Just about anybody who is comfortable and relaxed in the water — and who has the desire — can learn to scuba dive. This includes children as young as twelve and seniors well into their seventies.

• Do you have to be an athlete or a competitive swimmer? Not really. Almost anyone who is comfortable and relaxed in the water can learn to scuba dive. If you can swim a couple lengths of the pool and tread water, float or drownproof, you can most likely dive.

• Don’t certain medical conditions disqualify you from diving? Only very few. So long as you are in good cardiovascular and respiratory health, and not on any drugs that might cause complications under water, getting a physician’s approval to dive is generally easy. And, if you can honestly answer No to all of the questions on the medical history form, you won’t even have to get your doctor’s okay.

• What about kids? Children ages 12 to 14 can qualify for Junior certification, which requires they dive with an adult until age 15.

Additionally:

• Anyone 17 or younger: Must have a parent or legal guardian sign all paperwork.

• Kids ages 12 to 14: Must have a parent or legal guardian on site during their open-water training dives. They can either take part in a private class or in a group class with no more than three other students of any age.

• Kids ages 15 to 17: Must have a parent or legal guardian sign all course paperwork.

You would be surprised at the range of people who dive. There are even special programs to help paraplegics and quadriplegics experience the underwater world. More than anything else, it just takes desire.