Outfitting your Kids dive gear for Summer

Many families are choosing to stay closer to home trips this summer and are actively looking for fun, meaningful programs to enroll their kids in — or even join them for family dive vacations in well established, PADI 5 star resorts with the safety of a fully escorted and tried and true hosted group trip with Kids Sea Camp in the Caribbean. Bonaire, St. Eustatius, St. Lucia, and Cayman Brac are top choices this summer!

Easy and quick to get to with multiple flights each week. Prices are finally lowering on round-trip air, and packages are all-inclusive, making it more affordable for families to travel with Kids Sea Camp. So let’s get you ready to go diving.

Parents are more than willing to invest in proper scuba gear for their children, just like they do with ski equipment during ski season.

First, I’ll be upfront: I personally am a SCUBAPRO fan, and that is my personal choice for my own diving. But I’m going to be very fair in my suggestions for kids because the supply is quite limited these days.

Support your reps and support your local dive shops. This is super important.

We are all frustrated when people walk into their dive shop to try on a bunch of equipment and uttilize local experties and then buy from an unproven online source. When I sell them gear, I service that gear when needed, I assist when something needs to be adjusted or upgraded, and I build a relationship and trust that lasts.

When people buy online or purchase second-hand gear, you never know exactly what you’re getting or if it even works as it should. Dive gear is life-saving equipment — it’s no joke to discover on a dive that something doesn’t function properly. Your local dive shop is the trusted, true source to make sure everything is ready to go and safe to use.

I Go for color! Kids love blue, red, yellow, aqua, purple, and green. Scuba Pro and Seac have fun colors to offer families who want to color coordinate.

I absolutely recommend soft silicone skirts and a neoprene strap. Little kids’ faces need soft skirts that press lightly against their skin so they won’t leak or hurt from being too tight. Neoprene straps — or even your store-logoed mask straps — are a huge hit. Consider giving one free with every full gear set purchase.

• For SASY kids ages 3–7, Seac has one of the smallest and most comfortable masks on the market: the BAIA KID. It runs about $30 and comes in blue or pink.
• For older kids (12+), SCUBAPRO’s Zoom mask line is ultra-lightweight with soft silicone and comes in fun colors, starting around $99.
• In my opinion the most comfortable dive mask on the market, you have to only try on a Synergy 2 Twin Trufit to feel the difference. Its Trufit Technology design incorporates not one but two separate silicone skirts -a reliable watertight seal on virtually all face shapes.

Bundling a fins-mask-snorkel set gives parents easy choices and a slight discount on the full package — they love that.

Many parents like strap fins because they feel the kids can grow into them and get more years of use. However, after 26 years of outfitting thousands of children through Kids Sea Camp, I can tell you that kids themselves prefer full-foot fins. Strap fins require booties, which keep little feet hot and soggy — and that means an extra, unnecessary purchase. Full-foot fins are soft and comfortable, and they pair beautifully with fun dive socks.

Scuba socks are flying off the shelves right now — the fun colors and patterns sell themselves.
Rash guards are a must!

Long-sleeve rash guards help with sun protection and jellyfish stings — two things parents and kids worry about most, not to mention a layer of warmth.

I make it easy for moms and dads. Most parents don’t want to learn that a regulator includes a first stage, second stage, octopus, gauges, and a computer. Have complete, ready-to-go bundles displayed and priced.

For little ones in Seal Team or Rangers programs (ages 8–10), my top two choices are:

• The Seac Ego — available in sizes XXXS to S. It’s perfect for the littlest divers and gives them room to grow. $450
• The SCUBAPRO Rebel at $500 — a higher price point, but the best quality and longest-lasting with proper care.

A good-fitting BCD is so important. It gives kids confidence because it’s their own gear with their own weight system, releases, and comfort. The regulator’s second stage should be ultra-lightweight with the smallest mouthpiece available for maximum comfort.

We at Kids Sea Camp put the whole kit together in a nice mesh bag.

We help families to ensure a perfect fit on little faces, and check that fins are not too small or too big so they’ll actually last through the summer. Parents truly appreciate the guidance. Consider special Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts. Im sure mom could use a new mask or BCD maybe dad is ready too.

We offer multiple gear manufacturers. Seac, and Scubapro. I’d love to hear how these suggestions work for you this season — drop me a note or tag Kids Sea Camp on social media with your best kids’ gear needs or purchases.

Kids Sea Camp is number 1 when it comes to outfitting kids. Give us a call to outfit your family this summer. Regardless if it’s one item or a full set, our expertise is available to you any time. We are a certified SCUBAPRO, SEAC, and SEALIFE dealer. Always make your dive shop your first choice, and if Kids Sea Camp is your dive shop, we appreciate your loyalty and trust. Supporting small businesses whenever possible.

We look forward to diving with you.
Margo Peyton