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COCONUT TREE DIVERS

A PADI 5 Star instructor Development Center on the Beautiful Bay Island of Roatan, Honduras in Central America!

PADI COURSES

We offer all PADI dive courses from Beginner to Instructor and we are Roatan’s only TEC Diving Center 

Earn these certification cards and more!

CERTIFIED DIVE TOURS

With over forty years of combined experience in the diving industry, Coconut Tree Divers strives to provide you with an amazing dive vacation.  Our highly-qualified dive crew is exclusively composed of experienced, multilingual PADI Instructors with a diverse array of specialty courses , interests and areas of expertise. 

With Coconut Tree Divers you will be treated like family.  Relax on our large, covered open-air deck overlooking beautiful Half Moon Bay.  Soak up some rays or escape the heat on our boats.  Toast the sunset with an ice-cold beer.  Check out photos with your underwater memories.

UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE

With over forty years of combined experience in the diving industry, Coconut Tree Divers strives to provide you with an amazing dive vacation.  Our highly-qualified dive crew is exclusively composed of experienced, multilingual PADI Instructors with a diverse array of specialty courses , interests and areas of expertise.

ON THE BLOG

Roatan Cruise Ship Scuba Diving Excursion

Cruisin’ into Roatan for the day?! Lucky you! Roatan is a beautiful Caribbean island that has so much to offer, one of those being STELLAR

Roatan’s Coral Restoration Certification Program

All around the world coral reefs are suffering due to coral diseases, climate change, over-fishing, land-based pollution and other stressors! Our time and effort are

Roatan Restaurants: The Best and Most Delicious

Wondering where to enjoy the best meal on Roatan? You’ve enjoyed a long day in the sun, filled with swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving through

• West End, Roatan
• +504-8795-8323
• [email protected]

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• Key West Scuba Diving

A Key West SCUBA diving trip ranks high on any diver’s wishlist, and KeyWestScubaDiving.com is your connection to the world-class dive sites and top-of-the-line dive operations of America’s Caribbean paradise.

The Florida Keys are legendary for offering some of the best scuba diving on the planet, attracting divers from across the US and around the world with an incredible variety of marine life and North America’s only living coral reef . The Keys offer dive sites for every ability level and taste, numerous wrecks both historic and modern, and vast expanses of marine ecosystem kept in near-pristine condition due to the protection of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and reserves like the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and Dry Tortugas National Park. And while most Florida Keys visitors tend to think of Key West as party central, the island is in fact home to a great diving scene as well.

Discover Key West Scuba Diving at a PADI 5-Star Certified Dive Center

As the southernmost inhabited island in the Keys, Key West enjoys the advantage of relative remoteness along with proximity to the deep, open waters of both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The sea is rich with both migratory and resident fish species , and the island affords easy access to many types of reef diving, several well-known large shipwrecks, numerous smaller sunken vessels and aircraft, and great dive training opportunities for new divers.

Key West scuba diving compares well to far more distant and exotic dive spots, with the biggest difference being the fact that a scenic 4-hour ride from Miami gets you in the water, no passport required. Key West’s rich reef ecosystem offers every diver chances to encounter hundreds of types of marine life including colorful tropical reef fish, eels, rays, turtles, octopus, lobster, and big-game fish such as Barracuda, Grouper, Jack Crevalle, and Cobia. Another great plus about diving in Key West is that any non-divers left onshore will find plenty to do and lots of fun and excitement to be had on the island.

New divers can enjoy an easy Discover SCUBA Diving experience in the pool and over the shallow inshore reefs, or jump right into a PADI certification program .  An easy day of classroom and pool work is followed up by heading out on a dive boat to explore the incredible undersea world.  There is nothing better than completing your training dives in blue tropical waters among the coral gardens of a living reef. Meanwhile, experienced divers will want to take advantage of morning or afternoon 2-tank trips to explore the third-largest living coral barrier reef system in the world or dive on the 520-foot long USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg .

Vandenberg Scuba Diving

Expert Key West Scuba Dive Company

Come join us for an introduction to SCUBA, PADI certification work, or an amazing morning or afternoon two-dive combo to experience the thrill of wreck diving or the beauty of the only living coral reef in continental US waters. Great dive sites, state of the art boats, and experienced professional captains and guides make Key West Scuba Diving the only way to dive Key West . Use our fast, easy and 100% secure online booking system to reserve your Key West dive trip now.

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  Dive In and J oin the Fun!

From snorkel gear for your upcoming Caribbean adventure to full SCUBA setups, Flatirons Scuba has both a storefront and online shopping available along with expert advise to ensure you are happy with your purchase.

