What age can my child start scuba at Nemo Diving Center?

From age 8, with the PADI Bubblemaker or Seal Team programmes in shallow water. Discover Scuba and the Open Water course start at 10, and the Skin Diver course at 12.

How much is Bubblemaker at Nemo Diving Center?

The Bubblemaker page lists it from AED 500 for a one-day, three-hour session, with one price shown for both branches. Seal Team is listed from AED 1,200 and Master Seal Team from AED 1,500. Confirm the final price when booking.

Does my child need to be a strong swimmer?

No. For Bubblemaker, children should be comfortable in the water; advanced swimming skills are not required, though the course lists basic swimming ability. The Open Water course needs a 10-minute float and a 200 m swim.

Can I watch my child's session?

At the Dubai pool, yes: parents are encouraged to watch from the poolside. Ask the Fujairah branch how it works at the lagoon. Parent participation in the water is available separately through Discover Scuba (age 10+).

Which branches run the kids' courses?

Bubblemaker and Seal Team say they run in a heated pool or shallow lagoon in Dubai or Fujairah. The Bubblemaker page lists daily start times of 9AM, 12PM or 3PM. Pick a branch on this page for its phone and WhatsApp, and ask which course dates it has.

Is Bubblemaker a certification?

No. Bubblemaker and Seal Team are recognition programmes, not certifications. Children can earn a Junior Open Water certification from age 10.

Nemo Diving Center: kids scuba diving on Palm Jumeirah

Water SportsScuba Diving

Checked Oct 2026Details checked October 2026

Palm Jumeirah

Ages8+years and up
PriceAED 350a session, lowest price
OpenAskNot published yet
Where2 branchesPalm Jumeirah, SuwayfahSee on the map

Book online

Nemo Diving Center is a PADI dive centre with two branches: Azure Residences on Palm Jumeirah, and Royal Beach in Dibba, Fujairah. Most of its menu is for adults, from beginner courses to technical diving and boat trips, but it runs a clear kids' ladder too. Children aged 8 and up can try PADI Bubblemaker, a three-hour session to a maximum of 2 metres, held in a heated pool in Dubai or a calm lagoon in Fujairah, or join Seal Team, five playful AquaMissions covering mask clearing, regulator breathing and buoyancy. Kids who finish Seal Team can go on to Master Seal Team, with specialty missions such as navigation, creature ID and night-diving basics. From age 10, children can take Discover Scuba or the Junior Open Water course, and from 12 the Skin Diver course, which parents can do alongside them. Bubblemaker lists daily start times of 9AM, 12PM or 3PM, groups are capped at four kids per instructor, and all scuba equipment is included. Pick a branch on this page for its address, hours and contact.

nemodivingcenter.com Instagram Facebook

The activity

Scuba Diving, explained

Scuba diving for children starts in a pool, not the sea. Kids wear child-sized gear, learn to breathe from a regulator, clear water from a mask and use hand signals, then practise floating weightlessly in shallow water with an instructor beside them. Games such as following targets and blowing bubbles keep it playful. Along the way children build water confidence, calm breathing, listening skills and respect for the ocean. PADI's youth programmes let children start pool-based scuba from age 8, and at 10 they can move on to a Junior Open Water certification with depth limits set for their age. A child needs to be comfortable in water, and parents sign a consent form and a medical questionnaire.

Who it's for

Children from age 8 (Bubblemaker, Seal Team and, after Seal Team, Master Seal Team, all in shallow water). From age 10: Discover Scuba and the PADI Open Water course, with 10-11-year-old Junior divers limited to 12 m and diving with a professional or parent/guardian. From age 12: PADI Skin Diver, which parents and children can do together. Kids need to be comfortable in water; Bubblemaker lists basic swimming ability, and advanced swimming is not required. No previous experience is needed. Courses are mixed by default; separate groups and female instructors can be requested.

What to expect

A first session is usually Bubblemaker: about three hours in a heated pool in Dubai or a calm lagoon in Fujairah. It starts with a safety briefing and gear orientation, then your child practises breathing underwater, hand signals and floating weightlessly to a maximum of 2 m, with games like following fish-shaped targets. It finishes with a Bubblemaker recognition certificate (it is an introduction, not a certification). Groups are 2-4 kids per instructor. Full scuba equipment is included; bring swimwear, a towel, a change of clothes, reef-safe sunscreen and water. Every child completes a PADI medical questionnaire, and a doctor's clearance may be needed. A free trial is not published: ask the branch you pick.

Highlights

PADI Bubblemaker and Seal Team for children from age 8, in shallow water to a maximum of 2 m (nemodivingcenter.com)
Bubblemaker lists daily start times of 9AM, 12PM or 3PM at both branches (nemodivingcenter.com)
Up to four kids per instructor in the kids' programmes (nemodivingcenter.com)
Clear progression: Bubblemaker, Seal Team, Master Seal Team, then Junior Open Water from age 10 (nemodivingcenter.com)
Parents can join in the water separately via Discover Scuba (age 10+) or train with their child on Skin Diver (age 12+) (nemodivingcenter.com)
Female instructors available on request (nemodivingcenter.com)

Why parents rate it

What parents say on Google

On Google, the Palm Jumeirah branch is rated 4.9 from 1,198 reviews and the Fujairah branch 4.8 from 522. Each branch's own rating shows when you pick it.

The facts

Ages: 8+ for Bubblemaker, Seal Team and Master Seal Team (after Seal Team); 10+ for Discover Scuba and Open Water (10-11 as Junior, max 12 m); 12+ for Skin Diver (nemodivingcenter.com)
Prices: Bubblemaker from AED 500; Seal Team from AED 1,200; Master Seal Team from AED 1,500; Discover Scuba Dubai AED 350 per person (age 10+); PADI Scuba Diver AED 1,750 and Open Water AED 1,995 (age 10+) (nemodivingcenter.com, October 2026)
Schedule: Kids' programmes start daily at 9AM, 12PM or 3PM; Bubblemaker is one 3-hour session; Seal Team sessions run 2-3 hours; the site says most kids finish Master Seal Team over two to three weekends (nemodivingcenter.com)
Trial: No free trial published; Bubblemaker is a one-off 3-hour introduction for ages 8+ - ask the provider
Where: Azure Residences, Shop 5&6, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
How to book: nemodivingcenter.com/product-category/courses/youth · +971 56 704 4472 · wa.me/971567044472 · [email protected]
Opening hours: Mon–Fri9am–8pm
Sat–Sun9am–7:30pm

Guide · 8 min readRead: One sport or several? What the evidence says about kids playing more than one sport

Questions parents ask

Good to know

Kids' sessions in a heated pool (nemodivingcenter.com)
Free on-site parking (nemodivingcenter.com)
Palm Jumeirah branch: Azure Residences; the site lists free on-site parking (nemodivingcenter.com)
Palm Jumeirah branch: wheelchair-accessible car park and entrance (Google listing)
Parents are welcome to watch from the poolside at the Dubai pool; siblings can book the same sessions (nemodivingcenter.com)
All scuba equipment is included in courses; bring swimwear, towel, change of clothes, reef-safe sunscreen and water (nemodivingcenter.com)
Some Master Seal Team missions can be done on a shallow reef in Fujairah at extra cost, with transport extra (nemodivingcenter.com)
Open-water dives for the Open Water course take place at Dibba Al-Fujairah; transport there is not included (nemodivingcenter.com)