Families who love diving can probably remember two distinct eras of family vacations—one when you needed to get a babysitter if you wanted to dive, and one where you could finally dive together when your kids grew older.

Today, camps let kids start training to be tomorrow’s snorkelers, divers and ocean lovers—and make new friends too. And they can start as young as age 6.

Teri Leicher, CEO of Jack’s Diving Locker, says the Kona-based dive shop first started running its kids camps in the 1980s to keep local kids busy, active and learning about the incredible Big Island environments.

“We all had kids. They needed things to do. That’s how it all started,” says Leicher about the camps, all led by counselors with a range of PADI certifications.

Weeklong day camps offer themed education, training and fun for kids from the ages of 6 to 18. For parents who want to dive while their kids are entertained and learning something new, it’s a win-win.

“This is the opportunity for us to instill that passion and knowledge at a child’s level and inspire them.”

Here are a few of the camps, broken down by age.

Related Reading: 5 Ways to Get Your Kids Excited About Scuba Diving

1. Keiki Sea Camp

Ages 6 & 7

Kids (keiki, in Hawaiian) get introduced to marine life such as dolphins, whales, sharks and reef fish while enjoying pool time, snorkeling sessions at the surface using a scuba-like system called a SASY and beach time. “We have these cute little BCDs they put on, and they have the regulator, but they stay on top of the water,” explains the kids camp director, Brandi Hofmann. They’ll explore tidal pools, create marine-themed arts and crafts, and learn about conservation too.

2. Sea Camp Hawaii and Seal Team Camps

Ages 8 to 12

Six themed camps in the Sea Camp Hawaii series range from different weeks devoted to dolphins and whales, octopuses, eels and reef fish, sea turtles, islands and coral reefs, and sharks and rays. This group learns to appreciate underwater life through the PADI Advanced Snorkeler course and gets initiated into scuba diving via the PADI Bubblemaker or Discover Scuba Diving programs. Kids who take all six Sea Camps receive the Jack’s Diving Locker Hawaiian Marine Life Ambassador Award. The Seal Team Scuba Camp is another option that includes snorkeling and basic scuba skills in the pool. A second-week Master Seal Team Scuba Camp add-on gets campers into the ocean for a shallow coral reef dive.

3. Scuba Certification and Advanced Certification Camps

Ages 12 to 18

There’s a real sense of accomplishment in this age group for completing their PADI Junior Open Water Diver (ages 12 to 14) and Advanced (age 15 to 18) courses during a week of camp that comes with an introduction to Hawaiian marine life, shoreline-cleanup outings at local Kona beaches and advanced specialty courses like PADI Underwater Naturalist and Underwater Navigator.

Whether you sign up for a week or just a day camp, it’s all about driving home the ocean’s biggest lessons in a nurturing and fun environment—and on one of the most beautiful islands on Earth.