More amazing words of creativity from our families that traveled to Fiji.
Fiji is a dream come true
Filled with shades of every blue
Our troubles seem so far away
Where only happy days are had
And lots of memories far from sad
With new friends to be made
Especially that scary Ron Rogest
He filled our days with lots and lots of dots that was the best
Kids Sea Camp where kids can play without a care
And moms and dads have special moments to share
Oh how I will long for these days
Where sunshine and happiness guide our ways
Although this was my second time participating in the Teen Diver group during Kids Sea Camp Bonaire, it was still an awesome week. I saw a lot of things I hadn’t seen in the water last year, and going back to the donkey sanctuary was pretty sweet. And even though Bonaire is a small island, I am never bored there, and I can’t wait to go back again.
The diving was really cool, yet again. There were many fish, and the water was warm and clear. I even had the experience of seeing my first manta. It was also nice to see Charlie the Tarpon again. That’s certainly one way to know you are at Buddy Dive in Bonaire.
Meeting new friends
While in Bonaire, I was able to see my old friends and make a few new ones. If you are a teenager and you’re sick of your friends back home (no offense to all of you), Kids Sea Camp is the place to be. You are guaranteed to make friends, especially in Bonaire, where many families go (mainly because it is the cheapest Kids Sea Camp, and what parents don’t like is going diving for as little money as possible?). The other good thing about Kids Sea Camp Bonaire and being a teen diver is that you are ALWAYS with your new friends. That is what makes Kids Sea Camp so much fun.
Bonaire is a great place for teens, especially for a Kids Sea Camp, because school just ended. I like to think of it as a way to celebrate the end of the school year. If you treat Bonaire like a celebration for any occasion, you and your friends are sure to have a great time.
Buddy Dive is a great place for us teens to have a good time because there is a lot for us to do at the resort, and there is a really good ice cream store two blocks away. Who doesn’t like good ice cream on a hot Caribbean day? We can also go swimming (pool or ocean) and jump off cliffs into the water (tell your parents it isn’t THAT high, but it’s high enough to get some good hang time).
Rogest
This year, we had the experience of Ron Steven (better known as Rogest) coming to Bonaire. Although Ron seems like the kind of guy who would appeal more to five-year-olds, I think he is one of the coolest people you can have a vacation with. He is funny, he will make you a better artist, and he is just a great source of entertainment. He also likes to embarrass you in a funny way that won’t make you too mad; you’ll end up laughing.
I would recommend Kids Sea Camp Bonaire to all of you teen divers. It is a fun place, and the diving is great whether you have been certified for 5 years or are still a beginner diver. And to the parents who have never been to Bonaire, it’s a fun place for you, too. Don’t even worry about your teens during the day, Buddy Dive and Kids Sea Camp make sure we are all safe and having a great time.
Kids Sea Camp spotlight on the Philippines with Zebedee Wakely
A young boy with a passion for photography, he has been traveling to Kids Sea Camp every summer. This year, Zebedee went with us to the Philippines, diving with Sea Explorers to Amun Ini, Cabilao, and Malapascua. Zebedee decided to enter his Ornate ghost pipefish photo in the RSPCA photo competition. He chose this Ornate ghost pipefish taken at Amun Ini Beach Resort in Ando, Philippines. He won the 12-15 category of the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards 2016.
Zeb has been traveling with KSC since he was 5, joined by his sister Holly and parents Dave and Cathy. Congrats, again! They are featured in our 2016 and 2017 catalogs. We are proud to inspire, educate, and connect children and their families from around the world. Thank you, Zebedee, for sharing your adventures and passion with the world. Young photographer of the year
Zebedee told his mom and dad that he had submitted one of his photos for a photo contest; they had no idea how big a deal this really was. Zeb has been shooting since he was 9. Zebedee was inspired to start shooting underwater photography when he started attending Kids Sea Camp weeks with his family. Zebedee has been to Yap and Palau, the Cayman Islands, Bonaire, St. Lucia, and Curacao, just to name a few of his Kids Sea Camp trips.
