Did you know that children as young as age 10 can complete Junior PADI open-water scuba diving certifications that allows them to dive as low as 40 feet with a parent or dive professional?  At age 12, children may go to a depth of 60 feet and children as young as eight can learn dive skills in a pool through the PADI Seal Team program.  Finding the right PADI course and child-friendly teacher are important as is finding child-friendly dive sites and an experienced and PADI-certified guide or dive shop.  Using a private guide is best with younger children. Check out http://www.padi.com/scuba/padi-courses/diver-level-courses/kids-courses/ for more details.