Tom Peyton

Intelligent Travel (Kids Sea Camp Palau) by National Geographic author Rainer Jenns

by
Palau, Kids and scuba, Margo Peyton
Amazing traveling with your kids with Kids Sea Camp

Anyone with young kids certainly knows about the lifestyle changes needed to raise children. Among other things, you just can’t go out as much or stay up as late as you did before children (BC). And when it comes to traveling, most parents feel obligated to forgo their dream trips or favorite vacation activities in favor of more family-friendly destinations and accommodations that cater to kids.

This seems particularly true for scuba divers, who too often take a complete sabbatical from the sport while raising their kids. After all, how are moms and dads supposed to go diving with young children in tow?

Palau, family dive vacation, family vacations, kids sea campMy wife and I found ourselves in this boat after our boys were born, and although I still managed to finagle my way back in the water every now and then, Carol and I rarely”‘buddied up” underwater, and we certainly weren’t planning vacations that revolved around diving like we once did.

10-year-olds can now become certified divers

I learned that compromising our love of scuba diving for the sake of our two young sons proved unnecessary. Not only was I enlightened to the fact that children as young as 10 years old can now become certified divers, but I also discovered a tour company that catered to families like ours: parents who want a family dive vacation, and the kids get a chance to make new friends and participate in their own underwater adventures.

Kids Sea Camp (KSC) was started 14 years ago by Margo Peyton, a travel consultant, dive instructor, and mother of two who wanted to bring together like-minded people who love the ocean, diving, beaches, snorkeling, and travel. And she offers them the opportunity to share their passion as a family. After initially launching with just one trip and one other family. KSC now offers hundreds of kids and adults each year the opportunity to learn and enjoy scuba each year.

Margo is a Hall of Famer

In honor of her dedication to helping kids and adults gain a greater appreciation for our oceans and to creating family diving events around the world, Margo was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame in 2009. Kids Sea Camp has trained 8,100 certified divers as of 2026.

It didn’t take much persuasion to get Carol and the boys on board. After perusing The Kids Sea Camp list of itineraries, which now includes destinations like the Cayman Islands, Bonaire, Yap, Utila, Fiji, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Roatan, and the Galápagos. We decided on Palau, which I had been told by the famous underwater photographer David Doubilet has some of the best diving on earth. We called Margo and booked the Palau family adventure.

Get your kids trained by the best

One of the biggest draws of KSC is that they can fully train and certify any adult or child 10 years or older during their trip. Our original plan was to have the boys (now 11 and 13) complete the PADI certification program as part of the trip. After all, how cool would it be for them to become certified in the waters of Palau, teeming with marine life and practically unlimited visibility?

We certified the kids over the summer so they could join the other teen divers on the trip. This allowed them to take full advantage of the amazing reefs surrounding this Micronesian island. Our kids had a fantastic time experiencing their first ocean dives with their fellow certified teen divers; however, I did note that the kids who were getting certified during the trip had completed the PADI e-learning prior to arrival and didn’t miss a beat.

Even little ones can dive — sort of

For children under ten, Kids Sea Camp also offers programs: SASY (Supplied Air Snorkeling for Youth), with lots of underwater pool adventures and fun, educational ocean activities. Children ages 8-10 can participate in the PADI SEAL Team Program, a course that, unlike other programs, includes ocean dives where they learn the basics of diving. But regardless of how old they are, the whole point is not just to supervise them, but to get them exposed to scuba diving and have them share the experience with their parents and other children their own age.

Palau has some of the best diving in the world, and the good news is that the hassle of getting there is more than worth it. Since we were traveling with Kids Sea Camp, the long flights and three layovers allowed us to get acquainted with some of the other families in our group. Since KSC has been in operation for 14 years, most of the dozen or so families represented had been on one of its trips before. It didn’t take me long to realize why they returned.

The kids, regardless of age, seemed to bond immediately, while the adults shared a quick camaraderie. This really was the best of both worlds for Carol and me: fun with the kids combined with the freedom to pursue our passion for diving.

Amazing Palau

One of the beauties of Palau is that its premier dive sites are not particularly challenging; in other words, you don’t need advanced open water training or Nitrox tanks to enjoy them. The water temperature was a balmy 84 degrees. While the visibility on most dives was easily 100 feet. Even when it rained, which could happen quite suddenly in this tropical region, it didn’t bother us too much since we spent most of our time underwater.

We signed up with Sam’s Tours to explore the islands. Our first stop as a group was Jellyfish Lake. The marine lake is the bizarre consequence of thousands of years of evolution–over time, millions of golden jellyfish were isolated in its waters. They migrate horizontally across the lake each day following the sun’s rays to capture their nutrients. What makes these jellyfish so unique, however, is the fact that you can swim freely among them, since they lost their stingers from never having to fight off any predators.

Blue Corner

But perhaps Palau’s most famous dive, and thus most visited site, is the Blue Corner. Before swimming out to the corner itself, we descended to about 90 feet (the kids were limited to 45 feet) to see magnificent gorgonian fans, anemones, giant clams, and soft corals along the sea wall, which stretches for thousands of feet.

