Family Stories

Mother loves the Peace of Kids Sea Camp

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non-divers, kids sea camp, kids and scuba, family dive vacations

Even a non-diving mom loves Kids Sea Camp all year round

By Janet Martin, a non-diving mom

So, I wanted to tell you about two things that happened today that reminded me of Kids Sea Camp. To be truthful, not a day goes by that someone in our family doesn’t speak of Kids Sea Camp.

It is now August 15. This morning, when I woke up and went downstairs to the kitchen to make coffee, I looked out the window and saw the subtle changes of the season. The color of the water was different, the wind was blowing the trees differently, and when I opened the door, the air had a crispness to it, and it smelled different — it smelled like fall! Ahh! I love fall, but it means winter is just around the corner. I am not a fan of winter. I try to embrace it but my thoughts always return to Kids Sea Camp. I think of Kids Sea Camp and I’m a non-diver, that’s how amazing the weeks are.

The second thing that happened was with my son. We went to get the mail and he received an envelope from PADI! He was beyond excited. Enclosed was his PADI Seal Team card. His smile will be in my memories forever. He is a PADI Seal because of Kids Sea Camp. Kids Sea Camp is unique to us. Perhaps that is why we think of it often. Our children can now explore and experience things in life that before they would not have had the opportunity to do.

My name is Janet Martin, my husband Tim and our two children Isaac (8) and Allie (5) would like to tell you about our experience with Kids Sea Camp. It has taken me a long time to focus and figure out what Kids Sea Camp means to me. I have had a lot of thoughts go through my head, but I keep coming back to the word Peace. Kids Sea Camp means Peace to me. Sort of silly I know, because you would not naturally put these two things together.

Our journey with Kids Sea Camp began with a desire to get back into traveling. After the long winters everyone has endured on the Northeast Coast, we were looking for a vacation that would make us happy, comfortable, accommodating, and, of course, Tim has to dive.

Kids Sea Camp, Kids and diving

I will often read my husband’s dive magazines (being a non-diver) to see what is happening in the dive world. I saw a Kids Sea Camp advertisement and asked Tim, “What do you think about this? Should we call and see what this is about?” (Remember, this is not something we would ever do.) Curious and desperate to find a solution, he called (I believe several times!). We had a lot of questions. The Martins are thoughtful and practical decision makers; we fail horribly in the “quick decision maker” department.

So, in July 2013, the Martins did something they have a hard time doing—we took a leap of faith and went to Grand Cayman at Cobalt Coast for the Kids Sea Camp experience. In return, we got Peace. We finally got Peace. Kids Sea Camp literally changed our lives forever. It was one of those “Ah Ha” moments, or for some, one of those handfuls of moments that have affected them. Corny, I know, but it’s true.

When I arrived in Grand Cayman for the first time, I still remember the feelings I had on the first morning. I was amazed and in awe. All that was going through my head was the fact that all of these kids do this with their families. They are happy, they get along, and these kids can dive! I want this for my children. I want Tim to dive with Isaac and Allie. I was getting more excited by the moment.

It amazes me still that kids can dive! I wanted this for my children so badly, I was somewhat obsessed with it. I spoke to Tim about diving and Kids Sea Camp all year. I know he was tired of me talking about it. But, I felt Isaac and Allie had found their “thing”. Really, I was so happy. We live in a small rural area with limited opportunities. We must create opportunities for our children, and I am glad we chose this opportunity.

Kids Sea Camp’s goal is to take care of you and everything was taken care of. They provide a safe diving haven for families. Everyone at Kids Sea Camp had the same goal for their families, this is something that we really appreciated. We were so happy about this vacation that went back in 2014 and again to St Lucia in 2015. Tom and Margo Peyton secured the worries, which ultimately led to peace.

Kids Sea Camp was run like a well-rehearsed orchestra. I don’t know how else to describe it. It was a beautiful weeklong masterpiece. Everything just worked. Every beat and note were perfectly in place. Tom and Margo are constantly making sure everything is perfect.

