Thomas Peyton

Fiji time and Kids Sea Camp magic

14 May 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Fiji: The reunion tour 2015!

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.

Tom Peyton, Vice President of Kids Sea Camp

Tips for better buoyancy and air consumption

14 May 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Buoyancy, Kids Sea camp, scuba training for kids

Keys to better diving

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

The New Kids Sea Camp Diver!

4 June 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

The Kids Sea Camp diver, PADI, kids sea camp

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.

Travel Channel loves Kids Sea Camp

3 June 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Kids and scuba, best dive vacations, kids sea camp, travel channel

Travel Channel: Kids Sea Camp is one of the best adventures in the world.

Kids Sea Camp at Anse Chastanet in St. Lucia was named one of the “best family adventures” in 2015 by the Travel Channel. Kids Sea Camp is not only for divers. Our week is just a great family vacation.

The Travel Channel: Families from around the world who share a love for the ocean should head to St. Lucia for an unforgettable vacation at Kids Sea Camp. Family Dive Adventures offers this 6-day/7-night itinerary, hosted by the top-ranked resort Anse Chastanet, which provides the best accommodations, fine dining, and activities on the island.

“That’s as young as 10 years old can acquire certification to scuba dive. Even Four-year-olds can get in the water at Kids Sea Camp,” says Rainer Jenss, president and founder of the Family Travel Association.

“That’s great news for parents who thought they’d have to give up diving when the kids were born.” In between dives, guests can hike through an 18th-century ruin of an old sugar plantation or take a ride on a mountain bike through the rainforest.

Kids Sea Camp is Elite!

8 June 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

. . .and so is Margo Peyton

Margo Peyton has been awarded a PADI Elite Instructor award for 2014. To receive the award, an instructor must have over 150 certifications during the calendar year. PADI’s award is in recognition of outstanding accomplishment in PADI Diver Training. The number of certifications attained by Margo during the Kids Sea Camp training weeks was 282 in 2014. Kids Sea Camp contributed 402 new certifications in 2014, bringing the running 14-year total to 5402. That’s a lot of new divers!

“I’m honored that PADI is seeing all the wonderful work we are doing, getting children and their families diving together. It’s a personal joy of mine. I would love to get everyone I meet under the water and experience diving. I can honestly say I think everyone would be a happier and healthier person if they all learned to dive.

Margo Peyton is awarded her first PADI Elite Dive Instructor award.

I also want to thank PADI for all the support since the very beginning of Kids Sea Camp, some 15 years ago. They have also been there for me and my little company, helping us in any way they can.”

Margo Peyton, founder and owner of Kids Sea Camp and Family Dive Adventures

Kids Sea Camp in the Top 10!

15 July 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Kids Sea Camp in USA Today’s 10 best!

KSC is ranked number #2 in a recent USA Today poll of the most thrilling camps in the world! We are ranked among the best adventures for the tiniest travelers. From the offices of Kids Sea Camp, we would add that the biggest travelers also enjoy the camps.

Because we’re all kids at a Kids Sea Camp week! The online article mentions Bonaire, Buddy Dive only — but we all know how many weeks and the islands we go to over the course of the year. All the weeks are great for the diving family on holiday.

Our families have always known KSC as the best-kept secret in the world, but no more. The public has voted! Kids Sea Camp is a perfect vacation you can take your family!

Kids Sea Camp was also named one of the “Top 10 in the world for families” by the Travel Channel in 2015.

See what NBC had to say about us! (See link)

Kids Sea Camp Dive Vacation tips

14 May 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Tips for a better dive vacation!

It’s time — you have been waiting all year for the summer dive vacation. You’re so excited, so pumped up to head to your tropical vacation that you forget the sunscreen or worse, the passport. We have had families forget: Dive computers, cameras, passport and yes even the dates they are traveling. But you may be a bit rusty here are some vacation tips for diving this summer.