We were immediately greeted by a cruising gray reef shark, a precursor of things to come. We floated with the current like a bunch of kites in a strong wind. The concentration of marine life, including large schools of jacks, trevallies, and barracuda swimming all around you, was just incredible.

KSC is a regular family activity

Perhaps the only downside to our first family dive trip was that it set the bar incredibly high for the kids. We reminded them not to expect marine life like that every time we go diving, which we all hope, thanks to Kids Sea Camp. We will make it a regular family activity from now on.

Intelligent Travel (Kids Sea Camp) by National Geographic author Rainer Jenns

A “Happy Kids Sea Camper” family

by
Kids Sea Camp, Happy Campers, Kids and scuba

Margo is on a mission to keep families diving.

When people find out I am an avid scuba diver, I often hear that they used to dive but stopped when they had kids. How sad. Diving is the perfect family sport; you get to travel to beautiful places and meet interesting people while spending time together above and below the surface. Kids learn science, math, and environmental awareness while building confidence and self-esteem. Margo Peyton’s purpose is to keep families diving together by providing opportunities and community for parents and children, aiming to make every family a Happy Kids Sea Camper family.

Why we are a Kids Sea Camper family

We have been to 7 Kids Sea Camps in 6 different countries and have met people from all over the world, many of whom are now lifelong friends.  My kids are safe, confident divers because dive instructors who know how to teach kids taught them. My daughters, who were 5 and 7 at our first Kids Sea Camp, are now 14 and 16, and are PADI-certified Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue, Nitrox, and several other specialty divers. Much to our relief, they love diving as much as we do.  On dive trips, divemasters often comment on their great buoyancy control and respect for the reef and sea life.
Last year, at KSC Galapagos, we dove with our daughters in somewhat challenging conditions with whale sharks, hammerheads, sea lions, Mola Molas, and Galapagos sharks. They handled the conditions like pros.

The Margo Factor

Margo Peyton is well-known in the diving community and well-loved. When you go to Kids Sea Camp, the host resorts go out of their way to make it the trip of a lifetime because of their respect for Margo and her wonderful company. Margo’s main goal is safety; she carefully screens each Kids Sea Camp location and staff, so you know you and your kids will be well taken care of, both in and out of the water. Margo’s kids, Jen and Robbie, are integral parts of the camps, so Margo brings your kids to where she feels comfortable bringing her own. Actually, she considers every child who attends Kids Sea Camp “her” child. The first priority is safety, but the fun is a close second.

Our First Kid Sea  Camp

On the first day of our first camp, I dropped off my 5-year-old and went diving with the other parents. When I returned to pick her up, she refused to leave because she was having so much fun. There are pirates and zombies, and don’t miss the donkey park in Bonaire. (My personal favorite side trip) It is a great trip for diving parents because you drop off your child with their instant new friends for a day full of fun activities, while you get to dive with your instant new friends, the other parents.
So, diving parents, make your reservations, get your kids in the water, and start something that you and your kids will share for the rest of your lives. I suspect we will someday go to Kids Sea Camp with our grandchildren. It’s easy to be a happy Sea Camper family.
By “Happy Kids Sea Campers”, Pat McGuire, MD, and Bob Sciortino, MD, St. Louis, Mo. USA

Creating Tomorrow’s Memories at Kids Sea Camp

by
Grandmother, kids and diving family diving

Publisher, a mother, and now a grandmother, reflects on generations of her family growing up in Kids Sea Camp

I felt compelled to come up with a good reason for my grandson Austin, now 14, to be Ok with posing for yet another picture with his ‘mimi’.  So I explained that when I am 90, he will be 45, and I want to be able to look back on us diving, hiking, zip lining, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, and marvel at how we did all that together in just one very special week at Kids Sea Camp, Costa Rica!

Over the past 14 years, I have experienced dozens of Kids Sea Camp adventures with my daughter Melissa, my husband, my brother and his family, various old and new friends, and my grandson Austin. He started traveling with me to Kids Sea Camps when he was 8 and joined the Seal Team program. He was PADI Jr. open water certified at age 10 and received his advanced certification at 13. It is no longer a matter of if we will make the time to do it again, but where we will go and what we will do next.

In Costa Rica, I was reminded that we are not alone in our special family tradition. We were surrounded by other families who also cracked the Kids Sea Camp Code for keeping their growing kids close. Not only are they learning to love diving and the underwater world, but they are absorbing so many life lessons in nature, protecting the environment, being safe and having fun at the very same time. They hang with kids from all over the world, on boats, underwater, at the pool, and at their very own group table at mealtime. But at the end of an action-packed day, families retreat together, exhausted and happy, with electronic devices firmly set to OFF.

Our days were numbered

I used to think that our days were numbered, with teens being way too cool to want to travel with us for very much longer. Now I realize that since they have literally grown up with these Kids Sea Camp memories forming an important part of who they are, the age barriers disappear and the experience prevails. One day, I do believe that my daughter Melissa, now a summer counselor for Kids Sea Camp and a PADI Dive Master, will be planning my dive adventures rather than the other way around.

The younger kids are enrolled in PADI SASY and Seal Team programs that engage them with learning the important scuba skills they will enjoy for decades to come. Once they earn their PADI Jr. Open Water certification at around age 10, they follow up with specialty certifications that cover everything from underwater photography to fish identification, navigation, and an Advanced Open Water Certification.

