kids incorporated

Boise Boy Writes Kids Book About Scuba Diving

By Jennifer Gelband, 8-21-06

We learn today that Boise is home to yet another kid phenom. Twelve-year-old Cody Brown became Idaho's youngest-ever Master Scuba Diver last September, and today Cody announced the release of his new book, "Scuba for Kids."

In less than a year, the young Boisean achieved the certified title and wrote a book about it, all presumably while in the rigors of grade school. Sort of makes us feel a combined sense pride (he’s from Boise!) and envy (and what have I done with my life!). But you gotta give him credit for being a go-getter in a sport that most kids don’t know a lot about. Heck, lots of adults don’t know much about scuba.

So in came Cody, who has surely been diving for most of his life, to offer his knowledge to kids just like him. He wrote the book not to just get chicks at his local junior high, but to make kids in general excited about scuba diving and aware that it can be safe, fun and educational.

In the book Cody shares his adventures as he chased his goal of becoming one of the youngest Master divers in the world. And he did it all by himself. Of course, he had support from his father Dave Brown and from instructors at Dive Magic in Boise, but Cody created all the concepts, the material and the writing in the book.

"Cody is the most dedicated scuba diver I know for his age and diving experience," Dan Kendall, an instructor for Dive Magic, said in a press release. "He has unbelievable buoyancy control. Cody also shoots underwater video and comes up with fabulous shots, which is difficult to do even with years of experience. I am also amazed by Cody's knowledge about marine life that he has gained from diving experience and from all of the reading he has done on the undersea world.”

"Scuba for Kids" will officially launch with a book signing at Dive Magic this coming Saturday, August 26. Cody will be signing copies of his book, which has a price tag of $18.95 (part of the proceeds go to Project Aware to help protect the underwater world).

As if being a Master diver and an author weren’t cool enough, Cody and his father started their own business: Scuba Cody Productions, an underwater videography business that films in high definition.

Looks like Cody’s next report card should have at least a few As – in P.E., composition and, uh, social studies.

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