We’re connected now more than ever before, right? But what is really keeping us connected? Is it Wi-Fi networks, electronic devices and social media feeds, or is it good old-fashioned recreation and adventure? Maybe it’s a little bit of both, but one thing is certain: Family relationships are strengthened by sharing unforgettable experiences and by having fun together. As families across the globe have already discovered, scuba diving can open a whole new world of opportunities for families to reconnect and build bonds that last a lifetime.

Diving as a family is an adventure that benefits the entire family. Exploring amazing underwater environments and discovering the exotic creatures that inhabit them is an intense, intimate experience that’s memorable for each individual, but when shared by loved ones, that impact is intensified. In our modern lives, where electronic distractions often put up walls between parents and kids, scuba diving is a team-oriented activity that creates a common ground where generations can connect through shared adventures.

Just think about the amazing conversations you’ll have around the dinner table, remembering that time when Dad totally missed that awesome eagle ray swimming right behind him, or when Sister spotted a tiny orange frogfish on the reef while everyone else just swam by without noticing. Not to mention the fun and excitement of planning your next dive trip together. When so many things in our daily family lives work to separate and disconnect us, scuba diving is a powerful unifier. And the NAUI Scuba Diver certification course is a great fit for water-friendly families ready to learn to dive together.

The National Association of Underwater Instructors, or NAUI, is one of the industry’s largest and most respected international certification agencies, with professionals serving across the globe. NAUI provides its instructors the flexibility to customize their scuba diving courses to suit the needs of each family member, no matter each person’s level of experience in the water. The only prerequisite skill is knowing how to swim. And with NAUI Dive Centers and instructors located around the world, chances are good that there’s a store near you, where knowledgeable staff will help you find the right instructor, the proper equipment for everyone in your crew and everything else you’ll need to get started and continue diving together long into the future.

For children, learning to dive not only develops their personal confidence and expands their worldview, but it also strengthens their focus because the course, as well as the activity, demands full attention. Diving is a sport that can’t be adequately simulated through a video game — nor interrupted by cellphones — so it provides quality time in the real world for teens who are often glued to a screen. Learning to dive will also enhance kids’ understanding of science, from marine biology to human physiology, and they’ll be having so much fun diving that they won’t even notice that they’re learning. A key part of the NAUI Credo is the “loved-one concept,” which means that an individual should not be qualified as a NAUI instructor unless those certifying them would allow that instructor to teach their own loved ones to dive. NAUI instructors assign that same measure to every diver they train — would they allow their divers to dive with someone they love? Thus, parents can be confident that their child’s NAUI instructor will have their well-being and best interests in mind, not their profit margin.

As a parent, you too can experience similar benefits and be reminded of what it’s like to discover a new passion for the first time. Watching your young ones grow before your eyes as they develop as divers is a special kind of satisfaction. Seeing the underwater world through their eyes as they explore colorful reefs, mysterious shipwrecks or towering kelp forests offers a powerful perspective, and scuba diving delivers that valuable commodity on every single dive.

You can’t be on the field when they score the winning goal or walk across the stage with them at graduation, but you can be there alongside them as their dive buddy when they encounter their first whale shark and have their mind blown by the fact that they are breathing underwater and floating weightlessly as if in outer space. Let NAUI training help your family disconnect from outside distractions, and spend quality time together through scuba diving — a proven way to build strong family bonds that will last for generations.