Something for everyone

Adult divers depart on the morning dives, confident that their kids are in great hands and that they will reconnect with great stories to share. Non-divers use the opportunity to do exactly as they please. At the El Ocotal Dive Resort in Costa Rica, that entailed earning a dip in the Cliffside pool after hiking up the stunning property from the beach. The natural beauty is intoxicating, and the relaxed conversation always turns to what other kids’ Sea Camp trips we have done and what’s next. I dodge the question on what my favorite one might be, as I love the tried and true destinations as much as I am tempted by the new ones that are added every year.

Diving with Buddy

Year after year, Buddy Dive Resort in Bonaire continues to serve up a magic combination of top-notch PADI dive training in the perfect environment for all age groups, with exceptionally easy boat and shore diving. The most comfortable, casual, and welcoming atmosphere makes you want to return year after year.

Also in the tried-and-true category, Cobalt Coast and Dive Tech in Grand Cayman never cease to deliver exceptional dive training and legendary dive experiences with stingrays, turtles, tarpon, and more. Here we experience the thrill of scooter diving and can explore other specialties such as deep diving and even free diving.

On to Palau

When it comes to the search for the world’s ultimate diving, Kids Sea Camp nailed it by offering Yap with Manta Ray Bay Resort. The expectations are very high when you ask American families to travel halfway around the world for any reason at all, but between the amazing giant mantas, the diversity of wild shark experiences, and incredible WW11 wreck dives, all set among the incomparable rock islands, I promise it is well worth the journey.

Utila’s Laguna Beach Resort is definitely on my ‘Must Do’ list. Judging by the rave reviews of eagle rays, pods of dolphins, whale sharks, seahorses, and an idyllic beach setting, I can understand why this little piece of heaven has been added to the Kids Sea Camp schedule, but of course, I must judge for myself!

I have enjoyed the ‘undiscovered’ nature of St. Vincent and its exciting diving opportunities many times in the past, but not yet with Indigo Divers and Buccament Bay Resort, the Caribbean’s newest 5-star all-inclusive hotel. The combination of ‘off the beaten path’ great diving and a luxury Kids Sea Camp experience is just too much to resist!

Amazing Galapagos

Limited space may still be available for just one more season in the legendary Galapagos Islands aboard the luxury Buddy dive live-aboard. This once-in-a-lifetime trip makes it possible to access whale sharks, historic reptiles, birds, and 300 species of fish in a truly elegant adventure.

And other grand options are being added in 2014. The famous walls of Little Cayman are now accessible from the charm and comfort of The Southern Cross Club. Long weekend getaways in the Florida Keys are also something that owners Margo and Tom Peyton have been working on for the coming season. Always committed to keeping it interesting for both repeat visitors and newcomers, they deliver the kind of experiences they themselves want to enjoy with their growing family.

Before Austin’s 15th birthday, I will have to make the tough decision on where it will be in 2014. But wherever we go, I know we will connect with the familiar from years past, with a new twist that ensures we will continue to ‘give them a week they will remember forever’. Visit familydivers.com or call 803-419-2556.

By Carolyn Pascal Guarino

 

 

Utila, Kids Sea Camp poems

by

Perfect 10

By The Ward family,  Week one winner

Oh, beautiful Utila, what an adventure you’ve been,

Laguna Beach resort has earned a “perfect 10.”

The whole staff was so kind, the crew second to none,

Underwater or on land we couldn’t have had more fun.

Critters and creatures everywhere, with no rhyme or reason,

They even found us Whale sharks and it’s not even the season.

The mosquitoes and no-see-ums tried to spoil our dives,

Bu the Zombie Apocalypse had them running for their lives.

Every dive was amazing, there’s no way we couldn’t win,

Kids Sea Camp Utila, we can’t wait to do it again!

Whale Shark

By Annie Myron

Whale shark, Whale shark

What do you see?

I see a human snorkeling by me.

Whale shark, Whale shark spots to and fro,

Whale shark where did you go?

Utilean Waters

By the Schaffer family

Up from the depths of the Utilean waters,

A majestic spotted beast glides past.

Up on deck of the boat, we sought her,

Mask, fins, and snorkel put them on fast.

Jump into the water and follow her down,

Hold our breaths with cameras steady.

Aim, point and shoot for the best picture in town

But if you blink your eyes, she will be gone already.

Passport in pocket

By The Myron family

Come divers, come snorkels,

All family and friends.

It’s off to Kids Sea Camp,

Where the fun never ends.

Passport in pocket,

Dove bag in hand.

The adventure begins,

When our feet touch the sand.

A sweetheart named Margo,

Is there from the start.

A smile so big,

And a magnificent heart.

A bold guy named Woody,

Takes our kids for a dive.

We all think ourselves,

Please bring’em back alive.

A Whale shark, a seahorse,

Our week comes to an end.

We leave Laguna Beach resort

Having made a new friend.

She walks on four legs,

And Coco’s her name.

She surely belongs,

In the Dog Hall of Fame.

UTILA

By the Tappero family

U: Unlimited fun diving, fishing, kayaking, horseback riding, and four-wheeling.