For the diver who wants to go beyond recreational underwater pursuits, Flatirons Scuba is one of the only GUE certified training facilities, offering deep, cave and ice diving, along with the gear needed for aggressive adventures. 

Whether you're just getting started in your diving education, or want to learn how to teach others, Flatirons Scuba is a PADI 5-Star Instructor training facility, offering a full range of courses ranging from beginner diver to instructor.

SCUBA TRIPS

Sharing our love of diving is what we are passionate about at Flatirons Scuba. Join us as we explore the farthest reaches of the globe and discover for yourself the beautiful diversity that awaits underwater. 

WELCOME TO FLATIRONS SCUBA

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Top Florida Snorkeling and Scuba Diving Trips for Kids

Scuba diving or snorkeling in Florida is one of the best things to do during a family vacation to the Sunshine State. There is so much to explore under Florida's warm, clear waters, including spectacular coral reefs, shipwrecks, and underwater museums and memorials.

Here's everything you need to know about scuba diving and snorkeling in Florida with kids, from age requirements to the best places to dive and snorkel in and around the Florida Keys , Miami , and Destin . Our Florida Family Travel Guide will tell you even more great places to visit and fun things to do with kids in the Sunshine State.

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Getting Started with Snorkeling and Scuba Diving with Kids

When kids can start snorkeling.

Regardless of age, the real requirement for snorkeling is that kids can swim comfortably on their own. While snorkelers wear a safety vest and usually have a line to hold on to, waters can get choppy, so kids should be confident swimmers.

Pro tip: Start by practicing snorkeling in shallow water. Bring a mask and snorkel to your next beach day to give the little ones a chance to hone their skills in a safe space where they can touch the ground.

When Kids Can Start Scuba Diving

Anyone can snorkel, but learning to scuba dive is a more involved process. In order to be allowed to scuba dive in open waters, you need to be certified by an official diving organization.

The biggest organization—widely accepted pretty much everywhere, and especially in Florida—is PADI (the Professional Association of Diving Instructors). Getting certified with PADI involves an online course, an in-person (in-water) course, and an open-water test.

PADI requires kids to be 8 or older to participate in any of its programs. At that age, you can start to ease them into using scuba gear in a pool through the PADI Bubblemaker program, or get them excited through the Seal Team, which introduces more advanced techniques through.

At age 10, kids can take their skills to open water with the Junior Open Water Diver certification. At 12, they can upgrade to its more advanced version. And at 15, kids can officially obtain the adult certification for Open Water and Advanced Open Water Diver.

Pro Tip: Many places also offer the Discover Scuba course, which is a low-stress introduction to scuba diving that's perfect for kids and teens who are interested but a little intimidated. Alternatively, you can opt for SNUBA (Surface Nexus Underwater Breathing Apparatus), which doesn't require any certification or experience.

Why You Should Go Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in Florida

When my husband was learning to scuba dive, he went to Florida—and he's been coming back ever since. Florida is really the ideal place to scuba and snorkel.

Florida has so many gorgeous spots to discover, whether you're diving down deep or staying near the surface. It's known for having a wide range of underwater ecosystems, including coral reefs (both natural and artificial), shipwrecks, and even underwater museums and memorials.

Florida's reefs and other marine environments have a wide variety of stunning fish like parrotfish, angelfish, massive groupers, clownfish and blue tangs (yes, your kids will be excited to see Nemo and Dory), and many more. If you're lucky, you might even spot dolphins, rays, sea turtles, and even manatees!

Visibility in Florida waters is often excellent, so you'll actually be able to see all of these beautiful sites and creatures. The state is also ideally situated, with waters often starting warm enough to swim year-round.

This all means that you'll be able to see something new every time you visit, making every experience with diving and snorkeling in Florida a memorable one.

Pro tip: To protect the delicate ecosystems while diving and snorkeling in Florida, always be sure that the sunscreen you're using is reef-safe. These sunscreens will be clearly labeled. You can usually buy reef-safe sunscreen from the dive shops often associated with the companies in this list.

Best Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in Florida: Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are a popular destination for divers and snorkelers because they're the only place to visit a real living coral barrier reef in the continental US.

Most of the water surrounding the Keys is protected as part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary . This underwater sanctuary features a coral reef, seagrass fields, shipwrecks, and a submerged Christ of the Abyss statue that's been thoroughly integrated into the ecosystem by marine life. Be sure to practice extra care not to disturb anything while exploring this spectacular location.

