RELAXED TRY DIVES FOR BEGINNERS IN SOUTH TENERIFE
Kids Scuba Diving Tenerife | Family Try Dives from Age 10
Kids scuba diving Tenerife starts at age 10. Family try dives with PADI instructor Brian — the whole family in the water, in warm, clear South Tenerife.
By Brian Harrison — PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Sea Wolf Scuba, Costa Adeje
5/27/20267 min read
You're on holiday in Tenerife. The kids are 12 and 14, they've been in the pool since 8am, they're bored of the waterpark, and someone's already asked "what are we doing today" seventeen times before you've finished your coffee.
Here's an idea: take them diving.
Yes, really. Kids can absolutely go scuba diving in Tenerife — and not just a brief splash in a hotel pool. A proper, PADI try dive in the actual Atlantic Ocean, alongside mum or dad, looking at sealife while everyone temporarily forgets how to argue.
It's also, and I say this affectionately, the most expensive and enjoyable form of childcare available in South Tenerife. You're welcome.
What Age Can Kids Start Diving?
The PADI minimum age for a try dive is 10 years old. That's it. From 10 upwards, kids can do exactly the same try dive experience as adults — same briefing, same shallow water practice, same open water dive.
The one difference is depth. For younger junior divers even in thei r open Water aged 10 and 11, the maximum depth is 12 metres — which is also the maximum depth for an adult try dive anyway, so in practice it makes no difference whatsoever to the experience. They're seeing everything an adult sees, at the same depth, having the same experience.
From age 12, kids can go deeper on subsequent dives as they progress. But for a first try dive in Tenerife? Age 10, same experience as the grown-ups, full stop.
Can the Whole Family Dive Together?
This is the bit I love most about family diving, and the bit most people don't realise is possible.
Yes. The whole family can dive together. Mum, dad, kids aged 10 and above — all in the water at the same time, all having the same experience, all watching the same turtle glide past at 8 metres while nobody is looking at their phone.
The image most people have of "family holiday activity" involves the adults watching from the side while the kids do something. Diving flips that completely. You're all in it together. The kids are usually less nervous than the adults, which is simultaneously reassuring and slightly humbling, and the shared experience of being underwater for the first time as a family is genuinely something people talk about for years.
What About Kids Who Want to Dive Without Mum and Dad?
Also completely fine — and honestly one of the best things you can book on a Tenerife holiday if you need a few hours to actually relax by the pool without anyone asking you for snacks.
Kids aged 10 and above can do a try dive with me as their instructor without a parent in the water. They'll be supervised throughout, they'll have my complete attention, and they'll come back to you a few hours later having had the best afternoon of their holiday and with approximately forty-seven things they want to tell you about what they saw.
Think of it as the world's most interesting and educational morning activity. Or, as I mentioned, extremely good value childcare with a PADI qualification attached. Either framing works.
The only requirement is that a parent or guardian signs the medical questionnaire and consents to the dive beforehand. After that, I've got them.
Are Kids Actually Any Good at It?
In my experience, frequently better than adults on a first dive.
Children have a few natural advantages. They're lighter, so buoyancy is often easier for them to manage. They tend to be less in their own heads about the whole thing — adults overthink, kids just get on with it. And they're genuinely curious rather than self-conscious, which means they're looking at everything rather than worrying about whether they're doing it right.
The nervousness that some adults bring to a first dive — the overthinking, the second-guessing — kids tend not to have in the same way. They're just excited. It makes for a very enjoyable dive.
That said, every child is different. Some 10-year-olds are completely unfazed and ready to go from the first breath. Others need a bit more time in the shallow water to settle in. That's fine — the shallow water practice before every dive exists precisely for this reason, and with small groups and my full attention, we go at whatever pace works.
A Note for Parents — Safeguarding
I hold an NSPCC Child Safeguarding in Sport certificate and can provide an enhanced DBS check on request. As far as I'm aware, no dive centre in Tenerife holds these — it's not something the dive industry typically requires. But if your child is getting in the water with an instructor, you should know exactly who that person is. I think that matters, so I made sure I have the paperwork to back it up. Ask me anytime and I'll provide it.Is It Safe for Kids?
Is It Safe for Kids?