T: Terrific times seeing whale sharks, rays, turtles, eels and much exotic fish. A special Thanks to all who work for Laguna Beach resort for all the hard work and great service this week.

I: Intense pressure, learning the Zombie Dive and Water signs. Thanks to Woody and Kevin for all the hard work.

L: Landing and having fun with all the interesting families from all over the world. Hope we see you all again at another Kids Sea Camp.

A: Awesome time on a great vacation thanks to Margo for all the hard work to make this such a wonderful vacation for all of us.

 

 

Her first Manta encounter

by
Palau, sharks, scuba and kids, family dive vacations, kids sea camp

Finally, a Manta!

I smelled the salty air as I strapped on my scuba gear. I was anxious to get into the ocean. I hoped and hoped and hoped that I would see the one thing I’ve always wanted to see — a manta.
This summer, I was in Yap with Kids Sea Camp, an island in Micronesia, to scuba dive with my family. This morning, I was excited to go scuba diving with my friend, Sophie.  My other friends were scuba diving with their parents, so it was just Sophie, Bill Acker (our instructor), Patricia Mangthin (his wife), and me. Bill had decided that we would go to the manta cleaning station to try to see some manta rays. We had tried so many times that my hopes weren’t very high, but as we got closer and closer to the diving site, they inched higher.
Now, here I was, my hopes higher than the sky. I put on my mask and stuck my regulator into my mouth. As I tumbled into the water, I shivered. The water wasn’t cold, but I always feel chilly when I first jump in. When everyone was in the water, we descended into the ocean.

A manta!

Sophie and I swam through the cool, salty water. We spotted brightly colored fish and little hermit crabs, but no mantas. My heart sank. Just as I was about to give up, Sophie jabbed me in the shoulder. I was about to give her that “what did you do that for?” look when I realized she was pointing at something.  I looked.
“A manta! A manta!” I yelled. I had my regulator in my mouth, so it came out like, “Blubablurbla!”
Patricia waved us over to a better place to watch. The manta ray was so big and graceful as it swam through the blue sea. It had a white belly and a dark blue back. Soon, another one came and joined it.
As we swam back to our boat, I replayed what just happened in my head. My heart was pumping hard in my chest. I was so excited! Yap was the first time I had ever seen a manta ray, but not the last.
By Hannah McClure

Scholarship winner Learns to say “Yes” to life

by
Scuba scholarship winner faces her fear and becomes a new diver

Trying not to hold my breath when breathing through the regulator. While watching the bubbles rise past my mask…, and hearing the startlingly loud percolation of the regulator as it supplies me with air. Watching my own hand, magnified, as it grips the descent chain too tightly. I press the deflation button on my BCD in quick bursts and will my hand to let go of the chain.

This was no swimming pool, where I could stand up or shoot quickly to the surface if something went wrong. It was the White Star Quarry in Gibsonburg, Ohio. I knew that I’d have to descend to at least 45 feet that day if I wanted to become a certified scuba diver.

Learning in a quarry

As I sank slowly into the quarry water, going deeper than swimming-pool depths for the first time in my life, I took some time to look around myself. I wanted to remember this moment. Seeing other divers above and below me, hanging onto my descent chain and other chains around me. All of us were first-time divers, and all of us were nervous. Every now and then, I made eye contact with other divers. Wondering if my eyes looked as wide behind my mask as theirs did.

My buddy diver was Kari, one of our instructors—I’d told her about my boating accident and the resulting water phobia before we got in, so she buddied with me on purpose. She made frequent eye contact with me and gave me reassuring “OK” signs. Every time, I signed back “OK,” and it wasn’t a lie…I really was doing OK, much to my surprise.

Equalize, Go Slow

Remembering everything I had to do as a diver kept me busy and focused, which helped to keep my fear at bay as I went deeper and deeper into the water. Equalize. Go slowly. Equalize. Short burst on the BCD. Equalize. Signal OK. Equalize. (I had some trouble with the equalizing part.)

I was surprised when I landed gently on the platform, 25 feet down. I could see the bottom of the quarry, another 10 feet below. It didn’t feel like I was that far underwater. It didn’t feel real at all. It felt like I was watching a scene in a movie. Or perhaps dreaming it. Divers floating all around me at my platform, other divers further away on other platforms, visibility fading into blue-green twilight in the distance. Our instructors hovered like bulky neoprene angels, hands folded in front of them, nodding at us as if in benediction, making eye contact and signaling OK to each of us in turn. The surface of the water shimmered like heat waves, far away, above me. A dream, surely.

As I took another moment to look around, trying to register and remember everything, I also looked inside myself. Was I really OK? Astonishingly, I wasn’t afraid! Not even a little. I was too busy, too focused, too excited, too exhilarated by this experience to have any time or energy to waste on fear.  And fear was the one thing I had expected with concrete surety.

An accident happened that reshaped my relationship with water

I grew up boating and swimming—a real water baby. Motorboating, sailing, canoeing, swim team, skiing, river tubing…you couldn’t keep me out of the water as a child and teen. And then, in my 16th summer, an accident happened that reshaped my relationship to water.

