As the summer vacation season approaches, you may consider taking the entire family on a diving holiday. Even if you have young divers or non-divers in your family, it is practical to have an enjoyable family holiday involving some diving activities. It requires a little more planning and awareness of a few pointers when planning your diving activities.
Planning a diving vacation with kids takes time, money, and work, particularly if you want to bring your children along. It might be tough to consider a child’s demands when planning a trip, but a family diving holiday can provide you with some beautiful bonding opportunities and allow you to expose your loved ones to your interest. So here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re planning a diving holiday with your children.
It’s important to be flexible when organizing a family diving holiday to cater to various energy levels. After a few days or simply a few dives, scuba diving may lose its charm for your children. So give your schedule some diversity.
1. Consider your Options
You will be looking for a resort with diving options on the premises. This cuts down the cost of hiring an external operator and limits transportation. It is crucial to consider the small resorts because, on most occasions, all employees, including the diver operator, will have a personal connection with the clients.
You will need that personal and non-commercial relationship, especially when your child is involved. With smaller local resorts, you will deal with the owner directly, and you will have the advantage of requesting maps of the resort and choosing the best room for your accommodation.
2. Contact the Dive Operation Prior to Booking
It’s crucial to inform the resort that you’ll be taking along young divers and their ages. The diving crew will be grateful for the heads up. Different depth limitations apply to divers aged 10 to 15, and not every dive location is suitable for children. Confirm that the diving store carries smaller-sized wetsuits, BCDs, and other equipment. Verify if the organization provides guided dives and the appropriate dive master-to-guest ratio.
3. Choose a Family-Oriented Resort
A family-oriented resort is familiar with family logistics, such as collecting the kids early and getting them to complete their daily routines first, so parents can get their diving gear prepared without worrying about the kids. While lunch is being made, the kids and parents are having a good time. Sunblock, refreshments, restroom breaks, and wardrobe changes are organized, and special requirements are met.
4. Consider Your Children’s Idea of Fun
It is crucial to indicate that children and adults had distinct perspectives on trips. When kids think of vacations, they think of TV commercials with everyone smiling and having a good time, airline journeys, hotel stays, no restrictions, sleeping late, going to bed late, room service, and so on. They are unlikely to have realistic expectations about how fatigued or hurried they will be on their vacation.