Family Stories Archieven - Page 6 of 8

Kids Sea Camp is so much more than that!

13 May 202618 January 2018 by Tom Peyton

Sea of Cortez, Kids and diving, family vacations, Family Dive Adventures, Scuba Diving

I’m not technically a kid anymore

Kids Sea Camp is for families, but it’s also the perfect place for young adult divers ages 13-19, who are ready for some independence, advanced adventure, and continuing education, and who want to have memorable experiences with other teens.

I’m not technically a kid anymore. That’s why I say, “Kids Sea Camp is more than that.”

I’m getting ready for college soon, and this summer, I enjoyed diving with my family, grandparents, aunt, and uncle at KSC Roatan. Spending a week diving together was one of the best experiences I have had with my entire family.

My dad is a military doctor, so I have grown up moving around. We lived in Guam for many years, and that’s when my mom read about Kids Sea Camp and booked the Palau trip in 2012. Each year since then, my parents, my two younger sisters, 15-year-old Helen, 13-year-old Zoe, and I pick a KSC dive trip. Both land-based trips and liveaboards are on the table and open for discussion.

The Best Dive trips

KSC trips are in the best dive destinations around the world. I have been to KSC Palau three times with Sam’s Tours, KSC Fiji at Beqa Lagoon Resort, KSC Roatan at Mayan Princess, and the Sea of Cortez, KSC’s “Citizen Science Week” on the Quino El Guardian.

Many KSC followers return year after year, like my family. But there are always new families, dive staff, and great people to meet. That’s the “Kids Sea Camp magic” that Margo Peyton created 18 years ago when she started the company for her kids. My mom enjoys underwater photography, and my dad seems to relax and enjoy the quiet of being on a dive boat and submerged, where the business of everyday life can’t reach him. My sisters love the water and look forward to these trips, as there are many activities beyond diving.

I think we all agree to have other kids our age on the trips to share adventures and hang out with has been the best part. I love to travel with my family, but diving with other teens from around the world, learning about new cultures, creatures, and ecosystems, and discovering myself is why I want to keep coming back.

On these trips, the cell phones get put away. Being in the moment is more fun than worrying about what everyone is doing back home. I have found that I can easily handle being unplugged in exchange for adventure.

My parents surprised me with a Quino El Guardian trip to Mexico this past summer on a KSC “Citizen Science Week.” It was doubly sweet because my best friend, Mo, was my roommate and dive buddy. We had several other girls our age on board as well. The week was full of science and cool encounters with whales, sharks, and sea lions.

Meeting MO

I met Momo “Mo” Hudes on a flight to KSC Palau in 2013. We bonded, became dive buddies, and later became best friends. Adding shipmates to that relationship this summer has set the bar pretty high for planning our next adventure. Our parents have faith and trust in Kids Sea Camp, and that confidence allowed us to embark on our own adventure.

Mo and I joined the liveaboard in the Sea of Cortez. The two of us journeyed through several airports and had to find our way around without our parents. This trip was an incredible opportunity for me to grow as an individual by stepping out of my comfort zone and putting to use the years of travel training Mom had provided.

I had never been on a liveaboard before, so seven days at sea was an intimidating adventure. I had the most eye-opening and liberating trip of my life, and Mo and I met some incredible people.

Part of the Kids Sea Camp family

We were made to feel a part of the KSC family, as always. Our dive guide was Juan, whom we called “Dad” because he looked after all of us like a father. KSC staff member and photo-pro Brad Holland became “Cool Uncle Brad.” Linda Sue Dingle, aka “Mom” from Sport Diver magazine, helped us feel at home on the ship, especially when she busted out goody bags of American flags, red, white, and blue-tinted glasses, and “I love America” signs for the 4th of July party she threw for us.

Mo and I learned so much about marine animals, plankton, and diving from marine biologist Dr. Robert Rubin, the leader of “Citizen Science Week.”

I have many mentors from my dive masters and instructors, all of whom have become part of our family. I remember each fabulous venue with nostalgia and its lasting impressions in my mind.

My favorite KSC moments

1. One evening on The Quino El Guardian, after a day dancing with sea lions, I was quietly observing another radiant sunse, reflectinget in front of the ship, a finback whale breached out of the water. The splash shimmered with golds and reds and reflected a kaleidoscope of similar colors off its body as it landed.
2. I recall night swimming off a moonlit beach in Roatan after watching fire dancers with new friends.
3. The views speeding through the Rock Islands of Palau on the bow of our dive boat, cutting through the turquoise waters that reflected the beauty of the Floating Islands.

By Sophia Quast, age 17

Kids Sea Camp Adventures inspires young diver to become new advocate for the ocean

13 May 202618 January 2018 by Tom Peyton

Kids Sea Camp, Galapagos, Diving adventures

Becoming the voice of the underwater world

My very first dive will always be in my memory, the very first time I was able to become the voice of the underwater world.

I had been excitedly waiting for that moment, even before I had stepped off the airplane into Grand Cayman’s sun. My parents had always spun elaborate tales of their experiences diving, and now it was my turn to see the wondrous world they had shared under the waves.

On that day of my first dive, the thing that struck me most was that I could actually breathe underwater. I took a deep breath in to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I could see the surface was a good fifteen feet above me, but I was breathing. I floated above the sea bottom and just breathed. I beheld the world around me as I descended into the blue.

Everything was behind me now, as if in another life. I couldn’t hear anything, but my own inhales, and those were very quiet, although Darth-Vader reminiscent. When I exhaled, I could hear absolutely nothing else. I now understand why the ocean is sometimes called the ‘Silent World.’

At first, I saw nothing, but upon closer inspection, I saw spiky red sea urchins populating the ocean floor. The urchins fascinated me. I had seen urchins very similar to them in the touch tanks at the aquarium, but I had always assumed that they lived in the deep ocean, not right here off the edge of a dock.