1. Amoray Dive Resort

This family-friendly resort is affiliated with PADI, which means you can take your certification courses here. Besides having beautiful rooms and a stunning pool, the Amoray also has free kayak rentals, a dive shop in the lobby, and its own dive boat that does daily dive trips. Kids can take the Bubblemaker and Discover Scuba right in the resort's pool, or head out onto the water for a snorkeling expedition if they're at least 5.

2. Saltwater Seafari

Based in Big Pine Tree, Saltwater Seafari offers snorkeling boat trips to many popular destinations. Among these are Marathon, home to vibrant reefs and the massive Thunderbolt 1942 aircraft carrier wreck, and Looe Key Reef, one of the most popular diving and snorkeling destinations in the US. Saltwater Seafari also offers sandbar and island excursions, where smaller kids can practice their snorkeling skills in shallow, wading waters.

3. Pennekamp Park Tours

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park was founded in 1963 as the US's first underwater park. Take one of its boat tours to snorkel or scuba dive among the coral reef, or try one of the park's other water activities like canoeing, kayaking, or fishing. The aquarium in the visitors' center offers a sneak peek of what you'll see in the wild. Children of any age are welcome on the boats as long as they can swim.

4. Danger Charters

Despite the name, this tour is a calmer introduction to snorkeling for kids because it visits a more sheltered part of Key West Backwater. You can book a full day or a half day and enjoy kayaking while you're there, too. Visitors of all ages are welcome. Danger Charters also partners with the nonprofit Reef Relief every summer to offer  Coral Camp , which teaches kids ages 6-12 about marine life and ecology, coral reefs, and sustainability.

RELATED: 10 Best Florida Beach Vacations for Families

Best Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in Florida: Miami

Miami is a great place for families to get their first taste of snorkeling. A favorite among snorkelers is Emerald Reef , three shallow patches that rarely go over 20 feet in depth, making it super easy to see both the fish and corals on the ocean floor.

5. Ace Diving

Ace Diving offers something for every level of diver, such as PADI certification courses (including the pool-held children's Bubblemakers program), snorkeling, and even a "bubble watchers" ticket for those who want to be on the water, but not in it. The boat makes trips to both man-made and natural reefs, including the incredible Neptune Memorial Park , which is both an underwater cremation memorial and the largest man-made coral reef.

Pro tip: No bananas are allowed on the boat! Find out about this silly superstition here .

6. Biscayne Bay National Park

Biscayne Bay National Park hosts its own snorkel and dive tours, officially partnered with the National Park Service, where you can discover the diverse and wonderful underwater world protected by the park. Snorkeling trips hosted here require children to be 8 or older, though you can book a private trip with a younger child. Biscayne Bay National Park also has paddle boat excursions for kids ages 6 and up.

7. Miami Tours and Water Adventures

Virginia Key is located just minutes from downtown Miami and is largely known for being the home of the Miami Seaquarium. It's also the site of an artificial reef that's just six feet deep—perfect for beginner snorkelers to test the waters. Miami Tours and Water Adventures takes guests out to the reef for a two-hour adventure. The best part? Kids 12 and under can come for free (but will need to bring their own gear).

RELATED: Destin with Kids: 30 Awesome Things To Do in Destin, Florida

Best Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in Florida: Destin

Destin may be less well-known than Miami and the Keys, but it offers a brilliant new world to explore in the Gulf of Mexico. Destin is located on the Emerald Coast in northwestern Florida, where you'll find natural and artificial reefs and wrecks. If you're really lucky, you might even have a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with a whale shark.

Highlights for aquatic adventures include the limestone ledges at White Hill Reef and Amberjack Rocks, and the extremely family-friendly Destin Jetty, a man-made strip of partially submerged rock that serves as home to a large number of fish, rays, invertebrates, and other forms of marine life.

8. Pelican Adventures

Pelican Adventures lets snorkelers get especially close to the fish at Destin Jetty by providing them with fish food. Jade from Pelican Adventures told us that "often, the fish will eat right out of your hands." Kids snorkeling must be 3 years and 30 or more pounds. While life jackets (and other equipment) are included, you're encouraged to bring your own if you have extra-little ones.

9. Emerald Coast Scuba

Experience a museum like you've never seen before at the Underwater Museum of Art, entirely submerged under the emerald, clear waters near Destin. These trips are only available for certified divers over 12, but Emerald Coast Scuba also offers all-ages snorkeling trips to Destin Jetty in the spring and summer and SNUBA diving for kids 8 and up. Certification courses, a dive shop, and swim lessons in the facility's 14-foot-deep heated pool are also available.