He started his own shark foundation at 11 years old in Bermuda, where he lives, after learning that 100 million sharks are killed each year for their fins. Zebedee has a passion and a purpose that drives him not only to shoot but to make a statement. At his young age, he captures color, texture, and design in nature that not everyone else can see. Zebedee is 14 this year, and he was our young photographer for the entire Philippines Kids Sea Camp trip.
More of his photos can be seen on Facebook using #kidsseacamp and in our photo gallery at www.familydivers.com. Zebedee has a sister named Holly, who is on the cover of our 2017 brochure, and her story is located just inside.
Two amazing kids! Kids Sea Camp provides Sealife HD 2.0 cameras for the kids and families to use throughout their trips.
Our 2025 diving scholarships and training grants are now open for application. Each year, Ocean Wishes and Kids Sea Camp sponsor 12 diving scholarships and training grants for kids who would otherwise never have the chance to learn to scuba dive. The donated funds are for full scholarships and partial grants for underprivileged kids who need help finding their way to the underwater world.
From 2010 through 2024, Ocean Wishes has provided the Women’s Diver Hall of Fame with $35,000 (plus 35 dive training grants) each year. See the scholarships page at WDHOF. (See link)
We believe that by fostering direct hands-on experience with our beautiful undersea world, children and their parents will make better choices about living with and loving our marine environments. We also sponsor many children around the U.S. and in local island communities such as Grand Cayman, Yap, Utila, Galapagos, the Philippines, and Fiji. We support workshops, outreach programs, and scuba diving certifications—wishes you made!
Ocean Wishesoffers scholarships and training grants in these categories: contact Tom Peyton at tom@oceanwishes.org for more information and apply. Please share the link with other dive industry professionals, educational institutions, dive stores, and dive buddies — all ocean-minded individuals you may know. We believe that when people understand and appreciate the beauty of our oceans, they will become motivated adults committed to protecting the environment for future generations. Experience is an influential teacher, and Ocean Wishes is dedicated to allowing children and their families to experience the underwater world.
Scholarships in 2025
Dive Master Advanced Education $700
PADI Jr. Open Water $500
PADI Public Safety Diver $300
PADI Advanced Dive Training Rescue, Advanced Open Water $500
Life-changing moments at Kids Sea Camp happen every day
Kids Sea Camp is one of the greatest programs I have ever participated in. The week is a wonderful, life-changing event like nothing I have ever seen. I thoroughly enjoy seeing young kids learn to dive right next to their parents and siblings. It has enriched my life greatly because, through Kids Sea Camp, I have learned amazing skills, met new friends, and grown closer to my family.
The first reason Kids Sea Camp has enriched my life is the skills I have learned each camp week. My first trip was Grand Cayman, where I learned proper diving techniques, and how vital underwater conservation is. I discovered underwater photography and first aid skills. In 2016, I became a Dive Master at Buddy Dive, Bonaire Kids Sea Camp week with Woody Tinsley. I learned about the science behind diving, what people look for in a leader, how to deal with people in distress, and I learned so many new skills and how to teach them. The knowledge I have gained at Kids Sea Camp has enriched my life.
Another reason is the friends I have met each year. Thanks to Kids Sea Camp, I have friends all over the world. I have met many amazing people at Kids Sea Camp and made more amazing memories than I can count. There are always other kids my age, and diving with other kids is so much fun. It is easy to make new friends, but I enjoy creating exciting new memories with my family and other adult divers. An example of that is when Tom Peyton and I were in Fiji, we kept all the families and kids entertained and had fun with me playing the guitar and him singing. There is even a Karaoke night on the KSC weeks. We also played volleyball every afternoon.
One of my favorite Kids Sea Camp Instructors is Woody Tinsley, he is hilarious and so much fun. Woody teaches the Zombie Apocalypse PADI course and was my Instructor for my PADI Dive Master Course. Mr. Tinsley made sure that I learned every skill perfectly. He is the kind of instructor I hope to be like one day. Woody is only one of the instructors on the great team at Kids Sea Camp. I can honestly say some of the most extraordinary people I have ever met, I met through Kids Sea Camp.