The sun showed right through the water, lighting up all the coral and fish around me. I am filled with awe at all I can see, and at first, I don’t know where to look, perhaps the deep sapphire blue out in the distance, or the small yellow fish not two feet away.

My problem evaporated very quickly, and soon I knew exactly where to look. As far as the eye could see, there were brilliant oranges, pinks, and reds. The sea-fans were made of a spider-web pattern, lacy strands of vivid coral with little holes between them. The tide washed in and out, swishing the seafans each time it came in. The ocean’s synchronized dancers captivated me: Tide in, sea-fans lean towards shore. Tide out, sea-fans lean away. Their routine was almost hypnotic, dancing to their own silent song.

I remember spotting my first lobster, a beady-eyed creature that was far larger than any I had seen lying on the ice in Pike Place Market at home in Seattle. The way it moved was completely alien to me. I had only ever seen a live lobster in a tiny restaurant tank, crawling over dozens of its siblings.

It’s been years since my first dive, and Kids Sea Camp has given me a lot of confidence as a diver. Each experience has inspired my interests in marine science. I have met other kids and families who share my interest in diving. Kids Sea Camp is very often the highlight of my summer! It’s what I talk about when I go back to school and write essays about when we get a free topic. I have attained many certifications, including Advanced Open Water Diver, Drift, Shark Aware, and an Underwater Photographer specialty.

Not afraid of sharks anymore

I was terrified of sharks, but now I’ve learned so much about them and other marine life. I have been diving with schooling hammerheads at Darwin’s Arch in the Galapagos, black tips at Blue Corner in Palau, grey reef sharks and mantas in Yap, and stingrays in Grand Cayman. I’m just not afraid anymore.

I’ve learned a lot about ocean-related issues, but the decline in shark populations is what I’ve been focusing on most. While in Palau, I attended a KSC lecture about the value of a shark’s alive vs. dead. The economic impact of shark tourism actually outweighs the profit from shark finning. I was fascinated by this, and I have been driven to do more — to stay informed about shark finning and other shark issues. Whenever I hear someone make a negative shark comment or reference Jaws, I launch into my mini-speech about sharks and how important they are for our oceans.

Diving is my passion

You see, diving is my passion. It has let me see and learn about creatures I never knew existed. I love going to Kids Sea Camp, meeting new people, and diving with other teens my age. I also like that my parents can dive with adults, and I can dive with newfound friends. KSC also has fun excursions while we’re not diving. My favorite was Jellyfish Lake in Palau. It was so peculiar to swim with thousands of jellies and touch them without getting stung!

Lastly, I enjoy diving as a family and having time together. I don’t feel like I’m on a completely separate vacation. I’ve done a lot of writing and speaking about my diving experiences; I feel it’s important and our responsibility to protect the oceans. I encourage my audience to be active in conservation and consider scuba diving. I know that most people reading this are divers, and they already have the oceans close to their hearts. To you, I will say the most influential thing you can do for conservation is to educate a young person. Bring your children, grandchildren, your godchildren, or your nieces and nephews on a dive vacation, and share with them the underwater world that you love. Present a slideshow at a local school, library, or teen center. If you can pique their interest in diving, even better! Tell families about Kids Sea Camp: Kids ages 10+ can earn their Open Water certifications, and those younger can do SASY or Seal Team. 15 PADI dive courses have college credits. Getting the next generation to care about the ocean is key.

Margo Peyton rocks!

Margo is the creator of Kids Sea Camp, and she takes time for each and every family and genuinely wants to know how she can serve and enrich their experiences. She’s also an excellent dive instructor and event planner; she has fun activities up her sleeve for the whole family (4-year-olds to grandparents!). I think that Margo is secretly Superwoman.

Since I have earned all my certifications and done most of my diving through Kids Sea Camp, I closely tie KSC to my diving “career”. I strongly believe that Kids Sea Camp has been a big part of who I am today. I’m more globally aware and confident because of my certifications. For all of this, I also say THANK YOU to my mom and dad for choosing Kids Sea Camp for our family vacations!

My favorite animal encounters so far have been with sea lions and whale sharks in the Galapagos. I felt very safe and well informed, and loved sharing those dives with new friends Melea and JB, as well as my mom and dad.

One of my favorite non-dive excursions was in Palau — bathing myself in a Milky Way mud bath. Each trip offers authentic activities that help you learn about the culture and people.

I am excited to be attending Kids Sea Camp Grand Cayman over my spring break; I’m going to be taking a PADI Jr. Rescue Diver course. I feel it will make me a safer diver and a better buddy. I’m very excited because Rescue Diver is the next big step in dive education, and my goal is to become a PADI divemaster when I’m 18.

Remember, the ocean is silent —it has no voice. It cannot speak for itself in debates about marine preserves or commercial fishing laws. I am eager for my voice to be a voice of the ocean, to be a protector and advocate for it. I am a certified diver with just under fifty dives, and after every single dive, I feel a renewed passion towards my goal — to be the voice. I encourage you to travel and to dive with your families, experience the underwater silent world, and become a voice too.

By Audrey Sarin, age 13, PADI Open Water diver and working on becoming a Jr. Rescue diver

A passion for sharks and photography

13 May 202618 January 2018 by Tom Peyton

whale sharks, Kids and diving, Kids Sea Camp

Passion for Photography created by Kids Sea Camp Adventures

I just don’t know where to begin. Kids Sea Camp is just so awesome that it’s even difficult to write about. But here you are now, reading my excited mess of ideas and thoughts on what diving means to me, 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.

At the age of five, I joined my first KSC. My parents signed me up for the PADI 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 was my first incredible experience with scuba diving.

Since I was already a water baby by six months and swimming by one, I thought KSC was created just for me. Quickly making my way through the dive ranks, I again returned to KSC in Roatan for Seal Team. This was a landmark in my interest in scuba diving.

Seal Team is a program for eight- and nine-year-old kids to experience diving in confined water. However, KSC Seals can dive in the ocean. I just fell in love with diving.