At the end of Kids Sea Camp in St Lucia at Anse Chastanet, Isaac, only eight, was able to have his first 12-foot dive with his instructor and his father. WOW! The thought makes me speechless and happy tears come to my eyes. Allie was in the SASY unit looking and swimming with the resident reef fish. Her week in St Lucia allowed her to find her “inner fish” and become even more passionate about animals and sea life. Her happiness gives us peace.

Kids Sea Camp has become (in our lives) what you do every year. People need to go to the dentist, eye doctor, hairdresser, get new shoes, the Martins need to go to Kids Sea Camp.

For us, like everyone, time is precious. Vacation time is hard for us, so planning a vacation with our precious time is stressful. Kids Sea Camp has given us peace about our time. Peace, for our family, has come on many different levels. Tim can go diving and not have the worry of me or the kids — I’m at peace. He is under the water to escape from his mind and responsibilities — he’s at peace. I know where my kids are and who they are with. Tim is diving, food and the place are great — I’m at peace. The kids can come and go, eat, drink, meet new friends, dive, play, and learn — we are all at peace.

Sometimes, big moments change our lives—births, deaths, and marriages. Sometimes, it is people, whether or situations. I can honestly say Kids Sea Camp is one of those moments for us. The people we have met and the experiences all have contributed to the Peace we desired for our precious time. Peace…it’s important, it will change your life…, and it’s good for you.

Fiji time and Kids Sea Camp magic

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Tom Peyton, Margo Peyton, Kids Sea Camp

Fiji: The reunion tour 2015!

It has been a while since Margo and I were in Fiji. We were there in 2009 at the wonderful Castaway Island resort on the Island of Malolo. Fiji was the start of this grand Kids Sea Camp adventure, Margo, and I have been on since we met ten years ago this coming February. It is our honeymoon island.

Margo and Tom Peyton celebrated their first year in Fiji in 2007 at the Castaway Resort. For Tom, a lot fewer gray hairs and wrinkles eight years ago. Margo, an amazing ageless wonder still looks gorgeous today.

Fiji is a cherished place for us. A place of deep connectivity to the vast blue vistas and complete centering silence of the islands. It is, indeed,  a special trip for the Peytons. It is a place where time seems to slow way down, you stop worrying, you ponder the distant future far less, you enjoy the sunset just a little bit more, and you can feel the stress of our normal, crazy everyday life leaving your body. Margo and I call this phenomenon “Fiji Time.”

Margo has also called it “kava time” but that a whole different story.

Fiji is also a smile factory — as the Fijians always seem to be happy, so helpful and incredibly gracious to the visitors that travel to their stunning country. In fact, “welcome home” is a common phrase the Islanders use in their first greetings to tourists.

“Welcome Home,” how many times have you used that phrase when strangers arrive in your abode — probably very not often. And like a “home away from home,” it has a habit of creating connecting points that change the “vacation” to something much larger — something deeper. I have lost track how many Kids Sea Camp families have left Fiji with tears in their eyes. Tears of joy of being so welcomed by the Fijian people. Tears of a remembering of how good we all can be — if we try — just a little. It is a special place for our KSC families.

And as the countdown in the office starts for the new Fiji week at Beqa Lagoon Resort this year. I can’t stop myself from hoping and wondering if “Fiji Time” will sweep over the two KSC weeks and make some more Kids Sea Camp magic. I know I’m looking forward to it.

Tom Peyton, Vice President of Kids Sea Camp

Kids Sea Camp fuels Zebee Wakely’s love of photography

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Underwater photography, Kids Sea Camp

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

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

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

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

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

Kids Sea Camp at age five

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

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

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

I just fell in love with diving

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

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

Learning photography

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

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

Diving from a young age is exceptional

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Palau Kids Sea Camp family trip journal

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Palau, Sharks, Kids and diving
Palau Kids Sea Camp journey

Even though it was 10 P.M. Palauan time, we were greeted by some native girls and boys dressed in native attire. They placed leaves on us made of local flowers interlaced in palm fronds. It was late at night when we arrived at The Palau Royal Resort, so I went straight to sleep.

