from 10 years old)
The program is intended for children from 10 years old. It includes eight pool workouts and five theoretical lessons. By choosing this course, children will learn:

handle freediving equipment correctly;
correctly prepare for a breath-hold dive;
Dive while holding your breath.

Topics of theoretical training:

the history of the development of freediving and the prerequisites for a person’s ability to dive while holding their breath;
basic physics of breath-hold diving;
physiology of breath-hold diving;
organization and safety during breath-hold diving;
freediving equipment;
undersea world.

At the end of the training, the guys receive a PADI Skin Diver certificate.

Junior Open Water Diver (for children from 10 to 15 years old)
Everything here is like for adults: a textbook, an educational film, tests and even exams. And even though sometimes the child will devote more time to the colorful illustrations of the textbook, the instructor will not let him miss important information and will clearly explain the theory in a language understandable to the child. In the pool, children learn to perform the same tasks as adult divers. The course lasts six lessons, after which the underwater adventures of the young diver do not end. They are waiting for him, which will give him a lot of new impressions. All achievements of the now young diver will be marked with a PADI Junior Open Water Diver card, which will give him the right to dive in open water accompanied by an adult. In anticipation of a trip to the sea and just to keep yourself in good shape and communicate with the same young divers, RuDIVE has. Every Sunday, certified kids who have just received a Refferal Card meet in the pool with the kids' club instructors and have fun.

Junior Advanced Open Water Diver (for children from 12 to 15 years old)
is a set of courses that promotes the development of interest in diving and allows you to gain diving experience and acquire even more new knowledge. The course allows the child to choose his own training program and explore a number of underwater specializations that will expand his knowledge of the underwater world and his capabilities in it. Each dive can be counted as the first dive in the corresponding underwater specialization. PADI is committed to your child's safety, so all dives are only permitted when accompanied by a certified adult diver. The course includes five thematic open water dives: of which a deep dive (up to 21 m) is required, underwater navigation and three dives from PADI specializations of the child's choice.
To enroll in the Junior Advanced Open Water Diver course, a child must be PADI Junior Open Water Diver certified.

Junior Rescue Diver (for children from 12 to 15 years old)
- This is the diver's first step from diving for pleasure to professional diving. A Rescue Diver must be able to monitor not only his own safety, but also the safety of other participants in the dive. Course training prepares divers to alert possible problems, and, if necessary, to manage the emergency situation by all accessible ways. This course will give your child self-confidence, the ability to anticipate and prevent problems, and will expand knowledge of rescue and first aid skills and emergency management. The course includes five open water sessions and must only be dived with a certified adult diver.
To enroll in the PADI Junior Rescue Diver course, a diver must be PADI Junior Advanced Open Water Diver certified.

Below are lists of specializations that a child can receive upon reaching a certain age and diving proficiency. Links are provided to descriptions of adult courses. The only difference between children's courses and adults is that a game form of education is used; the instructor communicates with the student in a language accessible to the latter. The information in each course is given in full. The more specializations a child goes through, the more confident he will feel during diving, the better all his skills will be developed, the more interesting the underwater world will be for him.

Special courses for young divers from 10 years old

(Equipment specialist) is designed to familiarize divers with new types of equipment, the rules of its use, maintenance and simple repairs.

primary tasks of children's club activities

Each club session is dedicated to a specific underwater topic. Depending on it, children may receive different interesting tasks. By completing them, the child will gain new experience that will be useful to him during sea diving even when he grows up from a junior and becomes an experienced diver. Examples of tasks:

searching and lifting objects;
work with a buoy;
work on neutral buoyancy;
knitting knots;
self-rescue and rescuing skills for another diver;
simulated cave diving and much more.

Diving for children. Children's diving. Information for parents:

Teaching children to scuba dive is somewhat different from teaching an adult. The instructor's task is to explain rather complex things to the child in simple and accessible language. Oddly enough, children master the theoretical part of learning faster than adults. This happens because a child’s brain is tuned to learn new material better than an adult’s. The child goes to school, and every day he discovers things that are fantastic in scale. For example, yesterday he learned what the world ocean is, what Archimedes' law is, and what a person is in general. The only difference between the process of learning to dive and learning mathematics or physics at school is that the instructor includes in this process elements of play and relative freedom of the child (up to certain limits, of course). The child should have the feeling that, despite all the seriousness of the material being studied, this is, after all, a vacation. However, during the learning process, the instructor will set the child up for a serious approach to this activity. The practical part of the training in water will be carried out accompanied and under the mandatory supervision of an instructor. The child will be taught to scuba dive, but in the future an adult will have to organize, plan and supervise these dives. No matter how responsible and careful a young scuba diver is, the child still has a limited measure of responsibility for his actions, and therefore all responsibility for the dive falls on the adults accompanying him. The best option would be if these dives are always conducted by certified instructors. In the future, when the young diver will grow up, he will be able to take an additional course and become an independent scuba diver.