On my 10th birthday, my mom and dad chose Yap and 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 thought I would 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. It’s funny, everyone said it was all downhill from there. I guess they didn’t know Margo and Tom Peyton or Kids Sea Camp. Since then, I have dove with and learned about tiger sharks and bull sharks with the shark school at KSC Fiji. I traveled with my family to the Philippines, where I dove with rare thresher sharks and had the second-best day of my life diving in Oslob with whale sharks. The memories created at KSC are outstanding. The friends I have made are the best friends in my life. This is also where I properly learned photography. The support from Margo and my family is the reason I have stuck with it.

Margo hired me to be the photo pro for the Philippines 2016 trip, and I photographed the entire 17-day journey above and below. You can see for yourself my passion for photography in the Philippines photo gallery on the KSC website. I can safely say these experiences have significantly contributed to who I am today.

Passionate about saving sharks

At the age of 10, after returning home from Palau, I was so passionate about saving sharks (learning all about the Palau shark sanctuary) that I set up a small organization called Save Our Sharks Bermuda. I collected over 1,000 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.

Having the privilege to dive from a young age is exceptional. Through diving with KSC 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 more than 150 dives and 9 specialties.

This feels too good to describe. Having the family dive adventures that Margo and Tom create, and growing through all the PADI ranks like my dad, a PADI instructor too, is what I love the most. I have made lifelong friends around the world and have been encouraged by my family in a way I could never repay.

So thank you, Mom, Dad, and Holly.

Margo created the best organization that I have ever known. She has influenced me, trusted me, and helped me in every aspect of my life. She and Dad have guided me through diving safely with each step. I am even more grateful to my family for finding Margo; she is an inspiring instructor, with her focus 100% on safety. She is the heart of Kids Sea Camp!

This year, we are heading to The Galapagos and Cayman Brac KSC weeks so we can all dive together with the families we have met around the world.

By Zebedee Wakely, age 16.

Being a 10-year old shark diver is pretty cool!

13 May 202618 January 2018 by Tom Peyton

Kids Sea Camp, Kids and diving, family vacations

I was born in The Cayman Islands. As my dad works in the scuba diving industry, I have had a mask and snorkel strapped to my face most of my life. And never did I think I’d become a shark diver!

In the summer of 2008, I was given the opportunity by my parents to join Kids Sea Camp (KSC) on my home island of Grand Cayman. This is where my love and passion for the underwater world began.

As my parents dove with other parents, I started my days learning about marine life. The afternoons were spent playing on the beach with new friends. I love that there also is dedicated family time for us to dive together.

Shark, Diver, Nurse shark, Kids Sea Camp, family vacations, kids and diving

At age 6, I was snorkeling with my dad and KSC owner Margo Peyton at Stingray City and was stung by a jellyfish, causing an allergic reaction. Safety is essential to Margo, and she knows just what to do. She responded quickly to her emergency protocol in place.

That experience left me with a fear of jellyfish, but Margo helped me overcome that fear. A couple of years later, at Palau KSC, Dad and I snorkeled Jellyfish Lake with millions of jellyfish that did not sting. I’m so glad that I shook that fear. But I was going to be a shark Diver!

I became a PADI OW diver in Micronesia. My dad, Fraser Purdon, is a Tec instructor, and I knew he’d been waiting for that day my whole life. He was so very proud of me. I was a little scared on that dive because there were many reef sharks in the water. Margo said I would be safe, and my dad said I didn’t have to dive, but I plucked up the courage and jumped in right behind my dad. I am so glad I did; being a 10-year-old shark diver was pretty cool.

Learning about and diving with sharks eliminated fears, and I learned how important it is to protect them. Traveling with my parents has taught me so much about the world.

I learned about diving pressure by cracking eggs underwater. Did you know they stay together, and you can even bat them around unless a fish eats the yolk?

I have developed courage, confidence, and knowledge as a diver, and I try to inspire others who are just starting. I dove with mantas ten times my size, big sharks like bull sharks, white tips, and black tips, and I have even been face-to-face with tiger sharks and survived!

My parents’ favorite KSC week was Anse Chastanet, St. Lucia. Our room was on the top of the mountain with amazing views of the Pitons, and it had one wall open to the ocean. I loved St. Lucia because that’s where I experienced my first-night dive. It was fun seeing all the marine life that you don’t see during the day, like basket stars, octopuses, lobsters, and giant crabs.

I meet children worldwide through KSC and have learned to be more environmentally conscious. So many worldwide have so little, but we have so much and take it for granted. You learn that when you travel and experience the local culture.

Each year, I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. Scuba diving has been a big part of my family’s life. (I even used diving as my science project — and got second place at the county level.)

Mum isn’t as big a diver as Dad and I, but we enjoy diving together at KSC. We have become good friends with Margo and Tom Peyton, as my family hosts some of the weeks, too. I get to welcome everyone and assist Dad with the Sealife photo weeks.

Margo is my KSC mum; she treats all of us that way. After all, it is Kids Sea Camp.

From helping me put my first set of ScubaPro gear together to holding my hand in strong currents, she always makes me feel safe.

Tom is the Zen diver. He calms everything down by saying, “There is only kung fu,” as he does wax on, wax off hand motions. He makes everyone laugh.

I earned my PADI Rescue Diver and Master Dive certification this year. Tom and Margo have already offered me a job, so I know becoming a PADI divemaster is on the way. Diving is not my whole life, but it certainly has become the foundation for family fun. It’s not often you publicly get to say thank you, parents, but thank you, Mum and Dad. I’m so lucky I have become a shark diver with Kids Sea Camp.

I love my Kids Sea Camp life!

By Sophie Purdon, age 16

Dancing with the Sea Lions

13 May 202618 January 2018 by Tom Peyton

Sea lions, Sea of Cortez, Kids and diving, Kids Sea Camp, Family Dive Adventures, Scuba Diving

Learning new diving dance steps

Dancing with sea lions is not a normal practice of mine — not anyone’s really, except with Kid Sea Campers on the Quino El Guardian.

