Kauai Jr. Open Water School Recommendations?

[georgec02]

Hi, we're looking at getting our kids (13) open water certified and will be in Kauai later this year.

Does anyone have recommendations on a good dive school on the island?

• We're staying near closer to Lihue, but don't mind driving
• We don't mind taking more time out of the vacation (cert over multiple days) vs. squeezing into a shorter time
• Definitely any place that is used to working with kids would be high on the list

Of course, I will proabably be hitting everyone up later for recommendations on diving itself

Also, we thought about getting them certified ahead of time, but the cost is about the same, and the water is much warmer than the 50s that we see around here.

 

[Diverlady13]

Hi, we're looking at getting our kids (13) open water certified and will be in Kauai later this year.

Does anyone have recommendations on a good dive school on the island?

• We're staying near closer to Lihue, but don't mind driving
• We don't mind taking more time out of the vacation (cert over multiple days) vs. squeezing into a shorter time
• Definitely any place that is used to working with kids would be high on the list

Of course, I will proabably be hitting everyone up later for recommendations on diving itself

Also, we thought about getting them certified ahead of time, but the cost is about the same, and the water is much warmer than the 50s that we see around here.

There are a few dive outfits on the south side/Poipu area. We got certified (OW & AOW) with Kauai Down Under. They don't have a shop, but they still have gear and include it at no extra charge with the course. (At least in 2019 they did.) Our instructor was Katie Beadling and she was fantastic. Really, based on what I read and hear about other people's experiences with instruction, I'm so grateful that we had Katie. She's super patient and really encouraging as well as being very thorough with the instruction. I feel like she'd be good with kids, but I'd ask who would be best to work with younger teens. If you call the number on their website, you'll likely speak with Kevin who is a real sweetheart. He can help you arrange a course schedule that works for your family.

That said, I'm sure there are plenty of good instructors at the various shops. Wherever you decide to call, I'd suggest requesting an experienced instructor that also has experience (and likes) working with kids.

 

[fisheater]

I heartily recommend Fathom Five Divers in Poipu for both instruction and diving (boat & shore).

 

[KauaiScuba]

Aloha, just like diverlady said, all the shops here would be very accommodating. I do know Scott Bacon with "Makana O Kauai" does a lot of training with kids. He works here with local schools, boy scouts, and sea scouts. He's a father of I believe 5 kids and is a very patient and kind soul. So while all shops here would be great, including EKS, I recommend Makana O Kauai.

 

[georgec02]

Aloha, just like diverlady said, all the shops here would be very accommodating. I do know Scott Bacon with "Makana O Kauai" does a lot of training with kids. He works here with local schools, boy scouts, and sea scouts. He's a father of I believe 5 kids and is a very patient and kind soul. So while all shops here would be great, including EKS, I recommend Makana O Kauai.

Mahalo Nick!

When a local owner/operator recommends someone else because of a specific situation (working with kids)... that's got to be a strong endorsement - and sign of being all around good people. I appreciate that you read the ask and made a referral that matched the criteria.

 

[KauaiScuba]

Mahalo Nick!

When a local owner/operator recommends someone else because of a specific situation (working with kids)... that's got to be a strong endorsement - and sign of being all around good people. I appreciate that you read the ask and made a referral that matched the criteria.

Mahalo for the kind words. That's why I love Kauai, there's community between the dive shops here. Good luck planning your Kauai vacation and let me know if I can help out with any other Kauai questions. -Nick

 

[georgec02]

Thanks again Nick. Got in touch with Scott today and arranged for sessions with my kids. Will probably reach out to you about some dives once we figure out the rest of the family schedule.

 

[KauaiScuba]

Thanks again Nick. Got in touch with Scott today and arranged for sessions with my kids. Will probably reach out to you about some dives once we figure out the rest of the family schedule.

Awesome! You'll love Scott. Anything tour related here is booking up quick, so if there's something you want to do, I highly suggest getting it reserved. Not just scuba diving, but, helicopters, atv's, mountain tubing, etc.

 

[georgec02]

Just a follow-up and thanks to all for feedback. We ended up getting the kids certified during the Christmas stretch with Scott / Makana O Kauai and we (most importantly they) had a great experience and now have their open water cards.

Here's a review of the experience