In a significant achievement, a city student has become the world’s youngest PADI-certified Junior Open Water Diver, a day after his 10th birthday, his family members said on Friday. The boy Dwit A. Nandu, studying in Class 4 in St. Francis D’Assisi High School, celebrated his 10th birthday on Thursday (August 24) and the new lau- rel was proclaimed on Friday at Temple Adventures, Pondicherry, said his joyous father Dr. Amit Nandu, who is a professor of Accountancy in H.R. College of Commerce & Economics. Scuba Diving is regulated by the Australia-based Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI), works in 186 countries, and issues certification to divers which makes them qualified to dive around the world.
“As per PADI rules, the minimum age for a certified diver is 10 years. At 10 years one can begin the course and then get certified. Dwit’s 10th Birthday was on 24 August. He had started preparing for the course well in advance and he completed it today, creating a world record,” gushed Dr Nandu. He explained that the rigorous course involved learning advanced swimming, the ability to swim 200 meters without any aid or support, studying five modules, cracking a written exam based on them, finishing confined water training in a swimming pool, and then completing four open water dives. For the past year, Dwit was immersed deep in the preparations for his global record, undergoing swimming coaching at a club in Borivali, and then for the PADI-certified Temple Adventures diving centre in Pondicherry.
In a certificate issued by the instructor Riyas Jalal, the East Coast Watersports Pvt Ltd said: “Dwit has completed his Scuba Diver Course on his 10th birthday on 24 August 2023, diving to the depth of 40 feet and finished his PADI Junior Open Water Diver Course on 25 August 2023 around 0800 hrs. Thus, he attained the position of youngest Junior Open Water Diver in the world by completing the course at the age of 10 years and 18 hours.”