But, in the Sea of Cortez, you need to learn the fin steps as soon as you get on this ocean’s dance floor. A week of diving in the Sea of Cortez is a week spent dancing with the stars, and that’s what it’s like diving with sea lions.

The sound of your bubbles is their beat, and they are eager to get you kicking to the rhythm.

Juan’s dive briefing included the sea lion dance instructions. He said they will mimic you, and if you roll to your right, they will mirror you and so on.

It was the first Kids Sea Camp “Citizen Science Trip” on Quino El Guardian and the senior dive guide on Day One gave me six teenage girls, a 12-year-old boy, and Sport Diver’s Linda Sue Dingel — the perfect team to waltz our dance. No wallflowers here, we were fully engaged with rolls and spins.

There’s quite a lot of instant action. As soon as we rolled in, the entire colony came jetting over. Juan’s dive briefing was instantly put to the test. There were sea lions dancing in every direction.

I had a back-flipping diver in most of my shots. I observed the kids mimicking the sea lions, which kind of blew the whole diving briefing, and then the sea lions were mimicking the kids too! That totally made it one of the more memorable moments of my diving career. I could not tell who was having the most fun on this dive — the sea lions or the kids.

We learned about sea lions before diving with them from our Citizen Science marine biologist, Dr. Robert Rubin from UC Davis. Dr. Rubin, “Bob,” has been studying marine mammals longer than most of us have been alive.

The sea life in the Sea of Cortez was both abundant and diverse. We encountered super pods of dolphins, snorkeled with whale sharks and saw a finback whale come right up under the boat. We met daily on the swim deck performing plankton tows and gathering field data. We studied our samples under a microscope and then observed the whole basis for ocean life zipping around in a petri dish, narrated by Bob.

Throughout the trip, when I asked what the families would like to do after dinner, there was always one answer — “A Bob Talk!”

The most requested information was what awesome marine life we could encounter the next day. There were several evenings of marine presentations, and Bob made us all eagerly await the next day’s dives.

There were even whales sharks! As luck would have it, the best place for snackin’ on plankton was in slightly choppy waters, but none of that really mattered. When it’s time to swim with the whale sharks, the boat unloads so fast that you would have thought the last person in the water had to do dinner dishes.

For one week, the ocean is a classroom and the Quino El Guardian is our home. The crew were more like brothers and sisters instead of a crew. I have never felt so at ease and welcomed on a liveaboard in my life. The food was excellent and the service even better. The water was warm and the subject matter superb.

Linda Sue Dingel from Sport Diver Magazine handed out Sealife cameras provided by Kids Sea Camp to use each day. Our dive logs and photo cards were filled with all the big stuff and loads of unexpected macro life, such as seahorses, jawfish, blennies, gobies, some fancy nudibranchs, a horn shark and even a great white shark tooth!

As for me, all the different corals kept my 100mm lens busy on most days, and I brought home gigs of new-to-me marine subjects.

Personally, I learned far more than I had imagined about the ocean and marine mammals during the first Kids Sea Camp Citizen Science Week, and the next time I dive with a sea lion, I’m bringing my dancing fins.

By Kids Sea Camp photographer, Brad Holland

How Kids Sea Camp enriched my life

13 May 202618 January 2018 by Tom Peyton

Kids Sea Camp has been the greatest family adventure vacation I have ever experienced.

It is scuba diving trips for families who love the ocean and travel. Kids Sea Camp like nothing else I have ever experienced. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing young kids learn to dive with their parents and siblings. These trips have greatly enriched and changed my life because I have become a more confident diver and grown much closer to my own family.

Grand Cayman, our first KSC

One way KSC has enriched my life is by improving my diving skills with each trip. My first family event was in Grand Cayman, where I learned proper buoyancy techniques and the importance of being a role model for marine conservation. I signed up for a digital photography course focused on buoyancy, as well as the PADI Rescue Diver course to improve my first aid skills and be a better dive buddy.

In 2016, I became a PADI PRO dive master during the Buddy Dive Bonaire KSC event. I learned the science behind diving, how to guide underwater, how to assist divers in distress, and how to teach it all.

The second way KSC has enriched my life is through the friendships I have made around the world with the staff instructors, guest speakers, educators, and, of course, traveling families.

I am 18 years old, and there have always been other divers my age to dive and hang out with, and I really enjoy scuba diving with my own family. The memories that have left lasting impressions on my mind are countless.

Singing with Mr. Peyton

In Fiji, Tom Peyton and I had the best time after shark diving. We would entertain families in the afternoons with volleyball; in the evenings, I played the guitar, and Tom sang, which got everyone else singing and dancing too.

My favorite KSC instructor is Woody Tinsley; he is hilarious and makes learning fun. Woody invented the Zombie Apocalypse course and was my PADI dive master instructor. I learned how to teach my dive skills and give dive briefings perfectly. Woody is the kind of instructor I hope to be one day. He is just one of a great team of fun and friendly professionals to learn from. I can honestly say some of the greatest people I have ever met are at Kids Sea Camp.

KSC bonds your family

I have grown closer to my own family through these diving and traveling experiences. On our first trip, my sister had never dived and was afraid. She did not want to learn how to dive. I was able to help her overcome her fears. Now she is a certified diver. Our whole family looks forward to diving together and planning our next KSC trip.

Diving Ulong

The best way these experiences have enriched my life is that, in my eyes, it’s special to dive with my little brother Jason. He has a passion for the sport, just like the rest of our family, and there is no better feeling in the world than teaching someone his age to dive. Jason was 9 for our Palau trip and a PADI Seal. Per Margo’s safety record at KSC, the Seal Team has a special waiver with Margo to dive the Ulong channel.

We would normally have had to split up our family and not have been able to include Jason. At Kids Sea Camp, we can dive as a family.