So take your time and prepare for your dive vacation. Plan a day to pack and make a list of all the important items you need to bring to make your holiday easy and fun. Over the years, Margo and I have noticed there are a few things to remember for a better dive vacation. Some of the items are easy to remember — some are less obvious.

Get ready for the adventure of the Kids Sea Camp summer!

Check your equipment! Make sure you have it all! We’ve never had anyone forget all their equipment, but a mask, their fins, a dive computer or even their BC. It happens.
Make your equipment yours: Mark your equipment with your name or symbol before you’re on the boat. It all sorts of looks the same once you’re on the boat, and it helps the dive shop to organize your equipment.
Don’t forget toothpaste for your mask.
Bring a spare dive computer: All the resorts have dive computers, but they may not match your equipment. So if you have an extra computer — bring it. It is the number one issue we find with our equipment — most of the time it’s a failing battery. But the dive show may not service your brand equipment.
Defog: And just in case, get your defog before heading to the island. All the dive boats have some, but we always make sure to have the defog with us. A clear mask is a good choice for a dive mask.
Pack your Certification Card and logbook.
Bring your boat items, like sunglasses, rain gear, and comfortable boat shoes.
Dive insurance: Margo and I carry Dan dive insurance all year round. Diving is a very safe recreational sport — but sometimes you just never know. And when it comes to our kids in a foreign country, we want the DAN protection.
Bring your medical items
Passports (Duh — right?) Well, Margo and I once got in such a hurry that we forgot our passports.
Check your flights the day before. We have a couple of families who have forgotten their flight dates. The story to get them to the airport is worth a beer or two.
Credit cards: Call before you leave and tell the company that you will be in a foreign country.
Ziploc bags
Baggage limits: Most airlines have a 50-pound weight limit for coach and one bag per person. First class normally weighs 70 pounds and includes two bags per person. We’re divers, so bringing our equipment is important. Just double-check the weight; the surcharge can run into the hundreds of dollars.
Passports (in case you have forgotten already)
Pack your patience: Expect delays —traveling to any island really is a delay waiting to happen. So have fun, be patient, and enjoy your Kids Sea Camp summer.
Buy travel insurance: Kids Sea Camp buys DAN travel insurance on every one of our trips. Margo and I both know we have been lucky with great weather over the years —but we also know we don’t control it. Things happen; it’s just that simple. Be prepare. Please note: Some credit cards offer very good travel insurance as part of the card membership.

Toothpaste and new dive mask

21 January 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Preparing a new dive mask

The foggy mask: I had a client buy a new dive mask this week, and I told him to make sure to rub toothpaste on both sides of the mask lens before jumping into the water. It will help prevent the lens from fogging up.

He then asked a very simple question, “Why?”

I had no answer for him—I said it was tradition. He then asked, “But why is it the tradition?

I smiled and thought to myself how living with a Hall of Famer who really is a diving professor, Professor Margo of the department of Oceanic Adventures at Kids Sea Camp, makes me a little dumb at times. I have watched Margo put toothpaste in our new dive masks for years — she even puts it in the old ones at the beginning of the summer. And the dumb part — I never once asked why. Not once did I ask why we are putting something I put on my teeth every day on an item that has no teeth? I just knew that when she didn’t use the toothpaste, my mask would fog up — very quickly — and I hate a foggy mask.

One good thing about myself is that once I realize just how stupid I’m acting or thinking, I tend correct my behavior, and I do this by gathering information. So here’s why my Oceanic Professor puts toothpaste on the lens of our mask almost every year, at the beginning of our diving season— new or not.

Toothpaste is a mild abrasive

Most newer masks, frames, skirts, and straps are made of silicone, which creates a film on the mask’s lens. The film on the lens blocks the defog from working properly. In fact, if the silicone residue is not removed, any amount of defogging work on the lens.

After the toothpaste

After you have cleaned off the toothpaste and you are heading to the boat, make sure to have some defog. There are many brands, and with the silicon residue removed, most of them will work. The fact of the matter is, all the dive boats have some form of defog, though most use a watered-down J&J baby shampoo.

