for many years to come. I've given kids starter cameras at age 11 and 12, and they are now still shooting into their 20s and 30s. I've included one young man, Andrew Curvelo, from age 11-20 with a picture he recently took of his dad with a whale shark. A Pattern I’ve Seen for a Decade: Once kids start taking photos, they dive differently. They become more careful with their fins near the reef. They linger under ledges looking for tiny subjects. They talk excitedly about what they want to shoot on the next dive. The camera turns every dive into a personal adventure and a story worth telling. The images they create – a seahorse, a coral garden, a buddy floating weightlessly – become treasured records of their adven- tures. For many families, those photos also open ongoing conversations about ocean conservation. I’ve included photos of some of the kids TRAINING continued
I’ve taught or inspired over the years through Kids Sea Camp. Some have gone on to win awards. Others simply fell in love with diving and never stopped shooting. Chris McQuitty at age 15 is one of many examples of how this specialty can spark something lasting. A Strong Opportunity for Dive Shops: If you’re looking for a specialty that improves diving skills, sparks creativity, builds confi- dence, creates real excitement for families, and keeps kids diving for years to come, the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course is hard to beat. It is engaging for the kids, rewarding for instructors, and a natural fit for shops that want to offer more than the standard progression.
It’s one of the most rewarding programs I’ve taught. I still get a thrill every time a young diver shows me their underwater pho- tos.
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