I was river canoeing with a group of friends on the appropriately named Mad River. Fast and dangerous, that river has a bad reputation. The canoe I was in swept broadside against a large mid-river logjam and flipped. My friend was thrown clear, but I reflexively, foolishly, hung on to the yoke, which meant that I went with the direction of the flip. I was immediately trapped underwater, between the upside-down canoe and the logjam.

The river was moving fast

The water was black with silt, completely opaque. The current held me firmly in place, with the canoe smashed against my chest and my back against the logs. All of me was underwater, including my head, which was turned forcibly sideways and pressed backward by the hull of the canoe. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I could reach across, with outstretched arms, and brush my fingertips against the far gunwale, but I couldn’t push the canoe away from me. I could get my hands up next to my shoulders, but then didn’t have enough strength or leverage to push the near gunwale into the current. I was well and truly trapped.

What a shame for me to die like this

I remember very little about what happened next. However, I do remember thinking very clearly that I was going to die that day. It should have been terrifying, but I wasn’t afraid in that moment—just sad and a little disappointed. As I struggled to push the boat away, and as my lungs started to feel like they were on fire, a single, shining thought went through my mind like a thread of bright silver light in a dark room: “What a shame, for me to die like this… I’m only 16 years old.”

It is the truth, by all the laws of nature and physics, that I should have died that day. No one was coming to my rescue—my friend in the boat had been thrown clear when the boat flipped and didn’t know where I was. There was nothing I could do to push the boat away in the few seconds of oxygen my body had left in it. I wasn’t even wearing a life jacket, because we were typical teenagers with no sense of our own mortality.

I was conscious when I came up

But it is also the truth that my head broke the surface of the water 30 feet downstream, and that I was conscious when I came up. I had to have been conscious the entire time because if I’d lost consciousness, I’d have drifted and drowned, not surfaced. I don’t know how long I was under, but my friend had enough time to swim to the logjam and clamber onto it. She was looking for me, shouting, panicking.

I have absolutely no recollection of what happened between the moment of that single, shining, sad thought and the moment when I surfaced. But that experience turned me from a joyous, carefree water-baby into someone who couldn’t get into water any deeper than her knees unless that water was crystal clear. I was calm in swimming pools, but being deeper than my knees in any lake, river, or ocean with the least silt was completely out of the question.

No lung damage, thank god!

So, for me to descend 25 feet into a quarry. The water got gradually more silty with depth, which was quite an accomplishment indeed. And for me to do that without any fear at all…to be enjoying myself…it truly was astonishing. The only things I had any reservations about were going past the 30-foot CESA. We had practiced in the pool (horizontally, of course), and a lurking, unfounded worry that my BCD would spontaneously inflate. And I’d pop to the surface too quickly and sustain lung damage.

We went through our skills exercises with no problems. I felt increasingly confident. Then the fun started. We went on a tour of the quarry. I kicked away from the platform, experimenting with my BCD, trying to control my depth. Breathing through the regulator had already become second-nature. Following Riley (our other instructor) as he swam away into the murk. I was concentrating on keeping up with him, occasionally clearing my mask, and not floundering around with my arms. As we went, I checked my SPG and realized that we had gradually descended another 20 feet—I was forty-five feet underwater, well past the CESA we had practiced, and I wasn’t afraid!

Back in the water

When we surfaced (without any lung damage, of course), all I wanted was to go again. And I did, three more times over the next 24 hours. More skills exercises, more tours of the quarry, swimming through hoops (literally—the quarry is set up with lots of interesting things for divers to see and do). And every time I got back in the water, I felt more like I belonged there again. Me as a dolphin…a mermaid! It was delightful…amazing!… to be so at ease in the water!

When Kari and Riley signed my dive log, indicating that I was a certified diver. I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment that I hope I remember for the rest of my life. Not only because of having learned how to dive (which is, of course, cool in the extreme), but also because of what this event represents in my life.

Learning to live

I’ve spent the past four years learning to say “yes” to life again. As a child and teen, the world around me was tremendously, unknowingly huge, filled with limitless opportunities for fun, growth, and excitement. I grew up, went to college, built a career, then quit it to raise my children. Somewhere along the way, my world became very small—bounded by vague fear and negativity, with a constant underlying attitude of “I can’t do that.” I don’t know how it happened… it was a gradual shrinking of my confidence and the boundaries of what I thought I could do. A gradual settling for a smaller, sadder life.

And then, four years ago, I started taking karate lessons with my children. I joined the lessons because I had gotten tired of just sitting and watching whatever fun thing I’d arranged for my children. I remember watching the teens at karate, doing katas, jump-kicks, and other cool, amazing things. I’d thought, “Wow, I’ll never be able to do that.” Imagine my surprise…after four years of joyous hard work and study, I’m now a second-degree brown belt. And I have a firm resolve to attain my black belt. Another way to say, Yes to life.”

And I’ve learned that I can do that, whatever “that” is.

I started saying “Yes…YES!” when life offered other opportunities for fun, happiness, and adventure. Becoming a ski instructor at our local resort after one of the instructors there saw me teaching some of the kids on the slopes… and I said YES! A friend suggested that I apply for a scuba scholarship from Margo Peyton with the Women Diver Hall Of Fame. I said, “Become a certified scuba diver? Hmm, well, I have this water phobia…but YES, I can do that!” I submitted my story, and Ocean Wishes and Kids Sea Camp sent me the training grant.

