After only one morning they hit the ocean. Later that day, we boarded one of the smaller dive boats and went just offshore a ways to a gorgeous reef in relatively shallow water (25 feet). As we approached the site, Adam, 13, grinned and said, "I can't believe I'm really gonna do this."
Do it, he did. Adam and his sister, Natalie, each took their "giant stride" off the boat into the water. Mark followed and took them into their new world - with us parents trailing unobtrusively behind, both getting the vicarious buzz of a lifetime. Major thrill. Both kids positively beamed as they climbed up on board after the first day: "That was SO cool!" And then: "Did you see that lobster?" "Did you see that parrotfish?"
We went deeper the next day, with two dives at the 50- to 60-foot level. During each descent, Mark would take the kids off to the side and work on underwater skills. That's another hoot: watching your kids get focused instruction with compasses, air hoses and gauges on the sea floor as snapper, triggerfish and grunts glide by.
The last day of diving was a three-tank "safari" dive, an all-day affair that had us starting with a wall dive. We motored out to a storied Cayman site called Babylon, known for its amazing arches and swim-throughs. Mark led us all around the reef to the wall and down to 96 feet.