My grandson was certified when he was 12 years old (now 18), and loved it from the first time I signed him up for a discover scuba course in Roatan. He has been my dive buddy on numerous trips the the Caribbean, and he took to scuba and picked up the dive skills in a way that was heartwarming to see. Unfortunately, the Covid problem has put a damper on his/our diving this year. To second what @formernuke said, you are going to outgrow a lot of gear in the next 6-8 years as my grandson is now on his fourth wetsuit and likely a third pair of fins and boots in six years.