Life-changing events

Kids Sea Camp reopened my eyes to the wide wonder of the world around me. They’ve deepened my appreciation for the time I have. How I want to spend it. And the things I want to do. I’ve learned that anything is possible…that I can do anything, if only I keep myself open to the world and all the wonderful, exciting opportunities it presents. If only I were willing to take the chance and find out what I can really do, instead of focusing on what I can’t.

This adventure—the adventure of me conquering my water phobia. And getting my scuba certification. Well, it’s just another chapter in the delightful, ongoing book of my new approach…saying YES to life. And I can hardly wait to see what’s next!

Pamela Jean Kreigh, Winner of a Women’s Divers Hall of Fame Ocean Pals scholarship. This scholarship is sponsored by Kids Sea Camp, Oceanwishes.org, and Margo Peyton. Ocean Wishes has donated multiple beginner- and advanced-training grants to the WDHOF scholarship program each year since 2009.

Margo Peyton has back surgery and is cleared for diving in Utila!

by
Our Blog, Margo Peyton, Kids Sea Camp Blog

Margo’s surgery is a success!

On July 11, 2013, Margo Peyton, owner of Kids Sea Camp and Family Dive Adventures, underwent back surgery after learning she had an L4 compression fracture and a herniated disc caused by bone fragments. Known for her energetic work ethic and passion for the ocean, she faced doubts about whether she would walk or dive again. Despite excruciating pain for years, she postponed surgery to fulfill existing Kids Sea Camp commitments. Before her operation, Margo dove every opportunity she could, fearing each dive could be her last. Thankfully, her fears proved unfounded.
Just four weeks after surgery, Margo was cleared to dive. Smiling beside her husband, Tom Peyton, she happily achieved her goal of returning to the water that summer.
“I’m looking forward to yoga on the beach, swimming with dolphins, doing the Zombie certification, and learning new underwater sea signs,” Margo Peyton said at her office in Columbia, South Carolina.
“Back pain is a problem for many. I’m blessed to be pain-free for the first time in 20 years,” Margo said. “The constant pain affected every aspect of my life. For ten years, I didn’t know a day without pain—until now. I’m so happy to finally be pain-free.”
“The outpouring of love was overwhelming,” Margo added. “Every Facebook message, every card and letter from Kids Sea Camp families—your kindness gave me strength. Knowing that so many cared carried me through the hardest days of my surgery and recovery.”
My only regret is waiting so long for surgery out of fear that the outcome would be worse than the pain. I couldn’t imagine not diving again. Looking back, it’s silly how long I lived with pain because of fear. Now that I’m living pain-free, my goal is to stay fit and healthy.
Margo Peyton, owner and founder of Kids Sea Camp and Family Dive Adventures.

 

 

Kids Sea Camp, Utila prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse!