Other forms of defogging

Spit: Real divers don’t use defog; they spend a lot of time draining their mouths, building up a large quantity of saliva, and projecting it into their masks. Many divers say this is the best form of defog, but the idea of my eyes breathing in all the wonderful germs from my mouth — just doesn’t work for me.

SeaDrops: Clean, quick, and easy to use — a few drops on the inside and the outside of the mask has gotten me close to a decade of “no fog” mask. Just remember to wash the drops out right before you jump off the boat. If you don’t clean the drops out of the mask properly, you could experience a severe burning sensation in your eyes — and the eye burn can really ruin a great dive. Why? Because all defog is a form of soap. That’s why most dive boats and shops use J&J Baby Shampoo — it’s easier on the eyes.

Burn it off: Don’t do this at home unless you know a professional mask burner who has done it many times. You are basically burning off the thin film that protects the new lens. The danger, of course, is burning the entire soft silicone that makes your new mask so darn comfortable.

After the dive

Hit the dunk tank: Make sure you use freshwater to clean off all your dive equipment. Almost all our family of divers dunk their BCs in the sweetwater tub, but I have watched numerous divers forgo a quick rinse of their fins, mask, snorkel, and wetsuit. Remember, a clean mask doesn’t fog up as much, and clean gear lasts longer.

Tom Peyton, Vice President of Kids Sea Camp and Family Dive Adventures

Kids Sea Camp fuels Zebee Wakely’s love of photography

5 June 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Photography: It started out as a faint dream, now it’s a full-blown passion

Article by Zebedee Wakely, Junior Master Scuba Diver, Age 13, and FDA approved.

FDA: Family Dive Adventures (not to be confused with the Food and Drug Administration)

I just don’t know where to begin with this. Kids Sea Camp is just too big and too great to even attempt to write about. But here you are now, attempting to read my jumbled mess of ideas and thoughts, so I’ll give it a go — no promises though.

I should probably start with the exciting stuff, like where I backward roll into a school of 50-plus sharks in Yap (the country, not the small annoying noise made by dogs) or when I’m charging at top speed through the current of Ulong Channel in Palau, but instead I’ll start at the beginning.

Kids Sea Camp at age five

At the age of five, I started Kids Sea Camping, and my parents signed me up in the group known as “SASY”. Little kids get to put on scuba gear, but substitute a Life Jacket for the BCD so we float on the surface while breathing through a regulator. This gave me my first experience with Scuba Diving.

Since I was already a water baby by six months and swimming by one, I thought Kids Sea Camp was created just for me. Quickly making my way through the dive ranks, I again returned for Seal Team. This was a landmark in my interest in Scuba Diving.

Seal Team is a program for eight- and nine-year-olds to learn to dive in a confined-water environment. However, with Kids Sea Camp, the Seal Team can dive in the ocean.

I just fell in love with diving

On my tenth birthday, my mom and dad chose Yap & Palau for our family adventure, and that’s where the real story begins. The experiences I had in Yap and Palau were likely some of the best I will ever have. Completing my PADI Jr. Open Water certification with manta rays overhead was surely one of the greatest moments of my life.

The feeling I had when I was diving with 15-foot mantas and some 50-plus reef sharks daily was phenomenal, too amazing to fully describe. Just the idea of going there and doing that again will excite me forever.

Learning photography

The encouragement I received from Kids Sea Camp was amazing. The families I met became, and still are, some of my best friends and assets to my life. In Yap, Manta Ray Bay was where I properly learned photography. The support from all of my friends and family is the reason I have stuck with it (unlike a lot of other things I’ve tried). I loved every aspect of Yap, from the diving to the staff and the local people. I can safely say that experience has significantly contributed to who I am today

Getting back home to Bermuda, I was so passionate about saving sharks (with Palau being a shark sanctuary) that I set up a small organization called “Save Our Sharks Bermuda”. I collected over 1000 signatures and met with the Minister for the Environment to discuss and plan how best to protect our sharks. Bermuda then signed the “International Agreement on the Conservation of Pelagic Species”. I was so totally delighted about this because I had made an impact on Bermuda and the conservation of the sea.