Not only has diving enriched my life, but it has also enriched the lives of my entire family. Any family can clearly see that dive travel is like attending a living classroom. I think KSC is the greatest family vacation in the world! Families unplug from electronics and reconnect to each other through adventure, diving, and fun. I am grateful for my family and the memories my parents create with us.

The world needs more Kids Sea Camps

I wish there were more people like Tom and Margo (owners of Kids Sea Camp) because they make the world a better place for families. This year, Jason will get certified in Cayman Brac, and our entire family will be divers.

Margo has a passion for teaching kids and parents how to dive together safely. I will continue to dive and travel with my family and hopefully become a PADI dive instructor, so I can change lives, too.

By James Devinney

The treasures to be found at Kids Sea Camp

13 May 202618 January 2018 by Tom Peyton

Kids Sea Camp, Dive training, special needs

My Treasure Hunter

My 11-year-old son, Jacob, is a treasure hunter. Wherever we go, his eyes dart here and there, scanning the floor for the next “piece de resistance.” Money is usually his favorite prize, but anything he can find will do. Because of his autism and ADHD, any public place can become a battlefield as he races to pick up newfound treasures. But no land treasure to date has compared with what we found when we attended Kids’ Sea Camp at Buddy Dive Bonaire.

Jacob’s love for underwater exploration began with the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a cargo ship, he tells me, which was lost in the tumultuous waters of Lake Superior in 1975. Jacob has toured every nearby museum exhibit devoted to underwater sea creatures with rapt attention. One year, his only birthday request was a giant megalodon tooth.

Jacob becomes a Scuba Diver

So it did not come as a shock when Jacob turned 10 this year, and his only request was to become a scuba diver. His dad and I supported his quest. We were well informed about the research on water and its benefits to autistic children. Water therapy is a proven program that helps children block out the noises that overwhelm them. It provides the counterbalance to help them regulate their over-sensitive nervous systems, which may be one reason it decreases anxiety.

Water is wonderful for autistic children

Water is nature’s great equalizer for an autistic child. By extension, scuba diving provides exercise, fun, and therapy, as well as a foundation for developing life skills and confidence. We hope that Jacob will be able to use his new skills and knowledge of the ocean towards a long-term career in oceanography or marine biology, bridging his two loves.

Since Jacob and I have become PADI-certified divers, we have enjoyed exploring reefs and marine life in the Caribbean Islands; however, none were as kid-friendly and pristine as the reefs of Bonaire.

Stumbling upon the website for Kids Sea Camp

I had never heard of Bonaire until I stumbled upon the website for Kids Sea Camp, a family business that has certified more than 8,100 children since its inception. The owners, Margo and Tom Peyton, have brought their love of the ocean, scuba diving, and family together to create the unique Kids Sea Camp program.

Their list of accolades is impressive: No. 1 World’s Best Family Dive Vacation 2014 by Sport Diver Magazine and USA Today Reader’s Choice Award recipient, the Travel Channel’s Traveler’s Best Family Vacation 2015, and the PADI President’s Award of Excellence.

Meeting Margo Peyton

Margo was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame for her contributions to marine education and to children’s diving. But what swayed me to participate in this program with Jacob is that Margo and Tom are parents who created these family trips to enjoy with their own kids. Initially, I was a little apprehensive. After all, we had never met, and this was a weeklong commitment to the company of strangers. But I have always been determined that my hesitations will not impact Jacob’s needs. I wanted him to improve his world through scuba diving, socialize, and have fun, all while enjoying the safety provided by Kids Sea Camp and Buddy Dive.

Student-to-instructor ratios

One of the best parts, I was able to participate in Jacob’s camp too. At Kids Sea Camp, the student-to-instructor ratio is 2:1, enabling dive instructors to spend time teaching the kids and listening to their needs.

In Jacob’s case, Margo arranged his own 1:1 instructor, which enabled him to have his needs met and made his week a huge success. With this level of quality care, I was able to step back and watch him earn his PADI adventure diving certification under the tutelage of others.

Jacob loves diving

It truly was a vacation for both of us, and not only because Jacob was exhausted enough to sleep past 6:30 A.M. for the first time in his life. Each morning started with a Buddy Dive overflowing buffet breakfast. One morning, Jacob grabbed some bread and, at the approval of the staff, went down to the dock to feed the fish. His smile and squeals of delight as the water erupted with schools of fish made the start of the day better.

After breakfast, we split into our own groups. Jacob connected with the other children over a mutual love of the ocean, while I enjoyed diving with other parents. I was able to dive without concern for my son’s safety, a priceless gift to the parent of any child, let alone a young scuba diver with autism.

A vacation within a vacation

Jacob and I reconnected each day at 3:30 P.M., where I learned all about the cool things he had discovered. He would animatedly explain, his eyes dancing and arms waving, the sights of his day including, but not limited to, a small shipwreck, the crabs scuttling along the dock areas, the deep turquoise of a parrot fish, the large pincher on the lobster, the bright spots on the trunkfish and the five turtles he saw glide by him on his dive, as if he wasn’t even there.

“Charlie” the Tarpon

The best adventure for Jacob was the kids’ night snorkel off the dock. His eyes were alight as he shared about the moray eel and “Charlie” the Tarpon, an under-dock resident of Buddy Dive. Because of these amazing experiences at Kids Sea Camp, Jacob developed a deep love of underwater photography. The kids’ diving programs include a photography class and a photo dive with Sealife cameras. This opened up another door for my son to grow his love of the ocean.

One of my favorite things about Kids Sea Camp was the sense of community and inclusivity between the staff and families. The instructors went above and beyond to accommodate their charges. They were available to talk to the parents, joke with the kids, and answer any questions, even if it meant extending their day. The staff participated in the graduation ceremonies, cheering students on as they presented their poems, a Sea Camp tradition where families write a poem about their week at camp.