by
Zombie, Kids and diving, PADI Pro divers
(Dateline, Columbia, South Carolina) Woody Tinsley, the founder of the Zombie Apocalypse Diver, has been chasing zombies for the past decade; now they are chasing him to Kids Sea Camp, Utila. This summer, we at Family Dive Adventures have gone off the beaten path by allowing Woody Tinsley, a Connecticut police officer, to teach a new PADI course. You may ask who Woody is. Where is he from? Does he really believe there are Zombies among us? And just how useful is this new Zombie certification?
Zombie, Woody Tinsley, Kids Sea CampI decided to meet with him last Friday, the day before the Utila, at our offices in South Carolina, to understand the man, the myth, and the legend behind “Zombie Apocalypse” and to get some questions answered.
On the surface, Woody seems to be a big, fun-loving, robust man. His background is complicated. Born in South Carolina in 1978, he was raised in Massachusetts and educated in New Hampshire. Unclear how a born southerner can become a Yankee, but I guess it happens all the time.
He learned to dive in the dark and cold quarries of New Hampshire. He believes he saw his first Zombie, but because visibility was so poor, he couldn’t tell whether it was a rare giant white New England catfish or the body of the living dead.
Woody is married to a lovely wife, has two beautiful children, a daughter, Belle, and a son, Rowen, as well as four rescued dogs. As I said before, on the surface, Woody looks and acts as normal as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
The rest of this blog is based on the semi-true events that happened on July 19 in Columbia, South Carolina, at the office of Kids Sea Camp and Family Dive Adventures, before the trip to Utila. Believe what you can and try to understand the incredible mysteries of the coming Zombie conflict.
9:00 A.M.: Woody rushes into the office, out of breath and a bit pale. He grabs me by the collar of my blue Kids Sea Camp shirt and pulls me into a small meeting room.
“Is there anyone else here besides you?” Woody spoke in a hushed tone.
“Hi, Woody,” I paused,” Well, no. No, it’s just you and me?”
“Good, good,” Woody responded as he peered out a crack in the door and took a deep breath. “Let’s just be real quiet for a few minutes.”
“Why?” I became very nervous.
“Trust me,” Woody spoke softly but firmly, “ You don’t want to know right now.”
The lights flickered in the office, for a few seconds, the small meeting room went totally black, and then the lights returned. I was becoming more nervous by the minute. Woody simply smiled and, in a whisper, placed his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t move and don’t make a sound, and they will leave.”
9:15 A.M.: We sat in silence for ten minutes. I noticed calm and confidence oozing from the big police officer as he once again peered through the crack in the door.
“Ok,” he smiled, “Let’s do the interview, quickly. The quicker I leave, the safer you are.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, still unsettled from the first moments of his arrival.
“Since the last time we spoke,” He smiled and laughed,” They seem to be following me. I didn’t want to tell Margo, I really wanted to come to Kids Sea Camp and teach my survival Zombie skills. Sorry. Ok, so let’s get to it.”
I paused, questions raced through my mind. “They” seem to be following him? The Zombies? Did he mean the “Zombies” are following him? Will they follow him to Kids Sea Camp, Utila? My hands shook as I grabbed my pen and paper to do the interview. Woody sat directly across from me and grabbed my hands.
“Trust me,” He smiled, “Calm down, let’s do this, and I’ll get out of here. It will be alright.”
“Ok, Ok,” I said, “Here are the questions.”
Tom: As a police officer, have you ever met a real-life Zombie?
Woody: Surprisingly, not until recently, when I started to notice people staring at Candy Crush. But in all seriousness, Zombies are a real threat to society. All police officers undergo secret training to combat the coming zombie apocalypse. True story, we are all sworn to total secrecy, though, so no officer will ever admit it. Oh, wait, I just did, darn.
Tom: Do you believe there will be a Zombie Apocalypse?
Woody: It’s not a matter of if there will be one…it’s when. It’s coming, like the sun rising every morning. The apocalypse is coming! You saw what just happened.
Tom: Did you see World War Z?
Woody: Not only did I see the movie, but I also read the book. Seriously, Brad Pitt’s character is based on (Points to himself and smiles), that’s right, yours truly. The director asked me to star in the movie, but once the producer saw me in person, he said I was too handsome.
Tom: What is your favorite zombie movie or movies?
Woody: For zombie comedy or “Zom Com” (I just made that up), I love Shaun of the Dead! Warm Bodies is great too! For zombie horror, I’ll have to give a shout-out to “28 Days Later”, even though they technically aren’t zombies.
Tom: How many Kids Sea Camps have you been to?
Woody: This is my fourth Kids Sea Camp, although I like to think I’ve been to them all (in spirit). I’m just a big kid away.
Tom: How will the Zombie Apocalypse certification (ZAC) make our Kids Sea Campers better divers?
Woody: Not only will the graduates have unique bragging rights as certified Zombie Apocalypse Diver, but they will also learn survival skills they didn’t even know they had, making themselves indispensable to a group of survivors!
Tom: From one to ten, how would you rate (ZAC) as helping our Kids Sea Campers survive a Zombie attack?
Woody: One. And with my expert help, they could get up to a three, maybe a four, but to be honest, only Chuck Norris and I rate at 10’s. You want me around when the whole thing goes down. It’s gonna be bad.
Tom: What’s the best thing about Kids Sea Camp?
Woody (laughing): Well, the best thing is, well, me. But the second-best thing is meeting interesting people from around the world and having a great adventure in the process.
Tom: What are your favorite Kids Sea Camps?
Woody: I keep holding out for Kids Sea Camp: New Jersey, but for some reason, it keeps getting pushed back; hopefully, next year.  But I couldn’t fairly pick a favorite; each Kids Sea Camp is such an amazing time!
10:15 A.M.: The small room became quiet as Woody acted as if he was listening to something outside the room.
“That’s it. Thanks for coming down to Cola,” I said, relieved and feeling much safer than at the beginning of the meeting.
Woody looked at his watch on his left hand as I shook his right hand, “Not a problem, Tom, tell Margo I said hi. But I’ve got to go.”
Woody rose from his chair and moved toward the door, and the room suddenly went completely black.
“Crap,” Woody said. “They’re back! How the heck will I catch my flight to Utila?”
To be continued. . .

Day 2: Kids Sea Camp, Utila prepares for the Zombie Apocalypse!

by
Zombie divers, Woody Tinsley, Kids Sea Camp

Zombies are real!

Sorry for the delay in posting, but I’m writing from the bed at Lexington Hospital in Columbia, S.C., Saturday evening. I’m unclear why I’m here or how I even got into this bed. But I felt it was important for all the Kids Sea Camp families to understand what may be happening in Utila over the next two weeks. To be honest, maybe Margo and I didn’t know what we were getting into with the Zombie Apocalypse.
I’m going to warn you that there are gaps in my memory from Friday to Saturday. What I’m going to tell you is the best I can remember. Which is not much at the moment.

But this is how much I recall from Saturday morning.

8:00 A.M. Saturday: “Good morning, Mr. Peyton.” A doctor walks into the room; he is tall, thin, a bit pale and grey at the temples. “I’m Doctor Postal. That’s a nasty bruise you have on the back of your head.”
I touched the base of my skull and felt a bump the size of a large golf ball. ” How did I get that?”
“Hmm,” The doctor stroked his chin and paused,” That’s why I was asking. You have had a mild concussion. No long-term memory damage, but short-term memory should be affected greatly. Who was the last person you spoke to?”
“Woody!” I said, abruptly sitting up in my bed and falling back on the pillow, feeling quite dizzy,” Where’s my cell phone? I think I can get some answers. What day is it?”