Diving from a young age is exceptional

Having the privilege to be diving from a young age is exceptional. Through diving with Kids Sea Camp over the years, I have advanced through the PADI ranks from SASY, Seal Team, Jr. Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue, and Master Scuba Diver, with over 100 dives and 7 specialties.

This feels too good to describe. Having a place like Kids Sea Camp, to go through all the ranks, all the way to the top, is what I love the most. The experience has been fantastic. I couldn’t have done what I have without it.

I have made lifelong friends and have been encouraged by Margo in a way I could never repay. So thank you, Margo.

Margo deserves a whole part of my story for herself. Mrs. Peyton created the best organization that I have ever known. She has influenced me, trusted me, and helped me in every aspect of life. Margo has guided me through diving one step at a time, and with each step

I am even more grateful for her and my family finding her. She is very focused on safety and is an inspirational teacher who is helpful no matter what. She is the heart of Kids Sea Camp!

I just don’t know how to end this. So thanks, Mom, Dad, and sister Holly, too. Our family of divers just can’t get enough. FIJI is the next Kids Sea Camp — to dive with the sharks of Beqa Lagoon.

KSC Turkey Bowl News

4 June 202623 March 2017 by Tom Peyton

Kids Sea Camp, Turkey Bowl, Thanksgiving vacations

Coach Lloyd Kaufman has agreed to terms with the Happy Campers for this year’s KSC Bowl

Former KSC Cowboys defensive coordinator Lloyd Kaufman will be leading the Happy Campers against the KSC Cowboys at this year’s Turkey Bowl in St. Lucia. The deal with the front office was agreed to in principle on Tuesday.

“I have long loved the tradition and importance of the KSC Turkey Bowl.” Coach Kaufman spoke on Wednesday at a press conference in Detroit,” It will be an honor to follow in the footsteps of legendary coach Travis. I will say we plan to run a combine on Monday. Hopefully, we will see what condition the team is in after the long offseason.”

Coach Peyton is happy about Kaufman’s coaching opportunity

Kaufman was excited about the new opportunity. “Well, after studying as defensive coordinator under coach Peyton for a year, I felt it was time to spread my wings. You know and see what I could do at the pro level. It certainly will not be easy going up against my former mentor this year.”

When asked about coaching against his old coach, Peyton, he said, “But I feel I have a good understanding of head coaching fundamentals, a good recruiting class, and most importantly, a copy of coach Peyton’s playbook.”

Major coaching change

“For the first time in its young existence, there has been a coaching change. Texas icon Will Travis has been leading the Happy Campers for the past two years. But due to contract disputes with the Campers’ front office, coach Travis will not be on the sidelines for the 2014 Kids Sea Camp Turkey Bowl.

“I got run out of town!” An angry and disappointed coach, Travis, responded. “Kaufman walked right past me. He’s up there right now signing the contract. This ain’t right. I mean, I won the game last year! What else is a coach supposed to do?”

“Kaufman should be a good test for the KSC Cowboys,” coach Peyton responded to the news. “He will be missed. Kaufman was a great coach for our defense over the years.”

“He got a new car!

It was clear from this reporter’s view that Kaufman was beaming with the ardent test of facing his old coach. He drove off into the sunset in a new, shiny 2015 Challenger. Rumors that the red-and-black-stripe Challenger was included as a signing bonus for Kaufman’s one-year contract. There is no doubt that he signed a must-win contract.

“He got a new car!” Coach Travis responded with disbelief, “Amazing. Simply amazing. I don’t know what to think. What a crazy front office. I wish him all the luck in the world.”