The final reason Kids Sea Camp has enriched my life is that it has helped me grow closer to my own family through travel and diving together. At our first Kids Sea Camp, my sister had never dived before and had no interest in learning. I was able to convince her to try to overcome her fear. After she was certified, she, I, and our whole family love diving and traveling with Kids Sea Camp and Margo & Tom.
“My life is forever changed and enriched because of Kids Sea Camp and I love to travel and dive and will continue to do so for many more years to come. I hope to become a dive instructor and work for Kids Sea Camp so I can become a part of enriching other people lives too. Kids Sea Camp is truly life-changing!” — James Devinney
What is even more special in my eyes is being able to dive with my little brother, Jason. He has a passion for the sport, just like the rest of our family, and there is nowhere else in the world I can think of that will teach someone his age to dive. Jason is currently a PADI Seal and gets to dive in the ocean with the Kids Sea Camp. We would have usually had to split up our family and not have been able to include Jason. At Kids Sea Camp, I get to dive with my little brother and the whole family together. So, Kids Sea Camp has enriched my life and my entire family’s lives.
Any family would clearly see how amazing Kids Sea Camp is. I think it’s one of the most fantastic family vacations in the world! It gets families to unplug and reconnect with each other through adventure and fun. It makes me grateful for my family and the smiles and memories we create together. I wish there were more people like Tom and Margo because they make the world a better place. Margo has a passion for kids, diving, and the ocean, and she loves teaching kids and family members to dive and love the ocean from the age of 5.
Manta Ray Bay Resort, Yap. 2016: Yap and Palau have the strongest cultural bonds in Micronesia, are geographically next door to each other, and both offer unique family travel opportunities. Come here for the natural beauty, island culture, and iconic diving in marine sanctuaries on an eco-adventure. The Micronesia experience is embodied in nature, culture, and conservation. Yap and Palau put an exclamation point on your family’s trip for divers and non-divers alike.
These destinations have a lot of advanced diver allure; they come with special cultural and land-based opportunities for every traveler. Nothing says to bring the whole family more than non-diver adventures that rival the experiences of Vertigo, Blue Corner, or an Oolong Channel drift.
Each day of a Family Divers package includes eco-activities for small children, teens, and non-diving adults. In Yap and Palau, that means kayaking through the rock islands or a rich mangrove forest. Or taking a WWII history tour or visiting a traditional village, being “local” for a day, learning about village life or traditional skills and engaging people on a unique cultural excursion. Enjoy a private beach, snorkeling with manta rays, reef sharks, chambered nautilus, and giant clams.
Unplugging in Yap
Yap will help you forget about bling and the busy world. Here you’ll find a mix of fellow adventure travelers relaxing in the natural energy that comes from an undeveloped island. Your world shrinks down to 38 square miles of mangroves and gold sand beaches. A rainforest backdrop speckled with coconut trees, and your front yard is a glassy lagoon. It won’t take long until nature’s rhythm dominates. And you’ll notice your body feeling the tide changes and the afternoon sun falling behind the island.
Yap and Palau offer our modern lifestyle some counterbalance – busyness and our multi-tasking, the world gives way to the moment, and you might find yourself feeling and trying something new to you – after all, that’s why we travel, to learn something, engage ourselves, and embrace the world we live in.
This is where family time includes understanding our ecosystem, what threatens it, and what we can do to change that – then diving or snorkeling with protected animals. Yap and Palau have taken big steps in marine conservation through locally grown island initiatives. Yap established the world’s first government-backed manta ray sanctuary, which now includes shark and turtle protection, and legislation that allows these animals to safely interact with divers in ultra-close proximity every day.
The blue water classroom
Kids Sea Camp safely pairs kids with sharks through education and adventure. Led by local marine mammal experts and professional dive guides in Yap. “Vertigo” is a blue water classroom where divers of all levels safely interact with schools of reef sharks. Before entering the water, divers and snorkelers learn about the site, shark behavior, and how to safely observe these animals as a family.
Get some blue sky and clear water “me time” through careful activity planning. Parents dive on a private boat and a dive plan. Kids dive with extra guides on their own boats at different sites. Non-divers begin their adventure right after breakfast. Mixing it up brings the family together in the middle of the adventure. See your kids in a village on their surface interval. They might tell you that they just swam with a whale shark.
