Family of four divers

[Ohana]

While it's not warm water ocean diving, Lake Phoenix is good for gaining more experience. It would be good for the kids as there are a lot of sunken artifacts in shallow water (basketball hoops with a bowling ball for dunking, carousel horses, a school bus among many other things).

My fiance and I use it when we haven't been in the water in a while and are preparing for a dive trip. Below 25 feet can get pretty cold, but above that it's usually pretty warm during the summer.

That's where our youngest is getting certified. He is there today with his SCUBA camp and the rest of us will join him tomorrow while he finishes up his certification Looking forward to it!

 

[RyanT]

It's important to dive on a regular basis as the skills are perishable. I'm going to second the suggestion of Lake Phoenix. There is lots to see at around 25' and at that depth, the water is quite warm in the summertime. It's one of the nicer quarries I've been in and you can do it without breaking the bank. North Carolina (Morehead City and Wilmington) has some amazing diving and would be fairly close to you. The shallowest dives you'll find there, however are in the 60-70' range, so your kids aren't ready for that yet, but something to keep in mind as you progress.

 

[KathyV]

This is a long shot because I imagine that your sons will just be back to school soon, but the Clearly Cayman resorts are currently offering a "Kids Stay and Dive Free" promotion through September 30, see the link below. Their Cobalt Coast resort on Grand Cayman has some good all-inclusive pricing - and the costs include lodgings, meals, transfers, diving, taxes and hotel service charges. And there is unlimited shore diving available on the house reef at no additional charge.

The only extras are dive op tips and nitrox (and alcoholic beverages for the adults) and perhaps for a "special dive" like Stingray City that your boys would love. You should be able to get good airfares from the East Coast. Cayman Airways is having a big sale right now but you would have to book by August 11 and connect through Miami - so that might not work as well as a direct flight on another airline.

But perhaps you could manage a 5 night trip around Labor Day? The Cobalt Coast resort is "off the beaten path" and you would have to spend most of the time on campus - because once you rent a car and start enjoying some of the restaurants and attractions of Grand Cayman then the expense really starts to increase. Just an idea!

Kids Dive & Stay For Free

 

[scubadada]

At least initially, we need to stick to warmer climates. Boys just got certified -- I've wanted a family of divers since long before kids arrived. I want to keep them interested and enthusiastic, so I want them REALLY comfortable in cozy waters for at least the first couple of dives as a family. Yes, I am expecting the Epcot Dive experience to be very very very restrictive (that's Disney's style imo)... but it's SOMETHING until next summer rolls around and we can take them to Maui or some fun place like that

I did Epcot once when I had a meeting in Orlando. I believe admission includes access to Epcot. The backstage tour of the aquarium is quite interesting. The dive is OK, for me, the best part was playing with the kids watching from the outside. The water was 76 degrees, dive time 40 minutes. All equipment is theirs other than your mask (to avoid contamination). Personally, I would not go to Orlando to do this dive, if already in Orlando, a fun add on.

There is some good diving in Maui, and the other Hawaiian islands. Quite a lot to do other than diving also. The water is not as warm as many believe, generally in the mid to high 70s. I find a 5mm wetsuit needed to stay warm for longer, multiple dives.

 

[scubadada]

This is a long shot because I imagine that your sons will just be back to school soon, but the Clearly Cayman resorts are currently offering a "Kids Stay and Dive Free" promotion through September 30, see the link below. Their Cobalt Coast resort on Grand Cayman has some good all-inclusive pricing - and the costs include lodgings, meals, transfers, diving, taxes and hotel service charges. And there is unlimited shore diving available on the house reef at no additional charge.

The only extras are dive op tips and nitrox (and alcoholic beverages for the adults) and perhaps for a "special dive" like Stingray City that your boys would love. You should be able to get good airfares from the East Coast. Cayman Airways is having a big sale right now but you would have to book by August 11 and connect through Miami - so that might not work as well as a direct flight on another airline.

But perhaps you could manage a 5 night trip around Labor Day? The Cobalt Coast resort is "off the beaten path" and you would have to spend most of the time on campus - because once you rent a car and start enjoying some of the restaurants and attractions of Grand Cayman then the expense really starts to increase. Just an idea!

Kids Dive & Stay For Free

Not very easy to keep the dives above your depth limit. Even the mini walls at Cobalt Coast, Lighthouse Point, and Turtle Reef are generally deeper than 40 feet, my dives at these locations are generally in the 60s feet

 

[KathyV]

Not very easy to keep the dives above your depth limit. Even the mini walls at Cobalt Coast, Lighthouse Point, and Turtle Reef are generally deeper than 40 feet, my dives at these locations are generally in the 60s feet

I agree, but since the resorts are offering a "kids stay and dive free" promotion they must have a plan to accommodate family diving needs. And it is my understanding that there are some shallower sites near shore at Cobalt Coast that are popular with snorkelers - but I haven't tried it so I can't say for sure.

 

[Caveeagle]

I also have a family of divers. My condolences to your bank account.

If you are heading down to Florida, there are some nice options for open water diving in the Springs. It's a good way to log a few more dives and build confidence before getting out on a boat.

And I would rather spend a day at, Alexander Springs, Crystal River or Rainbow river, long before I signed on to the Epcot thing.

You also have Blue Heron Bridge down near West Palm if you want some salt water.

 

[KathyV]

@Ohana, this is just a thought in case you go to Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo. In addition to the boat diving trips available in the park, there is also a "snorkeling from shore" lagoon there called Cannon Beach. It is my understanding that the sunken cannons and anchor on the site come from a genuine 17th century shipwreck and were relocated there for the enjoyment of the snorkelers.

But they also use the Cannon Beach lagoon for training new divers and learning new skills. You can rent tanks and weights and it is possible to go shore diving from Cannon Beach. We did it once - at least 20 years ago - because we wanted to try out some new gear before taking it out on a boat dive.

The dive is nothing exceptional but it is easy, shallow, and close to shore and it gives you a chance to view sea creatures and shipwreck artifacts in a comfortable environment. So it might be a nice way to introduce the newest diver in your family to ocean diving.

https://www.scubaboard.com/communit...y-good-shore-dives.139059/reply?quote=1773806

 

[Compressor]

Welcome to Scubaboard a great community of excellent divers.

 

[KathyV]

That's where our youngest is getting certified. He is there today with his SCUBA camp and the rest of us will join him tomorrow while he finishes up his certification Looking forward to it!

@Ohana just wondering how did it go with your son's certification dives and scuba camp?