Sunday

I woke up this morning still adjusting to the humidity and heat (82 degrees F and sunny). From the balcony, I saw a breathtaking view. For the first time, my Mom woke up early and actually wanted to stay awake. The tall limestone cliffs, each inch covered with lush, green growth, dip into crystal-clear blue water. There was no smog, so I could see to the end of the Earth. We headed down to an unusual breakfast buffet. It had a combination of American, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese foods. Taking snorkeling gear from the dive shop, we headed out to the dock for our boat tour of the Islands and Jelly Lake. It was amazing! The boat ride took us through more lush green islands, unspoiled by mankind, sticking up like broccoli heads.

Jellyfish Lake was incredible!

This was my first time ever touching a Jellyfish (that didn’t sting). The Jellyfish in Jelly Lake have lost their ability to sting because they have no need to. Jelly Lake is an isolated saltwater lake with no predators to eat the jellies and no fish for the jellyfish to hunt. Now they rely on internal algae for food, following the sun during the day, but at night they go down into a highly toxic (to humans) nitrogen-rich layer of water to fertilize the algae.

Palau, Kids Sea Camp, Sam's ToursLater that day, we had a BBQ lunch. I made a new friend. Her name is Callie. She is 10 years old, blonde, and energetic, and she is a certified diver like me. We all loaded back up onto the boat and headed for a snorkel at Clam City. The Clams there, Mackenzie. She is younger than me, 8, and in the Kids Sea Camp’s sassy program. From Clam City, we went back to the resort, explored a bit, and then we got ready for our welcome dinner at the Sea Passion resort.

We knew the President of Palau was coming that evening, so I put on my best dress. We had an exuberant welcome by native dancers and a native ritual of “Calling of the Canoe”. The President of Palau gave a welcoming speech in which he spoke about the islands of Palau and how much he enjoyed having us there. A week before our arrival, he had declared to the United Nations that Palau was the first and only “Shark Sanctuary” in the world. I got to shake his hand, take a picture with him, and all the kids at Kids Sea Camp.

Monday:

On the second day, we had the unusual breakfast again and headed over to Sam’s Tours for our first dive. There I was assigned to the “Whale Shark” boat, where I met some of the other Junior Open Water Divers and our Dive guides.

German Channel

Our first dive took us on a one-hour boat trip winding through the Palauan islands to a location named German Channel. We sighted a 6-foot Manta Ray, lots of corals, a porcupine fish, and lots of sharks. The German Channel is a cleaning station for all fish. In this area, fish from all over the ocean stop to let cleaner wrasses safely clean large predatory fish that would otherwise eat them. This makes the German Channel a safe and amazing place to view lots and lots of ocean creatures.

The lunch spot was awesome! We went to a private white-sand beach with the ocean on both sides and large coconut palms for shade along the edges of a dense jungle. I went swimming and shell collecting with my friend Callie.

The second dive of the day was named “Big Drop Off”. This dive is a wall drift dive. Along with wide varieties of fish, we found a lizardfish and a Nudibranch among the corals and sea fans that covered the wall.

We returned to the resort and got ready for our next evening. Dinner was served at an Indian restaurant named the Taj. They served us a delicious dinner of different and interesting Indian foods. That evening, we had interesting Indian dancers about my age. They did a bunch of dances, changing clothes between each one. Some of the dances had veils, and some had little bells all over the outfits – like belly dancers. They were quite impressive.

Tuesday

Once again, we had breakfast and headed out to the German Channel. We were met by a lot of rain coming sideways at us like bullets as we sped along in the boat. At German Channel, we saw two humongous Manta Rays, the size of cars, at the cleaning stations; 28 sharks – all different kinds – white tip, black tip, and reef – the size of surfboards; a Green Sea turtle; and some very interesting sea stars. An excellent and lucky dive!

We had another fabulous lunch – a chicken bento box. This time we had lunch at Sam’s Tours because of the rain.
The second dive took us through rough surf to the Blue Corner dive site. Since I was limited as a Junior Open Water diver to 40 feet, this dive was ok. We saw one puffer fish, two warty sea slugs, and some starfish amongst schools of triggerfish, butterflyfish, and bannerfish.

