We are going on vacation next month and are wondering where there is a relatively inexpensive place to go scuba diving. Also, do we need to take a lesson prior to the dive? Thanks all!!

Sorry, 5 years old is too young to be scuba diving. Even the most daring scuba agencies require children to be 8 years old or so before letting them paddle around in a pool with scuba gear and at least 10 years old to dive in open water with supervision.

Yes, scuba diving requires lessons. It is at least as complicated and risky as driving a car, and carries a risk of injury to even well-trained adult divers on every dive, There are both physiological and psychological reasons that scuba diving is an unsuitable activity for small children. Here are a couple of links that gives some convincing reasons (to me) why a child should be at least 15 (and preferably older) before getting involved with scuba diving.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~lpt/kids.htm
http://www.awoosh.com/Doc%20Vikingo%27s%20Resource%20Page/Children_&_Diving.htm