In a world overflowing with screens, notifications and digital noise, it’s easier than ever to be physically together but miles apart. And, with the world now living inside our smartphones, we can “travel” anywhere without ever leaving the couch. In the process, we often forget to share real experiences with the people right beside us.
The answer to the problem? Experiences that can’t be ignored.
From gliding alongside sea lions to exploring wrecks, scuba diving delivers some of the most awe-inspiring experiences on the planet. These once-in-a-lifetime moments are truly valuable on their own. But, sharing them with friends, family and loved ones makes them even better.
PADI Club™ helps make these moments happen. Through its travel inspiration, community connections and exclusive perks, members gain the motivation to create underwater memories, finding common ground and building stories they’ll talk about for years.
Keep reading to meet real PADI Club members whose underwater experiences have brought them closer together, strengthening their bonds in ways only an activity like scuba diving can.
Father-Daughter Diving Time
Our first PADI Club member story comes from a father and daughter who use diving as their way to spend quality time together.
The father, like so many caregivers will understand, told us how challenging it can be to find time to connect with an active teenager. “She’s usually busy with school and other activities, even during the summer,” he said. But their search for connection to each other led them underwater. “We wanted to get more diving experience and spend more time together. This is how we like to bond,” they both remarked.
For the two of them, one of the biggest benefits of PADI Club has been the community. As the daughter shared, “It’s great connecting with people who love the same things we do.”
They also discussed about how valuable PADI Club’s eLearning discount, and the resulting savings, has been. “We’re planning to do our Enriched Air (Nitrox) Diver certification next, and then a few more…maybe Drift Diver at some point,” said the dad.
When asked how scuba diving helps form bonds the daughter explained, “Being in and around the ocean can spark a real passion. When young people dive, they learn to care about the ocean.”
As for why she personally loves diving, she told us, “For me, it’s an adventure. From the first time I tried it decades ago, the underwater world felt like a completely new universe. Each dive you notice more, recognize more, and you feel a sense of accomplishment as your skills grow.”
And sharing that growth together has become a core part of their father-daughter bond.
For her father, scuba diving offers something emotional and grounding. He mentioned, “I definitely feel awe when I see something like an octopus. Being underwater is adventurous, but it’s also calming. It lets me relax and step away from everything happening on the surface. That’s why I love it.”
A Family Who Dive Together, Thrive Together
Our second story follows a father and son, Pedro and Gael Calvillo, who live in the Dominican Republic.
For this family, the love of diving can be traced back to a single experience. Pedro told us, ”When my five children were still young. We did snuba, where you’re connected to the compressor, and everyone liked it.” Pedro then doubled down on underwater adventure for his family’s next vacation, and they haven’t looked back since. He said, “When we got to Santo Domingo, everyone got certified.”
Everyone that is, except Gael, who was still too young. However, diving was obviously in his blood, and seeing his siblings and family dive inspired him to become Open Water Diver certified the moment he could. Gael explained, “I really wanted to get certified myself, so I could dive with my brothers. They were going diving everywhere and I couldn’t. So I was really happy when I turned 10, and I could join them.”
As a scuba-obsessed family, being PADI Club members makes perfect sense. In short, anytime they’re near the water, they’re thinking about diving. “If we go to a beach, we’re always looking for where we can dive,” Pedro remarked.
On his bond with his father, Gael explained, “My dad taught me almost everything I know about diving, apart from my instructors, who obviously taught me during the training. But he taught me everything about the computers. So yes, he’s taught me everything I know about diving.” His resulting love for diving means Gael has set his sights high, “I would like to get to the next level — to be able to go deeper, to keep progressing and to become a Divemaster.”
His advice for other young people? Trust the adults who encourage them. “The sea, if you look at it from above, you don’t realize everything that’s below. It’s a completely new experience,” continued Gael. “I feel that older people realize that and want to explore below. And every time I talk to older people, they tell me they wish they had started diving when they were younger.”
How PADI Club Can Help You Build Bonds
PADI Club is the world’s largest community of scuba divers. It’s a global family built on a shared love of the underwater world, and it rewards members with inspiring scuba content, free courses, exclusive discounts and access to a global community of like-minded divers.
PADI Club membership includes:
- An annual subscription to Scuba Diving® magazine
- Up to 20% off select PADI eLearning™ courses
- A free, members-only PADI Club eCard™
- Access to PADI Club’s Speaker Series
- A free Online ReActivate® Scuba Refresher
- A free Online DAN® Prepared Diver course
- 25% off a new certification card
- Additional money-saving discounts
Join PADI Club and Make Memories That Go Deeper
If you love diving, you can use the perks included with PADI Club to stay active, inspired and save money. But most importantly, you’ll have the tools to create unforgettable memories with the people who matter most.