Yes — for the same reasons it's safe for adults, with some additional reassurances built into the PADI junior programme.
The PADI Discover Scuba Diving programme for juniors has the same safety foundations as the adult version: skills practiced in shallow water first, instructor in the water throughout, controlled depths, no rushing. The maximum depth for a junior try dive is 12 metres — the same as an adult try dive — and in practice most first-time junior divers are perfectly happy at 6 to 8 metres where the interesting stuff is anyway.
South Tenerife is genuinely one of the best places in the world to introduce kids to diving. Crystal-clear waters, pleasant temperatures all year round, and low currents make it perfect for junior scuba experiences. The water is warm — 19 to 24°C year-round — calm, and clear. There are no aggressive marine species. The underwater world here is colourful, accessible and genuinely spectacular even at shallow beginner depths.
What Will the Kids Actually See?
Everything the adults see. Which is the point.
The waters around Los Cristianos, and the south of Tenerife have marine life that makes kids (and adults) completely forget they were ever nervous. Green turtles are a realistic possibility on some dives — not guaranteed, but common enough. Rays. Octopus in their dens with their little shell gardens outside. Cuttlefish pulsing with colour. Shoals of fish in every direction. Volcanic rock formations that look like something from a video game.
Kids, in my experience, lose their minds over the octopus. Every time.
None of this requires going particularly deep. The best stuff is often at 6 to 10 metres — comfortably within junior dive depth limits and well within a try dive anyway. Tenerife is one of those places where shallow doesn't mean boring.
Can Kids Progress Further After a Try Dive?
Yes — from age 10, kids can work toward a full PADI Junior Open Water Diver certification. It covers exactly the same material as the adult Open Water course, adapted for younger divers. The depth limits are slightly shallower until age 15, at which point a Junior Open Water certification automatically upgrades to a full adult Open Water certification with no additional testing required.
So if the try dive goes well — and it usually does — the door is wide open to the full course. Some families use a Tenerife holiday as the trigger: parents do the try dive, fall in love with it, and book the full course on the spot. Kids included.
If that's something you're considering, have a chat with me before or after the dive and I'll tell you honestly whether it makes sense for your child's age and what the holiday timelines look like.
Practical Stuff for Parents
What do the kids need to bring? Swimwear and a towel. Everything else — wetsuit, fins, mask, tank, BCD, regulator — is included. Wetsuits are available in junior sizes.
Do they need to be strong swimmers? No — same rule as adults. Comfortable in the water, not terrified of it. They don't need to be able to swim laps.
Can we all dive at the same time? Yes, if everyone is 10 or above. We just need enough space in the session for the group — drop me a message with numbers and ages and we'll sort a plan.
What if one child is nervous and one isn't? Very common. We do the shallow water practice with both of them, go at the pace of the more nervous one, and usually by the time we're in open water they're both fine. Kids often settle each other down better than adults do.
Do parents need to dive too? No — if you'd rather sit on the beach and have a coffee while the kids dive, that's absolutely an option. Lobo might keep you company. He sometimes takes his beach supervisory role seriously.
Book a Family Dive in South Tenerife
Sea Wolf Scuba runs family try dives across Costa Adeje, Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas and South Tenerife. Small groups, all equipment included, junior wetsuits available. British instructor who is used to nervous kids, enthusiastic kids, and parents who need a sit down.
Drop us a WhatsApp or get in touch through the website — tell me the ages, how many of you there are, and when you're in Tenerife. We'll put together the right session for your family.
(Lobo is 3. He cannot dive. He has never once complained about this.)
Sea Wolf Scuba — family scuba diving and PADI try dives across Costa Adeje, Los Cristianos, Playa de las Américas, Abades and South Tenerife. British instructor. Small groups. Junior divers welcome from age 10
Ready to Join the Pack?
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Meet Your Instructor (and the Sea Wolf)
I’m Brian, an English PADI instructor based in south Tenerife. I specialise in calm, confidence-building first dives for beginners.
Sea Wolf Scuba is a small, personal operation — slower pacing, tiny groups, and a strong focus on safety and comfort. I’m usually joined by Lobo, the little “sea wolf” who inspired our logo and supervises the surface intervals.