That evening, we went to the Sea Passion for another exquisite dinner. That day, we had the Polynesian dancers. There wasn’t much singing like before, but there were some instruments, like a hollowed-out gourd made into a drum and two frayed sticks that sounded like rain and thunder when put together. That night we went home (back to the hotel) and slept like rocks.

Wednesday

That day, I awoke to something very unusual – it was absolutely pouring rain. We headed down to breakfast and tried to avoid the downpour. After breakfast, we headed down to the dive shop and hopped on the boat. My guide, Alex, warned me that I still needed to put on sunscreen even if the sun wasn’t visible. Once again, the rain was coming into the boat sideways as we sped over to the German Channel. That day, I wore my wetsuit before I even got into the water.

One thing about SCUBA is that if it rains, it doesn’t matter because you are below water! That day I saw schoolmasters, horse-eyed jacks, squirrel fish – the usual hordes of schools and corals. I didn’t see much in the channel, unique or extra large, on this dive.

Blue Corner

That afternoon, we headed out to Blue Corner – also there, I didn’t see any unique fish – a large puffer, but I was told that the adults down at 70 feet saw quite a few sharks. The Teen Divers also had a painting lesson with a funny artist who travels with Kids Sea Camp around the world, teaching children how to paint.

After the painting, I did my first night dive. It was amazing, I saw several interesting Sea Cucumbers and fish. All of them were hiding. That night, we had the Yap dancers. Yap is a very small island just northeast of Palau. We were told we were going to girls dancing, but instead they sent the young men with bo staffs. As soon as our heads hit the pillow, we fell asleep.

Thursday – Thanksgiving

It was my first time celebrating Thanksgiving outside of America. I was told that the locals don’t really celebrate the holiday, other than going to church. Catholicism is the main religion. They do celebrate Halloween there.

It was a sunny day as we headed out on the Silvertip boat to our morning German Channel dive. There I saw one large Manta Ray going into the cleaning station and a couple of sharks. I was surprised that the sharks were so large.
I must say it was quite a thrill to be diving with them. My dive guide told me that in thousands of dives, there have never been any issues with the sharks. They are in the channel as part of their lifestyles and don’t bother with us divers.

Jake’s Seaplane

After a fabulous lunch on the beach, we went to Jake’s Seaplane. This dive spot features an interesting plane wreck and a lot of diverse coral. It’s down about 40 feet, so perfect for Junior Open Water Divers. There were lots of Parrotfish. Part of the plane’s right wing was missing. I found it 20 feet away, hollow and covered in corals. The plane was a WWII plane – I don’t know whose.

We did a third dive at 10 feet for 15 minutes, where I saw a puffer fish and my first Mandarin Fish. It was soooo cute. A native of this area with large yellow lips, green to its forehead, blue chin, orange body, and blue squarish circles all over its body.

We went to Sea Passion for dinner. The four turkeys were baked in four different ways, along with several other sides, including cornbread, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, and cranberry sauce. That evening, we made a sand Manta Ray on the beach about the size of the real deal. With my guide and new best friend’s boyfriend, Paul, who made a sand shark with the boys.

Friday

Our last day diving. My first dive was the German Channel, and almost as if there was a going-away send-off, we saw a large Manta Ray, sharks, and lots of interesting Fish. After that dive, we went back to the dive shop for lunch and caught up with our parents. We went to the Light House dive site, where we dove as a family, just the four of us, with two guides. This was my father’s 100th dive, making him a century diver. My mother got her century dive in a few days before. It was a great dive with loads of fire corals, lizardfish, and bubbles.

Saturday

Today is my last day in Palau. I am not pleased to be leaving. We made a lot of friends in Palau. My guide, Alex, I will miss. I wish I could stay. I went to a beautiful waterfall with my dad. We went under two waterfalls and jumped off small ledges into a pool along the river’s path. There was a lot of mud, and one time I actually got stuck. I think my Keens were a little less pink after that hike.

We went to the stone head garden

Some looked happy, sad, or angry. There we had lunch. The usual Bento boxes, but this time we had some traditional Palauan food like candied tapioca and fresh coconut milk/meat. After that, we headed back to the hotel, stopping at the Capitol building.