What is happening

“Saturday, and the cell is right here,” the doctor said calmly, handing me my phone. “You know you’re not ready to leave just yet. I need to keep you one more day for observations… I’ll give you a moment.”
I picked up the phone and called Woody immediately.
“Woody, what the hell happened?” I yelled into the phone.
“Well, hello to you too, Mr. Peyton,” I could see him smiling as he spoke,” Not a nice way to say Hi to someone who saved your life last night.”
“What?” I paused,” What do you mean?”
“You don’t remember?” He laughed, “I guess I hit ya too hard.”
“It was you?” I asked,” You know I’m in the hospital.”
“Oops,” He laughed again. It’s all that law enforcement training. Sorry.”
“Where are you?” I asked, ” And is Margo with you?”
‘Atlanta, heading to Kids Sea Camp,’ Woody said, suddenly changing his tone to a whisper. ‘Oh no, I’ll call you back.’

Old Texts

The cell phone went dead. I looked through my messages and texts, looking for any communication from Margo. I saw a series of texts from Friday night to Saturday morning.
Hi, sweetie, at the Atlanta airport, looking forward to diving again since my back surgery. Call me. How are the dogs?
Text 2: Sweetie?
Text 3: Met with Woody. He seems nervous. Acting odd.
Text 4: Why aren’t you answering me?
Text 5: Are you OK?
Text 6: Are you at the Karaoke bar, again?
Text 7: Alright, now I’m worried.
Text 8: Cell phone running low. I don’t know where you are, but you have to call me in the morning.
Text 9: Luv u.

I immediately called Margo.

“Hi, honey,” I said, ” Before you get mad at me, I’m in the hospital, and I don’t know why. You need to talk to Woody about the Zombies. I think there’s more to this thing than we know.”
“SWEETIE!” She said in a panic. HOSPITAL!” WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU SAYING!”
“Margo, Margo,” I repeated her name too many times to count. “Find Woody. Ask him what happened Friday night. I don’t remember. I have a mild concussion. Find Woody. Find Woody.”
“Damn, ” Margo snapped,” My cell phone is dying, again.”
“Sweetie,” I repeated again,” Find Woody. He knows more than he is telling us.”

Zombies are everywhere

” Delta Flight 575 now boarding,” I heard over the cell phone, ” Sweetie, I’ll be fine. Just talk to Woody.”
I hung up the phone, and then Woody called.
“Tom?” Woody said in a hushed tone, ” They’re everywhere.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
‘The Zombies, stupid. Oh my god, you don’t remember Friday at all, do you? They were in the KSC office! It was terrible. You have to go back and look at what they did. They are following me to Utila!’ Woody said, his voice softening with panic.
“To Kids Sea Camp?” I said.
“Yes. Yes, damn it, Tom, they are “real”. They’re everywhere, and they are coming to Utila,” He said in a hushed tone, ” But don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.”
Then the phone went dead. The silence was haunting. The words “they’re everywhere” bounced and punched around inside my mind like a ping-pong ball. And what the heck did he mean… he’s got a plan?

To be continued. . .maybe

 

 

 

 

The silence before the storm of Zombies

by
Zombie, Kids Sea Camp, Kids and diving, kids dive training

Where are the Zombies? As the boys drove up to the Kids Sea Camp office, I noticed the yellow crime tape wrapped around the small brick building. All the windows were either cracked or broken. To be honest, it looks like a bomb had gone off.

“Man,” I whispered under my breath. “The Zombies went nuts!”

“I told you it was off the hook, Tom,” Manny said as Tyler’s large, black 1995 Ford F250 pulled into the parking lot.

I walked under the crime scene tape as the guys followed behind me. Glass crunched and cracked, and we slowly walked around the office. Three of the ceiling fans were broken on the floor, desks were overturned, and pens and paper littered the small, once-cute office.

“Tom,” Tyler asked,” You Ok?”

I moved to my desk and bent down to pick up a small picture of Jen and Margo smiling and hugging after one of her horse shows. My thoughts raced to where my two favorite women in the world were. The loving thought was quickly replaced by questions: “Are they OK? Are they safe? Are they alive? Did they survive the Zombie attack?”

“Tyler, have you heard from Jen or Margo over the past 12 hours?” I asked as I continued to check the damage. It was a total loss. All the laptops and very big box Macs were smashed into large pieces.

“Uh, no,” Tyler paused as he spoke. Why?”

“Mike?” I asked,” Any texts from Jen?”

“Nope,” Mike responded.

“Nothing,” I walked outside the building and looked directly into the bright South Carolina sun, “Guys, we have a problem. Try now.”

We started sending short text messages to Jen and Margo to get any response. Nothing but silence. In the modern mobile world, the one thing that always works is texting. I thought to myself. For a few minutes, the boys texted a series of messages to both women. Still nothing. Not a single letter, not a single word.

All four of us stood their silence. I’m sure the younger much hipper than I men were thinking, “How can this happen? No texting. This must be the end times!

We all knew what was next we had to go to Utila! We had to follow the Zombies.