Most SCUBA equipment is not really designed or sized for younger divers. There are only a few brands that make kids lines at all. This is a shame as more and more teens and even pre-teens are taking up the sport. Having well fitted equipment is important for feeling safe and confident in the water. I started diving at 8 years old and got my own equipment at 10. I have some recommendations on gear for younger divers.
A good fitting BCD is probably the most important. A BC needs to be snug and have an appropriate lift capacity to be safe. An oversized or over-capacity BCD will make for a bad dive. The BCD that I started with is the Zeagle Ranger Junior. This is a kid’s specific version of the popular adult Ranger. Overall, this is a great BC. The entire unit was designed in a smaller size and addition, it is very adjustable. Because you can actually change out different sections of the BC, including the shoulder and waist straps, you can get a good fit for almost all kids and you can grow the BC with the kid. The only downside of this BC is the complicated weight release systems, called Ripcord. From a safety standpoint, I understand including this feature on a children’s BCD. To drop the weights, you just need to pull a single handle and all the weight drop out of pockets in the BCD. However, refitting the weights into the BCD and restringing the ripcord is complicated. You have to thread the wires back through the inside of the BCD and then thread them through the weight pocket closures. For normal diving this is fine but for SCUBA camps or during lessons, where you are practicing weight drops all the time, it becomes a real pain. I needed to find an adult to help me with this until I was older.
Regulators are also important to fit correctly. A heavy regulator with too large of a mouthpiece will really start to fatigue your jaw after a while. This is particularly true for children. The regulator that I use and really like is the Aqualung Mikron. This is a high-quality regulator and breaths really easily but is still super lightweight. For children it is really important to get a mouthpiece that fits. All regulators will come with a full-size adult mouthpiece. I know from experience that this can really hurt your jaw after a while. You can find kid’s mouthpieces of various sizes online. These are easy to fit to the regulator.
Another piece of equipment that warrants some attention is the mask. There are plenty of kids masks out there but most of them are designed for snorkeling, where pressure equalization isn’t required. Many kids have very small noses and it can be difficult, if not impossible, to squeeze your nose if the nose pocket on the mask doesn’t fit quite right. There is no single answer here. The only way to find a good mask is to try a bunch at the store until you find one that works. Always make sure that you can equalize well. The mask that I ended up using is the Gull Mantis Mini. This is a mask that was designed specifically for small faces and nose pockets that work even for tiny noses.
The final recommendation that I would make concerns wetsuits. Kids get cold much, much, much faster than adults. I have never been too hot underwater no matter how thick a wetsuit I have had on but I have been cold plenty of times. Kids should always use a wetsuit that is thicker than an adult would use in similar conditions. Even is tropical waters I will usually use a full 5mm wetsuit. If the water is a bit colder I will even use a 7 mm suit and a hood. Nothing will ruin a dive faster than being cold.