So often, Jacob’s disability makes him the odd man out, a shy outlier in a room full of children. At Kids Sea Camp, Jacob was part of the action at every turn. Finding Kids Sea Camp was like finding buried treasure. I didn’t know it was there until I stumbled upon it. Now my life and the life of my son are forever changed, so much so that I have already booked our next Kids Sea Camp to return to Buddy Dive Bonaire.

Thank you, Margo and Tom. Our lives are better for having participated in your vision.

By Alyson Herzig, writer, blogger, wife, and Kids Sea Camp mom

How Kids Sea Camp has forever changed my life

13 May 202618 January 2018 by Tom Peyton

Robert Peyton, Kids Sea Camp, Tech diving

My life with Kids Sea Camp

Growing up at Kids Sea Camp. As a kid, diving with my family kept me far away from the TV and video games for most of my summers. I made friends in many countries around the world, and I’ve kept in touch with most of them. Kids Sea Camp (KSC) has shaped my life in so many ways. I’m close with my family; we all still dive together every year, and I hope to be a vital part of our company when I graduate from college.

Starting at six years old

Since I was six years old, I have experienced diving with marine animals in some of the world’s best dive destinations. I have learned to respect all marine life and that we need to take better care of our underwater world. I have learned firsthand how fragile our coral reefs are and how fast they can die if we don’t start paying attention and doing our part. There are some reefs I have been diving on for 20 years, and I can see the damage, the difference in the health of those corals, and the lack of fish life. I have also experienced the opposite in places like Bonaire, Roatan, and St. Lucia, where marine reserves have been created, and both human and environmental impacts have monitored and changed.

Through all my training and travels at Kids Sea Camp, I have not only learned that many endangered marine animals ingest plastic, which is a major cause of death because the plastic can’t be digested and causes them to starve, but I can now do my part to reduce plastic. People enjoy diving because we are guests in a foreign world full of aliens that are not on display in ours. There is quietness, no distractions, and limitless life to observe.

I was a sasy

I started as a PADI SASY with Kids Sea Camp. That was the first program my mom included because Jen was four, and I was 6. SASY was cool because, as the littlest members of a family, you can have your very own BC, tank, regulator, and a full set of dive gear like your mom and dad. You feel like a little person doing big things. We loved the water, and Mom had a harder time getting us out than putting us in.

A seal

By age eight, I was a PADI Master Seal diving Stingray City in the Cayman Islands, where I was born. A PADI Seal has a depth of 12 feet, but a Master Seal has a maximum depth of 20ft. I was the kind of kid who pushed limits, and my mom loved Seal Team in the Cayman Islands because many dive sites had sandy bottoms at 12 feet and others at 20. So mom did not have to stress managing my depth. She once threatened to put a leash on me underwater. Let’s just say I was not the most obedient child and leave it at that.

Learning to dive as a Seal Team diver gave me confidence in myself. I was taught through Aquamissions how to clear my mask, exchange my snorkel for a reg, navigate, and, best of all, learn to achieve great buoyancy before becoming an Open Water Diver. PADI Seal Team made me comfortable with a tank on my back and allowed me to get familiar with my dive gear. Seal Team also showed me how to be a good buddy with other 8 and 9-year-olds who were diving.

A JOW

My Jr. Open Water certification could not have come at a better time. My birthday is in October, so I had to tolerate 3 years of PADI Seal Team. I had logged more than 40 dives as a PADI Seal. To say I was mad that Mom wouldn’t let me get certified the summer before I turned 10 was an understatement. We were in Curacao in the summer of 2005, and Mom signed me up with Tom Peyton for my long-awaited PADI Open Water Certification course. Tom was nervous and uncertain. Mom thought it would bond us together and make us better buddies. She was right.

Our Thanksgiving trips started because so many kids turn 10 in the fall, and many want to get certified in the year of their 10th birthday. So, Mom put together the first Thanksgiving family scuba trip in 2006 because my sister Jen wasn’t turning 10 until the end of August. So spending Thanksgiving at awesome exotic destinations around the world has been our family tradition ever since. There are several families that travel with us every year, too.

Kids Sea Camp is never dull

The cool thing about traveling with my family is that each destination is a new adventure. I meet new people and get better at diving. Not to mention that traveling with other families is never dull. As I was growing up, my mom added new courses, activities, and sports to the trips. Kids Sea Camp creates more advanced itineraries to new destinations every year as we get older and demand more fun, more challenging training courses, and more fun.

There is so much more offered now, and our family has grown over the past 20 years at Kids Sea Camp. New things that mom has added and loves to do, like having spa days and advanced Pro courses, like DiveMaster and special needs training. I’ve included destinations such as jungle biking, black-water diving, Blow-Karting, and tec training. Jen likes destinations where she is with Woody, assisting with Zombie dive training, horseback riding, and beautiful beaches. Tom has added liveaboards and Citizen Science weeks as well as football, basketball, and fly fishing.

For 26 years, KSC has been teaching photography with Sea Life Cameras and Olympus, providing Micro HD video and still cameras along with in-depth photo classes. We document all the trips as I have grown up inside the Kids Sea Camp over the years.

A PADI Pro

My passion is diving, obviously inspired by my mom and childhood. I became a PADI OWSI instructor in 2014 with over 1,000 logged dives. I completed my MSDT, Tec 40, 45, and 50 at Buddy Dive Bonaire in 2016. At 22, I completed my Tec 65 training. My specific passion is Technical diving.

Technical diving means going beyond recreational scuba diving limits. But I say it’s really about the extreme challenges and the excitement of exploring places few people have ever seen. At Buddy Dive in Bonaire, we now offer PADI PRO and Tec courses, as I did. I am 25 now, in college, and I teach at Kids Sea Camps with my family during select summer trips. I enjoy teaching the next generation of divers.

People ask me which KSC destination is my favorite?

