12-year-old boy becomes youngest scuba diving master

By Sally Murrer and Faye Mayern via SWNS

A 12-year-old schoolboy has become the UK's youngest Master Scuba diver after completing the qualification on his birthday.

Zak Egan, who has been diving since the age of eight, is the youngest in the world to complete the achievement in cold water.

He completed PADI Junior Advanced Open Water, Junior Rescue Diver and Junior Master Scuba Diver qualifications on Sept. 13.

The lad believes he could be the youngest Master Scuba diver in the world - a title currently held by Matteo Miller who was 12 in August this year.

Twelve is the minimum age that the exams can be taken.

Zak, from Milton Keynes, Bucks, said: "It feels amazing and I want to expand on my qualifications and do more.

"I've always been interested in going under the water and seeing everything like the fish and the seals.

"I want to dive between the tectonic plates in Iceland next and dive in Egypt and the Maldives."

Zak’s diving started with the bubble maker course when he was eight years old and when he was 10, he became a qualified scuba diver .

After gaining his Open Water license, Zak also completed his Adventure Diver and Speciality qualifications.

On September 13 - his 12th birthday - he completed his Advanced Open Water qualification with a deep dive down to 21 meters.

He also had to perform exercises dealing with a distressed diver and find a missing buddy at the bottom of Stoney Cove, in Leicester.

He brought the 'unconscious' adult diver to the surface, then towed them to the shore while performing emergency care.

Zak has dived around some small wrecks in the Mediterranean Sea in Cyprus, a lost sunken city in Naples and also in the Grottos off Nerano, on the Amalfi Coast.

The youngster said his favorite dives include the ones in Italy but he also enjoys swimming in the cold UK water - and seeing the seals.

Dad Andy Egan, 47, said: "Being younger makes it so much more difficult. Getting the kit to fit you is really hard.

"It makes kids more buoyant and when you need to descend into the water, it can be difficult.

"Zak is 35 kilos in weight but he has to carry 12 kilos on a weight belt in order to go down - and that's on top of all of the other kit.

"When you're abroad, the water could be 25 to 30 degrees but in the cold water of the UK, Zak usually dives in about ten degrees.

"The water conditions aren't always great and the visibility can be quite poor."

Andy also got his own Master Scuba Diver qualification on the same day - although Zak beat him by an hour.

He said: "For Zak, he doesn't have any fear. I was more scared when I first started diving.

"I've been diving on and off for about 15 years and when Zak decided he wanted to go diving when he was old enough, he got me back into it.

"We go out together and you do become dependent on each other as we keep each other safe. It's been a real good experience and it has kept me fitter than ever before.

"Zak has many more diving adventures to come."

Zak, who dives every weekend, has now completed 57 dives at different locations around the UK and abroad.

He trained through Northampton Scuba School and said it was an "incredible achievement".

Zak is also dedicated to kickboxing, where he is a brown belt, and is a competitive gymnast having competed in the English Silver Tumbling competition.

The schoolboy has now reached the highest qualification he can as a recreational diver but is aiming for his full face mask and driver propulsive vehicle qualification.

When he is 15, he can begin his professional diving career.

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