Hi.I have been through 1 scuba diving lesson with my homeschool group, and I fell in love with scuba diving.My dad promised me that him and me would get certified sometime next year.I don't know if he will keep his promise, but if I get some information he might.I live in Ashland (near Talladega racetrack) Alabama, and I was hoping you could tell me where is the nearest place I could go and get lessons and certification? I am 12 years old, and i'm pretty sure you can get certified at any age, right? Anyway, how much would lessons and certification cost?I would appreciate it if you would help me get started. Thanks,Joshua

You can get certified at age 12 but you need to make sure you are a good swimmer and are comfortable in the water.
Costs on lessons vary from shop to shop. They usually run from $200-$300. Most of the time boat trips and rentals are extra. You will want to get quotes from dive shops in your area.
Check your local yellow pages or you can go to Naui.org or Padi.com to find a dive shop near you.

Have fun!

Kids can now get certified at the age of 8. But only in the pool until age 12, then the regular restrictions take over. Both SSI and PADI have a program for youger kids. The Scuba rangers is SSI and the Seal team is PADI. If you do some research about them both on the net you will find that Scuba Rangers is a better program, so if you can find a place where you live and join in. They have levels of certification and everything. It is also a great club to get all your friends to join. Good luck and have fun diving.

Joshua,
I have a son, Jordan, 11 years old, that was certified at age 10. He carries a Jr. Open Water Certification (PADI), and has taken to the sport of SCUBA like a fish to water.

Like Rebecca said, you must be entirely sure that you are at ease in the water. Jordan's instructor asked for a meeting with him before he would agree to enroll him in the certification course, mainly the instructor wanted to evaluate my son, to get a feel for his maturity level.

Best wishes to both you and your father on getting certified, I know that I have a great time diving with my son whether it's a short trip to one of the local lakes, or like our most recent trip to Nassau and Freeport, in the Bahamas.

Oh, there is one more thing to remember, you are going to have to read a pretty healthy amount of material while studying for your certification, but the rewards are well worth it.

Good Luck,