At an age when most kids are busy watching cartoons and debating over their favourite movie stars, a 12-year-old girl from Bengaluru has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the world’s youngest female master scuba diver. Kyna Khare took her first dive in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands at the age of 10. Thrilled by the experience, she pursued diving classes and, two years later, has now become a master diver.
“I started scuba diving when I was 10,” the 12-year-old said in an interview with news agency ANI. “My first time was in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands,” describing it as a “fun” and “tandem dive.”
Her scuba diving training took her to Bali, where she completed her open water course, and to Thailand, where she completed her advanced water course after which she officially became a master diver in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, she said.
Her accomplishments include advanced open water certification, underwater photography, specialised Nitrox diving, excellent buoyancy control, rescue diver training and a variety of specialty courses.
Kyna called the water her “second home” claiming it was “so much fun, absolutely amazing and very calm and relaxing.” “The fish also do not do anything to you unless you attack them,” she said.
The 12-year-old girl credited her parents, who also share a love for scuba diving, for their support throughout her journey to become a master diver. Her mother, Anshuma, called her a “water baby.”
Recalling her scariest experience while learning scuba diving in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Kyna told ANI that the weather was extremely “challenging and unpleasant.” She had to complete her rescue diving course amidst “choppy waters, heavy storms and rain.” Despite these conditions, she successfully dived into the water to bring an unconscious diver back to the boat, which was 20 metres away.
Speaking about the challenges she faced while diving underwater, Kyna said, “You just don’t have any idea about what is going to happen.” She mentioned difficulties like bad weather affecting visibility, the risk of losing sight of her diving partner and occasional encounters with aggressive fish. “One has to be careful,” she said.
In addition to diving in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bali and Thailand, she has also scuba dived in the Maldives. “Every single place is unique,” she said.
Fascinated by the underwater ecosystem and sea creatures, she said, “My personal favourites are sea turtles; they are amazing and large.”
Talking about Kyna’s empowering journey, her mother Anshuma shared that she learned to swim at the age of two by swimming in their apartment’s pool. The girl aspires to study marine science to deepen her knowledge about the underwater world.
Initially, Kyna’s parents were hesitant to allow their daughter to pursue scuba diving due to their own fears. However, they decided to give it a try after seeing their daughter’s passion for diving. “We did not know if it was possible. Through specialised instructors, she could do a first dive. She wanted to do more and get certified. We did not want to push her because we had our fears, but we decided to give it a shot because of her passion. It strengthened our belief that she should pursue her passion,” said Anshuma.
Kyna’s father takes care of her diet, sleep schedule, and other safety protocols.
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