At the end of the day, photography lights up the dinner table with SeaLife cameras, smartphones with GoPro footage, or tablets being passed around. While fragments of the stories can be heard amid the excitement. Parents, kids, divers, non-divers, everyone gets their adventure. Whether you went to the reef, eco-touring, fishing, or getting your zen on at the spa. Yap and Palau; do them both and get two countries, two islands, two cultures. . . in one vacation.
Even a non-diving mom loves Kids Sea Camp all year round
By Janet Martin, a non-diving mom
So, I wanted to tell you about two things that happened today that reminded me of Kids Sea Camp. To be truthful, not a day goes by that someone in our family doesn’t speak of Kids Sea Camp.
It is now August 15. This morning, when I woke up and went downstairs to the kitchen to make coffee, I looked out the window and saw the subtle changes of the season. The color of the water was different, the wind was blowing the trees differently, and when I opened the door, the air had a crispness to it, and it smelled different — it smelled like fall! Ahh! I love fall, but it means winter is just around the corner. I am not a fan of winter. I try to embrace it but my thoughts always return to Kids Sea Camp. I think of Kids Sea Camp and I’m a non-diver, that’s how amazing the weeks are.
The second thing that happened was with my son. We went to get the mail and he received an envelope from PADI! He was beyond excited. Enclosed was his PADI Seal Team card. His smile will be in my memories forever. He is a PADI Seal because of Kids Sea Camp. Kids Sea Camp is unique to us. Perhaps that is why we think of it often. Our children can now explore and experience things in life that before they would not have had the opportunity to do.
My name is Janet Martin, my husband Tim and our two children Isaac (8) and Allie (5) would like to tell you about our experience with Kids Sea Camp. It has taken me a long time to focus and figure out what Kids Sea Camp means to me. I have had a lot of thoughts go through my head, but I keep coming back to the word Peace. Kids Sea Camp means Peace to me. Sort of silly I know, because you would not naturally put these two things together.
Our journey with Kids Sea Camp began with a desire to get back into traveling. After the long winters everyone has endured on the Northeast Coast, we were looking for a vacation that would make us happy, comfortable, accommodating, and, of course, Tim has to dive.
I will often read my husband’s dive magazines (being a non-diver) to see what is happening in the dive world. I saw a Kids Sea Camp advertisement and asked Tim, “What do you think about this? Should we call and see what this is about?” (Remember, this is not something we would ever do.) Curious and desperate to find a solution, he called (I believe several times!). We had a lot of questions. The Martins are thoughtful and practical decision makers; we fail horribly in the “quick decision maker” department.
So, in July 2013, the Martins did something they have a hard time doing—we took a leap of faith and went to Grand Cayman at Cobalt Coast for the Kids Sea Camp experience. In return, we got Peace. We finally got Peace. Kids Sea Camp literally changed our lives forever. It was one of those “Ah Ha” moments, or for some, one of those handfuls of moments that have affected them. Corny, I know, but it’s true.
When I arrived in Grand Cayman for the first time, I still remember the feelings I had on the first morning. I was amazed and in awe. All that was going through my head was the fact that all of these kids do this with their families. They are happy, they get along, and these kids can dive! I want this for my children. I want Tim to dive with Isaac and Allie. I was getting more excited by the moment.
It amazes me still that kids can dive! I wanted this for my children so badly, I was somewhat obsessed with it. I spoke to Tim about diving and Kids Sea Camp all year. I know he was tired of me talking about it. But, I felt Isaac and Allie had found their “thing”. Really, I was so happy. We live in a small rural area with limited opportunities. We must create opportunities for our children, and I am glad we chose this opportunity.
Kids Sea Camp’s goal is to take care of you and everything was taken care of. They provide a safe diving haven for families. Everyone at Kids Sea Camp had the same goal for their families, this is something that we really appreciated. We were so happy about this vacation that went back in 2014 and again to St Lucia in 2015. Tom and Margo Peyton secured the worries, which ultimately led to peace.
