For this installment of 10 Questions for..., we decided to interview Idaho's youngest master scuba diver, 12-year-old Cody Brown. In addition to receiving his master diver certification, being oxygen provider certified, and starting his own HD video company with his dad, Cody somehow managed to find the time to write Scuba For Kids, a book for kids about diving that discusses his certification experience. Despite these pressures, Cody is amazingly grounded. How does a 12-year-old manage to do all this and remain reasonably -- even uncommonly -- sane? Read the interview and find out. Who knows: maybe Cody is the next Jacques Cousteau. Let's meet back here in a decade and discuss.

Divester: How long have you been diving, and how many dives have you logged?

Cody Brown: I have been diving for about three years now, and have logged over 70 dives. I plan to get to 100 dives by the end of the year by diving with my dad. Most of the dives that we have done are specialty dives.

Divester: What excites you about scuba diving?

CB: Going on exotic trips really makes me siked about diving, but I enjoy diving pretty much anywhere. Just the feeling of weightlessness is what I enjoy. It feels like you're in zero gravity space - just floating around and taking pictures of the scenery. I also like identifying all of the underwater life and looking inside nooks and crannies for interesting creatures that you don't see every day. I enjoy taking
video of the scenery and creatures while diving, too.

Divester: As a 12-year-old, you completed your Junior Master Scuba Diving
certification. Describe that experience.

CB: It feels really good to accomplish a deed like that and to have the notoriety. Plus, it allows me to dive deeper and explore more area that I couldn't go near with just open water certification.

Divester: In terms of the specialties you had to complete, which was the most
difficult? Which was the most fun?

CB: Probably the most difficult specialty for me would be the Rescue Diver course because of all of the scenarios that you have to remember and that you have to do procedures exactly like the book or the person you're saving could get into a worse condition. The most fun course would probably be photography or videography because it's always a thrill to take media of a dive and to see how the footage turns out.

Divester: Do people think it's weird that you're so young and yet you love to
dive so much?

CB: It seems a little strange that I'm usually the only kid on the dive boat, but all the divers we have been with have never treated me as less of a person because of my age. In fact, being a kid when diving is beneficial in some ways because I don't require as much air as an adult body, so I can dive much longer than other people.

Divester: After receiving your certification, you wrote Scuba For Kids, a book for kids about scuba diving. What made you decide to write a book?

CB: I have found out that some people think that kids shouldn't be allowed to dive because they feel kids lack the ability both mentally and physically. The book shows that some kids do have the capacity to dive if they are passionate for it. This book hopefully promotes their passion for diving by having a kid talk to a kid. The book mainly talks about me and my adventures in diving. It also covers some criteria mentioned in some courses and specialties.

Divester: What was it like to write a book?

CB: It was a lot of hard work, but I managed to get it done in about a year. It feels really good -- and weird -- to be holding the published, finished product in my hands. We are currently selling the book at local dive shops to promote diving there. We are going to DEMA in November to hold a book signing at a book store. If you would like to purchase the book, you can buy it on my website (www.scubaforkids.com).

Divester: What is Scuba Cody Productions, and what do you hope to do with it?

CB: Scuba Cody Productions is a diving video company that videotapes dives
and sells them. Both my dad and I hope to start a video series of hot dive locations around the world. This company is also another way to promote diving for kids by showing how fun and safe it can be.

Divester: What is your next scuba diving adventure?

CB: Next year, my parents are planning to go to Fiji again. This time, however, we plan to stay for two weeks rather than one. We are also planning to go to ABC islands and Key Largo.

Divester: Your website says you want a degree in Marine Biology. What would
you like to do with that?

CB: Being a marine biologist would probably allow me to work in a lab and
observe many different kinds of aquatic life, along with doing commercial field research dives. Doing those things as a paying occupation sounds really cool! I can't wait for what the future holds for me!