ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Recreational scuba certification levels

Hi, little buddy! Scuba diving is a fun activity that involves swimming underwater with a tank of air on your back. Before you can go scuba diving all by yourself, you need to get certified, which means you take a special course to learn how to do it safely.

There are different levels of scuba certification, kind of like getting different colored belts in karate. The first level is called "Open Water Diver." This means that you learned all the basic skills and safety rules you need to know so you can go scuba diving in places with a depth of up to 60 feet.

Once you get really good at scuba diving, you can work on getting more advanced certifications. The next level is "Advanced Open Water Diver" where you learn more complicated diving skills and practice going deeper underwater. After that, you can also get specialty certifications, like "Underwater Photography" or "Night Diving."

But even if you're a really good scuba diver, you always have to keep learning and practicing to be safe. So, you might hear about other levels of certifications like "Rescue Diver" or "Divemaster." These mean that you have even more experience and training in scuba diving, and you can help others if they get into trouble while scuba diving.

Remember, no matter what level of certification you have, always be careful and follow all the safety rules so you can have fun and stay safe underwater!