Kids Sea Camp was run like a well-rehearsed orchestra. I don’t know how else to describe it. It was a beautiful weeklong masterpiece. Everything just worked. Every beat and note were perfectly in place. Tom and Margo are constantly making sure everything is perfect.
At the end of Kids Sea Camp in St Lucia at Anse Chastanet, Isaac, only eight, was able to have his first 12-foot dive with his instructor and his father. WOW! The thought makes me speechless and happy tears come to my eyes. Allie was in the SASY unit looking and swimming with the resident reef fish. Her week in St Lucia allowed her to find her “inner fish” and become even more passionate about animals and sea life. Her happiness gives us peace.
Kids Sea Camp has become (in our lives) what you do every year. People need to go to the dentist, eye doctor, hairdresser, get new shoes, the Martins need to go to Kids Sea Camp.
For us, like everyone, time is precious. Vacation time is hard for us, so planning a vacation with our precious time is stressful. Kids Sea Camp has given us peace about our time. Peace, for our family, has come on many different levels. Tim can go diving and not have the worry of me or the kids — I’m at peace. He is under the water to escape from his mind and responsibilities — he’s at peace. I know where my kids are and who they are with. Tim is diving, food and the place are great — I’m at peace. The kids can come and go, eat, drink, meet new friends, dive, play, and learn — we are all at peace.
Sometimes, big moments change our lives—births, deaths, and marriages. Sometimes, it is people, whether or situations. I can honestly say Kids Sea Camp is one of those moments for us. The people we have met and the experiences all have contributed to the Peace we desired for our precious time. Peace…it’s important, it will change your life…, and it’s good for you.
It has been a while since Margo and I were in Fiji. We were there in 2009 at the wonderful Castaway Island resort on the Island of Malolo. Fiji was the start of this grand Kids Sea Camp adventure, Margo, and I have been on since we met ten years ago this coming February. It is our honeymoon island.
Margo and Tom Peyton celebrated their first year in Fiji in 2007 at the Castaway Resort. For Tom, a lot fewer gray hairs and wrinkles eight years ago. Margo, an amazing ageless wonder still looks gorgeous today.
Fiji is a cherished place for us. A place of deep connectivity to the vast blue vistas and complete centering silence of the islands. It is, indeed, a special trip for the Peytons. It is a place where time seems to slow way down, you stop worrying, you ponder the distant future far less, you enjoy the sunset just a little bit more, and you can feel the stress of our normal, crazy everyday life leaving your body. Margo and I call this phenomenon “Fiji Time.”
Margo has also called it “kava time” but that a whole different story.
Fiji is also a smile factory — as the Fijians always seem to be happy, so helpful and incredibly gracious to the visitors that travel to their stunning country. In fact, “welcome home” is a common phrase the Islanders use in their first greetings to tourists.
“Welcome Home,” how many times have you used that phrase when strangers arrive in your abode — probably very not often. And like a “home away from home,” it has a habit of creating connecting points that change the “vacation” to something much larger — something deeper. I have lost track how many Kids Sea Camp families have left Fiji with tears in their eyes. Tears of joy of being so welcomed by the Fijian people. Tears of a remembering of how good we all can be — if we try — just a little. It is a special place for our KSC families.
And as the countdown in the office starts for the new Fiji week at Beqa Lagoon Resort this year. I can’t stop myself from hoping and wondering if “Fiji Time” will sweep over the two KSC weeks and make some more Kids Sea Camp magic. I know I’m looking forward to it.
Good buoyancy is key. Make sure you are neutrally buoyant, trim your gear so nothing is hanging or dragging below you, and try to evenly distribute your weights. 4lb on the left, then 4lb on the right. Move them around, ankle weights are also used, I use 1lb on each ankle when diving with my camera. Some BC’s, like my ScubaPro Lady Hawk, have pockets up high in the back. I often put a 1 lb in each of those pockets. A Peak performance buoyancy class will be a fun continuing education class, as it will teach you more about good buoyancy control.
Breathe slowly and deeply when you’re diving; don’t ever hold your breath. Short and shallow breaths can be dangerous and create dead air spaces.
Gear is important
Streamline your gear and have property-fitting equipment, nothing dangling or dragging. Make sure your equipment is in good working order and has been serviced regularly by your local dive shop.