10. Scuba Tech

Hop aboard Sea Cobra , Scuba Tech's award-winning vessel, and embark on a snorkeling adventure off the coast of Destin. Snorkeling tours are offered May through August to the Destin-Fort Walton Beach snorkeling reefs (the minimum age for kids is 5 years). Guests will get a glimpse of shipwrecks as well. Scuba Tech also offers children's PADI certification lessons, including in-pool options.

RELATED: Best Family Resorts in Florida

More Ways to Go Scuba Diving and Snorkeling in Florida

Want even more options? Here are some additional ideas for scuba diving and snorkeling in Florida:

• Programs like the Family Scuba Diving program and the Kids Eco Snorkel camp from Pura Vida Divers provide kids with the support they need to learn to snorkel and scuba safely.
• Marine parks like Discovery Cove in Orlando, Theater of the Sea in Key Largo, and Gulfarium in Destin have opportunities to snorkel (and sometimes scuba or SNUBA) in contained environments.
• Florida springs are freshwater options that offer snorkelers a glance at completely different underwater worlds. Many awesome springs allow snorkeling and diving, but some highlights include Devil's Den , a cenote-like prehistoric spring with a cave entrance and an on-site campground, and the remarkably clear waters of Ginnie Springs .

Where to Go Snorkeling in Florida with Manatees

Manatees are frequent visitors in the Florida waters, and it's possible to encounter one at many of the most popular snorkeling spots if you time your visit right. For the best chance to spot manatees across Florida's saltwater locations, plan your trip for April through October.

In the cooler months, manatees move to warmer freshwater locations, like the Florida springs. Many of these, like Blue Spring State Park , offer snorkeling packages so you can frolic in the water with the gentle beasts.

But one of the best places to swim with manatees in Florida is Crystal River. Book the experience with one of the many snorkeling programs, whether it's with River Ventures or the aptly named Snorkel with Manatees .

Pro tip: Manatees are curious, peaceful creatures and they might even approach you. Just remember that they are a protected species, which means that they can touch you, but you're not allowed to touch them!

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Where to Do Your PADI IDC in the USA

Some divers travel thousands of miles to complete instructor training in a resort destination, but divers in North America have plenty of great options closer to home. When choosing where to do your PADI® Instructor Development Course (IDC), there are a few things to consider:

What is your drea m scuba diving job? If you’re interested in public safety diving or scientific diving, completing your IDC in an area where visibility is mixed and dry suits are common will help you hone these skills. Alternately, if you want to work as a dive instructor in a resort area, choose a destination where you can get experience working on a dive boat.

How much time can you take off from work? After figuring in travel time, you’ll need at least two weeks to complete the IDC and IE (instructor examination). If you’d rather use this vacation time for something else, perhaps a celebratory dive trip, scheduling your IDC and IE over a few weekends closer to home may be a better option.

Do you plan to teach scuba near where you live? Learn priceless local tricks and tips by completing your scuba instructor training in the area where you plan to teach. Find out where to look for local marine life, how to set up a navigation exercise in surge-y conditions, or other essential logistics specific to your area. After you become an instructor, you can team teach with other local IDC candidates from your class and enjoy support from the local diving community.

There are many places to do your IDC course across the United States. Each IDC Center has  its own areas of specialization and benefits. Below is a small cross section of PADI IDC centers in the United States to illustrate the similarities and differences among different locations and dive shops. To find a PADI IDC course in your area, visit the PADI Dive Shop locator and filter for Instructor Development Center or Career Development Center.

There’s a saying among California divers, “if you learn to dive here, you can dive anywhere.” The golden state has diverse diving opportunities including: boat, shore, wreck, technical/deep, dry suit, altitude and diving in kelp forests. Divers also must learn how to deal with current, surf and surge. All this is to say, scuba instructors who train in California come away with a broad skill set.

Featured IDC Centers

Diver Dan’s – Santa Clara, CA

Diver Dan’s in Santa Clara has a 24-year history of excellence in instructor-level training with a focus on personalized attention. They have a convenient, on-site pool and offer a low-price guarantee on dive equipment.

Eco Dive Center – Los Angeles, CA As the name suggests Eco Dive Center emphasizes eco-friendly business operations. The shop is family-owned and operated with a large retail and training facility in the heart of L.A., close to local beaches and dive boats.

Ocean Enterprises – San Diego, CA Ocean Enterprises has two PADI Course Directors and is an approved MyCAA school . Ocean Enterprises’ large retail and training facility is located close to some of the industry’s largest equipment manufacturers. They offer year-round instructor training, rebreather instructor training and Public Safety Diving courses.

Scuba Center Temecula – Temecula, CA Scuba Center Temecula offers year-round training and is VA-approved. Their course linking philosophy means divers move through the ranks quickly and helps new instructors gain certs and diverse teaching experience.

