10 resons for I was following diving

By completing a PADI Open Water Diver certification, or reaching the aspirational status of PADI Professional, they’ll enrich their life before, during and after their gap year experience.

Here are 10 reasons why every gap year student should get excited about scuba diving:

1. Discover the Underwater World

Learning to scuba dive opens the door to a new world on every continent. Wherever there’s water, there’s the opportunity to discover what lies below its surface, whether that’s breath-taking coral reefs, marine life encounters or gaining a unique view of history through ancient shipwrecks.

2 . Travel, Culture and Experiences

Scuba diving is the ideal complement to other gap year agendas; as young explorers travel from coast to coast in search of different diving experiences, they’ll also be able to embrace the mix of cultures, sights and land-based adventures that each destination has to offer.

3. Scuba is for Life, Not Just for a Gap Year

Whether your teen becomes a recreational or a professional diver with PADI, they will keep that certification for the rest of their life. After finishing their scuba training and gap year experience, they can continue diving with friends, family and diving clubs, both at home and on future holidays or study trips.

4. New Friends and the Buddy System

An important element of PADI training is the concept of a ‘dive buddy’ – someone you dive with to enhance safety and shared experiences. By diving with a wide range of buddies, your teen will have opportunities to make lifelong friends as well as learning the importance of trust and teamwork.

5. Money, Money, Money

Many gap year students choose to work whilst travelling; not only to help cover living costs, but to immerse themselves into the ‘way of life’ of each destination. By training as a PADI Divemaster or above, they’ll have the chance to earn money doing something they love.

6. A Wealth of Knowledge

By completing a PADI certification, gap year students will enrich their knowledge through scuba diving theory. They’ll gain insights into physics and biology, and understand how their equipment works. They’ll even learn about different kinds of fish, corals and the environment. By applying their skill in maths, science and engineering, they’ll be more receptive to learning new skills in the future.

7. Skills for Studying

One concern often shared by parents is that following a gap year, students will struggle with the further education academic routine. By learning to scuba dive (and especially by teaching others to dive as a PADI Professional), they’ll stay focused and keep their study skills fresh through independent and classroom study, exams, practical demonstrations and even presentations.

8. Skills for Jobs

As a diver, your teenager will be more confident, conscientious and adaptable. PADI Divemasters and Instructors are excellent problem-solvers and leaders, having mentored and connected with people from all walks of life. These highly transferable skills will undoubtedly boost their future employability.

9. Skills for Life

Scuba diving skills won’t just improve study and work life, they also have a positive impact on personal character. Your teen will learn when to be brave and challenge themselves and when to relax and ‘go with the flow’. They’ll be able to communicate and work with others more effectively, as well as being better at prioritisation and decision-making. They’ll even learn practical skills, like rescue techniques, navigation and knot tying.

10.  Protecting the Ocean

As gap year students transform from land-lubbers to scuba divers, they become ambassadors for the underwater world, acquiring a greater awareness on the issues affecting our ocean. They’ll be able to make a difference to the future of our planet, whether that’s working on research projects (like coral surveys or fish tagging), or collecting and reporting on marine debris.