Use proper kick cycles and don’t swim while diving (no hands needed). Make sure you’re using Scuba fins, not snorkel fins. Dive fins should be longer and fit comfortably. Go to your local dive shop and try on a few pairs. Some adults like me prefer full-foot fins; for kids, I recommend fins with straps for growing feet.
Make sure to be suited up as conditions dictate. Stay warm, choices of a shorty or long wet-suit, 2 mm, 3 mm, 5 mml and more are available depending on the temperature of the water your diving. In the Galapagos, I use a 5- or 7-mm long suit; in Bonaire, I use a 2-mm shorty. New wetsuits are more buoyant than older ones, and thickness makes a big difference as well. The thicker the suit, the more weight is needed. Long suits will require more weight than a shorty.
Be in good condition
Be in good physical health, and never dive when you’re not feeling well. Always consult your doctor about any medications you’re taking, as they could have different effects while diving. Make sure to fill out waivers truthfully so that, if something does happen, it will be easier to determine what is going on and to provide help faster and more efficiently.
Dive often. The more you dive, the more confident and comfortable you will become, and buoyancy will become easier.
Be a good buddy
Stay close to your buddy. Constantly chasing your buddy can use up more air on a dive and create stress.
Dive into a current at the start of a dive when you are not tired, so you can then dive with the current returning at the end of your dive. Make sure not to dive in strong currents. Check with your local dive shop or dive professional before entering the water to determine safe dive conditions. Always let someone know you are going diving, and never dive alone.
Relax, it’s just diving
Relax, enjoy your dive. Take only photos, leave only bubbles. Observe marine life and don’t touch anything living.
Take an advanced open water class, which covers a navigation dive, a deep dive, a buoyancy dive, a night dive, a photography dive, and a Fish ID dive. All of which will make you feel more confident in your direction, buoyancy, and knowledge of marine life, allowing you to feel more comfortable diving. There are other specialty dives you can take in an Advanced Open Water Class, such as Underwater Naturalist, Wreck, or even zombie dives. Visit www.padi.com for more information about courses.
Don’t overthink air consumption; the more you think about it, the more anxious you become, and the fewer chances there are for relaxation.
Take your family diving and enjoy diving with your kids. They will look to you as role models and strive to dive as you do. Be a good role model.
Have fun and be safe! I look forward to diving with you.
by Margo Peyton, President of Kids Sea Camp, PADI Instructor #57474
Big news for our company: The Kids Sea Camp Diver!
PADI has approved its first Kids Sea Diver Specialty course. This certification, developed by PADI and KSC founder Margo Peyton, is designed to help families who dive together become better dive buddies.
The certification is to assist parents and other adult family members who want to update and refresh some of the basic skills learned during previous dive training. Also, part of the program is education and becoming more aware of the environmental issues and concerns affecting the regions they are currently diving in.
Upon completing the KSC reboot, a new Kids Sea Camp Diver will demonstrate mastery in both diving and being a well-trained, confident parent-child buddy team. Divers will have training and education in environmental stewardship and watermanship. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on safety, teamwork, and conservation.
The goals of the Kids Sea camp Diver distinctive specialty training
Reinforcement of the “Good Buddy” principles and practices.
Refresh basic signs and skills learned in their open-water courses.
Educate students about the benefits of continuing education.
Encourage interest in leadership roles that promote responsible diving.
Discuss local eco-issues and concerns, customs and traditions, and how this has impacted the environment.
Identify local environmental issues, discuss solutions, and create awareness.
PADI has recognized the value of our Kids Sea Camp families for more than two decades.
Zeb has been traveling with KSC since he was 5, joined by his sister Holly and parents Dave and Cathy. Congrats, again! They are featured in our 2016 and 2017 catalogs. We are proud to inspire, educate, and connect children and their families from around the world. Thank you, Zebedee, for sharing your adventures and passion with the world. 
The certification is to assist parents and other adult family members who want to update and refresh some of the basic skills learned during previous dive training. Also, part of the program is education and becoming more aware of the environmental issues and concerns affecting the regions they are currently diving in.