I can’t answer that question because they are all great. It’s the families who travel with us around the world that make each trip so unique and memorable. The Philippines, Indonesia, and Palau are a long way to travel for many families, but experiencing the people, food, history, culture, and diving makes it so worth the travel. Diving deep wrecks, encountering big sharks, mantas, and rarely diving pristine walls or reefs is living the dream.

My mom has been a dream maker for 30 years. She is in the Women Divers Hall of Fame for creating safe places for families to dive together. Kids Sea Camp has more than 8,100 PADI-certified kids and no dive accidents. That is due in part to my mom’s fantastic tenacity.

Kids Sea Camp was built with love

My mom could not have created KSC by herself. She has had a little help from her friends. Mom has been close friends with Paul and Michelle Coolen from Buddy Dive. When Carolyn Pascal was the publisher of Sport Diver Magazine, she loved her mom’s idea so much that she told the whole world about it. Mom practically grew up in the Cayman Islands, where I was born. She has strong personal relationships with all the resort owners and dive operators she works with. She says they are her extended family, and they always have each other’s backs.

My sister, Jen, is a PADI OWSI instructor. She is 23 years old now and in vet school. Jen and I have grown up traveling the world, and it’s kept our family closer. I hate to take all the credit, but I’m sure we were 100% the inspiration for Mom creating Kids Sea Camp. We have had the best life, growing up under the fins of so many amazing people.

One of my favorite parts of the trips is watching the talent presentation at the end. Listening to families share their experiences, and to parents, kids, and others reading poems, doing skits, or singing songs.

My favorite dives are blackwater night dives, shark dives, wreck dives, and Tec dives. I am very grateful for all the international friendships. I cherish the incredible opportunities those friendships have afforded me over the past 20 years.

A special thank you to PADI for sponsoring me, to Buddy Dive Bonaire, Paul Coolen, Mr. G., and most importantly, to my parents for always having my back and for putting such inspiring people and places in my path.

By Robert Peyton, PADI OWSI #340202

They think I’m fearless

14 May 202618 January 2018 by Tom Peyton

Diving with whale sharks is so amazing

Traveling with KSC has become my favorite family holiday, and it’s making me fearless. I was 4 years old when I attended my first Kids Sea Camp (KSC), my brother, Zebedee, was 5. My parents discovered KSC in Sport Diver magazine, reading a story just like this.

My mom and dad are both keen divers and were hoping my brother and I would like diving as well. Luckily for them, we absolutely love it, and diving is a regular part of our family lifestyle. KSC makes sure all programs and diving are safe, fun, and interactive for our entire family. Each year, our family picks 1 or 2 different trips to attend. I have been to Curacao, Utila, Roatan, St. Lucia, Bonaire, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Dominica, Fiji, Yap, Palau, and the Philippines for a grand total of 24 dive weeks with KSC. (See our KSC calendar)

I have worked my way through the PADI certifications from SASY, Seal Team, JOW, Zebedee, and I am currently both a PADI Jr. Master Scuba Diver, all through KSC. Snorkeling is rarely as interesting as diving, but snorkeling with the whale sharks of Oslob with Sea Explorers last summer in the Philippines was so remarkable and far more exciting than diving.

Margo, this is the best day of my life!

The sharks came so close that I had to keep moving out of their way because they would not move out of mine. Zeb shouted, “Margo, this is the best day of my life!” I think we all agreed. Not everyone feels about diving the way I do; some are scared. The hardest part of overcoming fear is having the courage to jump in. Once you learn the facts about marine animals and face your fears, you can really enjoy diving and snorkeling in the ocean.

Last year in Roatan, my buddy Abby, who was 11, was too afraid to perform her mask-removal skill. Being a fellow kid diver, I demonstrated for her how easy it was and told her that everything would be “Ok”. She felt so much better. With our instructor, Woody Tinsley, she then jumped in and completed the skill perfectly. I was so happy to help because we had a great time diving together all week. That experience opened my eyes to the desire to help other kids overcome their fears about diving.

I am not afraid of sharks

Many kids fear sharks because they don’t know enough about them. Most sharks are actually rare to see on a dive. I am not afraid of sharks and look forward to seeing them.

One of my greatest moments was being in the water for Abby’s first shark. Because I was so excited to see one, she was keen to see a shark too. Luckily for her, we got to see a nurse shark diving in Roatan. I reflected on the first day she dove with me when she was terrified of everything underwater. It was very inspiring to experience and influence that kind of change in Abby as she conquered her fears.

Becoming a PADI divemaster

That experience makes me want to become a PADI divemaster. I want to help more people face their fears. I would love to encourage other kids to try scuba diving and explore the ocean. I want to educate people about the underwater world so that they won’t be afraid.

Last summer, my family took us back to Palau, where Zeb got certified. I was 9 years old then and a PADI Seal Team diver. We all got to dive and see dolphins, sharks, mantas, giant clams, and nautilus, and I even snorkeled at Jelly Fish Lake. It was so superb that I wanted to go back again and experience it as a diver, and it was 10 times better than I expected! The manta and sharks showed up, as did everything else.

Diving is my passion

Diving is a passion, and that means if you want a rare opportunity to dive with Thresher sharks, as I did in Malapascua, then waking up at 4 A.M. is the time to go diving. I’ll admit, I wasn’t thrilled about 4 A.M., but watching Threshers just above my head at sunrise was so worth it! If you don’t know what a Thresher shark is, look it up. Their tail is the same length as their body, and they use that huge tail to stun the fish they eat.

KSC has given me tons of unforgettable experiences. When I tell my friends that I dive with whale sharks and snorkel right next to them, they think I’m fearless. They can’t believe how large whale sharks are or that they don’t have teeth.

Going to KSC introduces great career possibilities for young divers, too. For example, my brother Zeb is very interested in photography. KSC gives away SeaLife underwater cameras and nurtures and encourages those with a passion for underwater photography. Zebedee’s picture of a ghost pipefish from our trip to the Philippines won the RSPCA Photographer of the Year award.