Home to the Puget Sound, the second-largest estuary in the US, Washington state is one of the most productive marine environments in North America and a great place for critter-loving divers to level-up to instructors. Instructor candidates can perfect their dry suit and shore diving skills while making friends with Dungeness crabs, giant Pacific octopuses, and learning to spot Pacific spiny lumpsuckers and wolf eels.

Featured IDC Centers:

Seattle Scuba Schools – Seattle, WA

Seattle Scuba Schools has two full-time Course Directors and offers year-round IDC training including: evenings and weekends, a two-week intensive and an IDC program that starts in Seattle and finishes in Bonaire. Full face mask and DPV instructor training available.

Underwater Sports – Locations throughout the Seattle metro area With locations in Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Edmonds, Federal Way and Olympia, Underwater Sports is the largest PADI dive center in the Pacific Northwest. They offer a massive gear selection and a variety of class options to fit any schedule.

Many people are surprised to learn landlocked Colorado has one of the largest populations of scuba divers in the United States. As a result, there are an abundance of PADI IDC Centers with experienced dive staff who help aspiring dive professionals chart a path to a part-time or full-time scuba career.

Featured IDC Centers: 

Flatirons Scuba & Travel – Broomfield, CO Flatirons is a self-described “global adventure center” offering training in both recreational and technical scuba diving.

Underwater Phantaseas – Lakewood, CO IDC candidates at Underwater Phantaseas benefit from an on-site, heated, indoor pool and the opportunity to learn from two course directors.

One World Dive & Travel – Greenwood Village, CO

One World Dive & Travel has two fully-digitized classrooms and extensive kids scuba programs.

The second-largest US state offers a variety of diving opportunities including clear-blue springs, wrecks and a national marine sanctuary. Divers in Texas are also just a short flight away from some of the Caribbean’s best diving. Featured IDC Centers:

Gigglin’ Marlin – Houston, TX With two PADI Course Directors on staff, Gigglin’ Marlin offers year-round PADI Pro training. Their program focuses on having fun while gaining confidence and teaching students in a learning style that fits their needs.

Sugar Land Dive Center – Sugar Land, TX

Serving Houston, Katy and the surrounding area, Sugar Land has two platinum-honored PADI Course Directors and offers flexible scheduling options (including completing your IDC and IE in the Caribbean). Sugar Land offers housing, job placement assistance and the option to complete your training in Chinese, English or Spanish.

Florida Keys

The Florida Keys are a popular destination for aspiring dive professionals. Warm, clear water and frequently-scheduled IDCs and IEs are two of the main reasons hundreds of divers choose Florida for their PADI Instructor training.

Featured IDC Centers :

Florida Keys Dive Center – Islamorada, FL Florida Keys Dive Center boasts a 100 percent success rate for instructor candidates and is a VA-approved PADI Career Development Center with two course directors.

Horizon Divers – Key Largo, FL Horizon Divers offers small, personalized courses and flexible scheduling in addition to a full range of pro courses – including technical diving.

Rainbow Reef   – Key Largo, FL This VA-approved PADI Career Development Center has three course directors and a deep water SCUBA training pool. They also offer rebreather training.

The Mid-Atlantic offers varied diving opportunities including wreck and boat dives, lakes and quarries. If you need to schedule instructor training in colder months, you can start your training in Virginia and road trip or fly to Florida for your instructor examination.

Featured IDC Cen ters: 

Nautilus Aquatics – Sterling and Vienna, VA

Nautilus Aquatics has a full-time course director and puts a strong focus on real-life skills needed to work as a dive professional. The Open Water portion of the IDC can be completed in Florida or Puerto Aventuras, Mexico.

Blue Planet – Washington D.C.

Small classes, flexible scheduling and a commitment to conservation are a few of the reasons to choose Blue Planet Scuba. The dive shop works closely with environmental organizations and local communities to foster sustainability and ocean health.

We couldn’t leave out the passionate diving communities in the midwest. In Missouri, there’s the famous Bonne Terre Mine (with 18C/56F water temp and great visibility year-round). Ohio offers opportunities to hone your wreck diving, dry suit and technical diving skills.

Featured IDC Centers Columbus Scuba – Columbus, OH Level-up your skills and become a dive professional at family-oriented Columbus Scuba. Technical dive training opportunities available.

Y-Kiki Divers – St. Louis, MO Y-kiki Divers certifies hundreds of divers every year. Their experienced instructor development staff can prepare you for a variety of scuba careers.

Visit the dive shop locator on PADI.com to find these and other PADI IDC Centers in the United States – or wherever you live. Learn more about becoming a scuba instructor .

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