Jevon takes the plunge to become one of world’s youngest divers
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A 10 year-old Berwick schoolboy has just qualified as one of the youngest licensed scuba divers in the world.
Jevon Leighton, who is currently a pupil at Berwick Middle School, achieved his PADI qualification whilst on a recent family holiday to Cyprus with parents Malcolm and Diane.
Over the past two years Jevon has competed the ‘bubblemaker course’ which can be done from eight years old and is an introduction to scuba diving.
“They have to learn skills in the pool and then if comfortable are able to do shallow dives just under the surface of the sea,” said Diane.
On this years holiday, having reached the age of 10, he was able to complete the Discover Scuba course, which he passed with flying colours.
This allowed him to dive to 12m with an instructor.
On his next visit to the Dive Centre, due to his abilities and attitude, he was invited to try for his licence.
“This involved scuba skills in the pool, such as recovering a fellow diver in distress, sharing regulators etc. He then had to sit four exams and then do another two test dives out at sea,” said Malcolm.
His instructor, who has 30 years experience in diving, said he has never recommended anyone Jevon’s age to try for a full PADI licence nor had he met anyone who had passed at the age of 10.
Jevon is now looking forward to devloping his skills and techniques on further dives so that he can progress to open dives which will allow him onto wreck sites once he is 15.
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Weather for Berwick-Upon-Tweed
Monday 20 May 2013
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