KSC is a global event

Meeting kids from around the world is also a special part of the trips. In the Philippines, a group of children would greet us each morning before and after our dives. We talked with them, took pictures with them, and just had fun together. We looked forward to seeing each other daily. We played basketball and visited villages and schools. On our final day, the children ran beside our van, crying and waving goodbye. I loved the father-daughter trip we took to Dominica for spring break, and I can’t wait for the Galapagos and Cayman Brac this summer.

Thank you, Margo, Tom, and the KSC crew, for some of the most memorable experiences of my life. I also thank the staff at the dive resorts we have visited for keeping us safe and being so much fun.

By Holly Wakely, age 14

Paul Zanelli: Diving back into life

13 May 202618 January 2018 by Tom Peyton

Special needs, Handicapped divers, Kids Sea Camp, Assisted diving, Family Dive Adventures, Scuba Diving, Kids Sea Camp, Kids and scuba

Diving, no matter what

I am Paul Zanelli, a volunteer fireman and EMT for over 35 years, a husband, father, and now an amputee. I had spent 33 days confined to a hospital bed after crushing my right foot during a home project.

A tough morning

When I opened my eyes the morning of December 23, 2016, minus a leg. Looking up at the hospital room TV to see a one-legged superstar running a Spartan race. It was as if God were trying to show me a new world of possibilities. Christmas was spent in the hospital with my family and friends. So many people came to visit, and as much joy as that brought me, it was hard to see the pain and sorrow in their eyes. I was out of pain! Thinking to myself, I did not need them to feel sorry for me. So I became determined to stay strong and lead a normal life.

I came home from the hospital on December 27 with equal measures of hope and fear. One of the first people to reach out to me was Margo Peyton, owner of Kids Sea Camp, and her call was the start of a new and wonderful relationship with her, my family, and diving.

The KSC solution

I met Margo and her husband, Tom Peyton, the year before at Kids Sea Camp (KSC) in Roatan, Honduras. It had been a dream come true for us. Cindy Zanelli and I were avid divers for over a decade, but after having children, dive trips were replaced with Disney and water parks.

We stumbled upon KSC when the kids turned 10 and wanted to dive too. In Roatan, we dove and made friends with other adults, while the kids were getting certified and making friends of their own. It felt great for all of us to finally be diving together. We planned to dive, which is a big part of our lives, and had booked another KSC trip for Spring Break 2017 in Dominica, at the Fort Young Hotel and Buddy Dive Dominica.

While lying in the hospital bed in December, the doctors told me there was no way that I would be diving in April. It was only 4 months away, so I sadly told my wife to cancel our family vacation, and in perfect Cindy form, she said NO!

We are going diving

Keeping that trip scheduled was one of the best decisions ever. The Zanelli family needed this trip. I wanted to show my kids (and myself) that life would be as good or better than before. And what made it all come together was this unexpected call from Margo. She had been following my story on Facebook, with lots of love and prayers throughout.

Margo called to tell me she had made all the arrangements for me with a handicap room, an HSA instructor, some big, strong dive guides to help me in and out of the water, and anything else I could possibly need to make this work. She even arranged the land excursions that ensured no far walks for me or a path where I could be driven to the top of the fort or waterfalls. To top it all off, she even purchased me a Sub Gravity underwater scooter through her not-for-profit foundation, Oceanwishes.org.

Margo the problem solver

The scooter was small, compact, and easy to use. It could be used with one or two arms. The scooter provided assistance diving if I got tired, and was a whole lot of fun. Margo loves challenges and is one of the most loving people I have ever met. She proudly proclaimed, “Paul, we got this!” and with that, launched me into getting back in shape and continuing to plan our dream dive trip to Dominica.

Margo and I connected in NJ at the Beneath the Sea Dive Show in March. She was elated to see me walking with my new prosthetic leg and introduced me to ‘Dive Heart’ to get neutrally buoyant fins to fit my new foot. I was excited about the Scuba Pro fins and meeting some great people who were already doing what I was still dreaming about.

Diving in Dominica

We arrived in Dominica just 4 months after my surgery. I was walking on my new prosthetic, carrying the underwater scooter, and a swim prosthetic (Aqua Leg) strapped to my backpack. Fort Young Hotel was beautiful and located right on the water, with our room overlooking the ocean. Buddy Dive was ready and waiting for me. I spent the first full day trying out my new Aqua leg, learning to use my new dive gear, and getting comfortable diving. Niels, who runs Buddy Dive, was ready to assist in any way, so I jumped in for a checkout dive off the dock. That was the greatest feeling in the world, my friends. I cannot describe the freedom and joy I felt getting back in the water and descending to depth, and diving again. After my awesome check-out dive, it was game on!

I had my family around me, and that family now included the Whites and the Peyton’s. The Zanelli family just got bigger. We were so fortunate to have the friends we met last year in Roatan, Jay & Lisa White, and their boys, reconnect with us in Dominica. They brought an extra scooter and a shared passion for hunting Lionfish. Cindy, Lisa, and Margo were focusing on underwater photography, and the kids were scootering around together and having a blast. Life was great again!

‘We Got This’ mentality.

Buddy Dive in Dominica accommodates every level of diver, and it was easy for the kids and me. We enjoyed diving with adults on our own boats in the mornings, then diving as a family in the afternoons. We had fun looking for Sperm whales, and I even jumped off the top of the Buddy Express boat with all the kids! Abby and JAZ took a digital photo class with Margo and shot some amazing underwater images. We ate fresh Lionfish fritters and ceviche each night.

Margo and Tom always put safety first, and that made our trip stress-free. It was just what my soul needed, and all made possible by Next Step Orthopedics and Kids Sea Camp’s ‘We Got This’ mentality.

It was hard to say goodbye, but we are busy planning our next KSC trip to Belize next March! The Zanelli family will be back in the water!

Story by Paul Zanelli, father, husband, diver, EMT, fireman, and all-around inspirational human being. See Paul’s profile in Sport Diver.