Peculiarities of psychology and physiology of children impose certain restrictions on their ability to engage in diving:

In most cases, children freeze quickly, even in warm water. And they don’t like to admit it. It is more difficult for children to move around in a thick neoprene suit and heavy fins. Features of the development of the cardiopulmonary system lead to problems during prolonged exercise. Children may be prone to overestimating their strengths or underestimating danger. Children may not fully understand basic underwater safety. Children are more susceptible to group pressure, especially from parents. Children may strive to complete a task “at any cost” without considering the consequences

Bubblemaker course

Bubblemaker up to 2 meters - one dive, created specifically for children, boys and girls from 8 to 10 years old. There are no requirements or restrictions. In shallow water, under the guidance of a qualified instructor and in special children's equipment, they take their first steps in diving and learn to breathe underwater. The depth, as a rule, does not exceed 1-2 meters, the dive time is 20 - 30 minutes, this is usually either Kata pool, Ao Sane (, photo gallery) on our house reef . The dive center is located right on the beach. You need to walk 30 meters to the water on our home reef . After completing the dive, a beautiful diploma is issued.
Discover Scuba Diver - test dive

Discover Scuba Diver diving for children from 10 full years- test dive up to 12 meters. In just 1 day, your child will become a real diver and receive his first congratulatory certificate! During the dive, he will learn to independently prepare and use equipment. Master basic scuba diving skills. After a trial dive, the child will be able to continue learning and, if desired, improve his qualifications to the level Junior Open Water Diver PADI or Junior Diver NDL. This requires another 2 days. The first two dives take place in Kata pool, or the dive takes place from the beach Ao Sane (,photo gallery) on our house reef . Racha Yai () - on diving sites
- Junior Open Water Diver Course
  
  Junior Open Water Diver PADI or Junior Diver NDL up to 12 meters, diving for children from 10 years of age. Your child will learn how to dive correctly and safely. He will be able to work in a team, both in the classroom and underwater, learn what it means to be a partner, learn first aid techniques, and master all the skills of the Open Water Diver course. Our dive center has special small scuba tanks for our most important divers. Our instructors have extensive experience in teaching children. In general, everything is the same as with adults, and even better! After successfully passing the open water exam, your child will receive a certificate - Junior Open Water Diver or Junior Diver NDL, which gives the right to dive in open water, accompanied by adults, to a depth of 12 meters. And most importantly, your child will learn to evaluate his strengths and cope with problems on his own. That is, he will take an important step in life. The first two dives take place at The first two dives take place at Kata pool, or the dive takes place from the beach Ao Sane Ao Sane (, photo gallery) on our house reef . The dive center is located right on the beach. You need to walk 30 meters to the water. The beach has a cafe, shower, toilet, and sunshades. Then on the second day the dives take place from a ship on the island of the island Racha Yai () - on diving sites Bungalow Bay, Bay 1 or Siam Bay
- Junior Advanced Open Water Diver Course
  
  Junior Advanced Open Water Diver or Junior Universal Diver NDL up to 21 meters, diving for children from 12 years of age. If your child is already a certified diver, loves to dive and does not want to stop there - special program for children, PADI Junior Advanced Open Water Diver will open new horizons for him. Over the course of two days, he will complete five exciting adventure dives, where he will learn to navigate well using a compass, dive to a depth of 21 meters, learn a lot of interesting things about underwater inhabitants, and receive a certificate as an experienced young diver. The first two dives take place on the island of Racha Yai , or from shore on our house reef. The first two dives take place from the beach Ao Sane (, photo gallery) on our house reef . The dive center is located right on the beach. You need to walk 30 meters to the water. The beach has a cafe, shower, toilet, and sunshades. Either from the island Racha Yai () - on diving sites Bungalow Bay, Bay 1 or Siam Bay, then on the second day the dives take place from a ship on the island of Racha Noi or Phi Phi
  - Junior Rescue Diver Course
    
    Junior Rescue Diver PADI or Junior Rescue Diver NDL- diving for children over 12 years of age. One of the most interesting courses. Your child will learn to anticipate and prevent most unusual situations that arise in diving, and will also master the skills of rescuing divers on the surface and underwater.
    
    The course program includes the following sections: Rescue and stress in divers. Prevention and relief of stress. Providing first aid when diving. Actions in extreme situations. Providing assistance in water and on land. Panicking diver. Action plan in case of loss of a diver. Raising an unconscious diver to the surface. Artificial respiration on the surface of the water. Medical assistance in cases of pressure-related accidents. Diving accident scenarios. The course takes 4-5 days. As part of the course, we try to cover all aspects of rescue at sea.

Diving attracts not only adults, but also children. Of course, this requires special children's equipment. A special small-sized scuba gear is produced for children. “Cylinder block” “MICRO” was developed jointly by specialists from Techno Tor and PRO DIVING CLUB by order of the technical committee of the Confederation of Underwater Activities of Russia.

The microblock is designed for storing the breathing mixture and providing it for short-term work in polluted air, for scuba diving, as an alternative, for short-term search operations at a depth of no more than five meters and teaching scuba diving to children from 8 to 12 years old at a depth of no more than 5 meters .

The block consists of 2 steel cylinders with a volume of 1.3-2 liters, attached to an aluminum back, characterized by a working pressure of 200 kg/cm 2 and a test hydraulic pressure of 300 kg/cm 2, a temperature range of -50ºС +60ºС and a breathing time of 15-20 minutes for adults, 35-40 minutes for children (at operating pressure and at a depth of 5 meters).

The cylinders are manufactured in accordance with GOST 949-73, connected to each other using high pressure tubes with one valve into a single air circuit. The cylinders are placed on a rigid back with the neck up or down (secured using a tie clamp). For attachment to the body, there is a neoprene backing (5 mm), two adjustable swivel shoulder straps with one-piece plastic buckles, a detachable adjustable waist belt and an adjustable shoulder strap with a connector for connecting to the waist belt.

The neck has a conical thread, with a regulator, to work as a breathing apparatus, the block is connected using a DIN connection. There is no device for monitoring the flow of the air mixture in the balloon unit; monitoring is carried out visually, using the remote pressure gauge of the regulator (its hose passes under the left shoulder strap). There is a handle between the cylinders for carrying the unit and securing children under water.