When we got back, we packed up our stuff, took a shower, and headed over to Sam’s tours for the graduation ceremony. There was a whole cooked pig! There was a ceremony for each group: adults, teens, sassy/seals, and junior open waters. Then there was the poem contest. The poem that my mom and I worked on the evening before got first place (out of like 20 poems).

We won an underwater digital camera.

We then watched the video made by Nick Martirano, who followed us around all week, said our last goodbyes, and headed for the airport. I practically cried all the way there. We arrived at the airport for our treacherous flights to Colorado. I slept most of the way through it. The odd part was that it started on Saturday, then Sunday, then Saturday again, and finally, we got home on Sunday morning at 5 A.M.
Final thoughts

I think Palau is one of the best places for families to go in the entire world. Kids Sea Camp is a great place to meet new people and learn about the world’s different cultures. Palau is one of the best places to go diving. Magnificent Mantas and Sharks. Try to go there at least once in your lifetime. Thank you, Margo Peyton and Kids Sea Camp!

Jane Colon-Bonet’s Kids Sea camp Adventure, Palau trip Journal

A “Happy Kids Sea Camper” family

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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

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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

 

 

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

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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.

The silence before the storm of Zombies

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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.

Galapagos Kids Sea Camp, the trip of a lifetime

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Top 5 dives for family, The Philippines, kids Sea Camp, kids and diving
Instructor loves her “Bucket List” Galapagos trip with Kids Sea Camp

I decided to hit one of my all-time “Bucket List” destinations. After 20 years as a diver, I was long overdue for a journey to the Galapagos Islands. Kids Sea Camp always uses top-notch locations and suppliers, so there was no one else to call but Margo Peyton. I’ve booked many dive group trips with her, but this one was a dream come true for me.

Kids Sea Camp Galapagos experience

Diving with whale sharks and schools of hammerheads is all part of the Kids Sea Camp Galapagos experience. So I knew booking through them would put my dive group and me on the best possible boats. I can say that the trip was magical from start to finish. Poor Margo had to have back surgery this summer. I was so honored to be asked to fill the group leader position – BONUS!! I got the most amazing kids as my dive buddies, and sharing this experience with them just added to the magic for me.

Arriving in San Cristobal, we were met at the airport by the dive guides for the Galapagos. We took the short ride to the harbor, where we actually had to step over lazing sea lions to get on the rib boat “Panga” and ride out to the motor yacht. We had some refreshments and a get-to-know-you orientation with the staff and boat. Then we headed out to an easy, shallow bay to complete the orientation dive. This dive made sure everyone was comfortable and that all equipment was in good condition and well-fitting.

Our dive buddy was a sea lion!

This was an amazing dive to kick off the week. Our dive buddy was a sea lion! He showed off in front of us for a full 40 minutes, twirling and swooping, whooshing by and then flopping onto the bottom, blowing bubbles and mouthing the tops of snorkels, investigating bubbles from the vents in hoods, and generally having a grand time with these silly-looking creatures with the metal tanks.

Back on the boat, we were treated to the first of many delicious meals before retiring to our comfortable and well-appointed cabins for the night.

Shark time at KSC

We had the chance to visit several islands during the week, the best of which, for me, were Darwin and Wolfe. Dive after dive, we were treated to schools of Hammerhead Sharks by the dozen. If we stayed still long enough, they would come closer, and we would get to see the details of their beautiful scalloped heads. Amongst the hammerheads, we would also see the different-shaped bodies of Galapagos Sharks, white-tip reef sharks, and sometimes even a Silky.

All these sharks made for the perfect location for the kids to earn their Project Aware – Shark Awareness Specialty. As well as learning about sharks, we learned about the threats to them, and we asked about every fishing vessel we saw: were they legal, and what fishing methods were they using? Fortunately, they all followed the strict regulations set out by the Marine Park. The Galapagos is a great place to be a shark!

Whale Shark sightings

The highlight of the week for us all was the Whale Shark sightings. These huge, beautiful creatures are quite something to experience up close, and there were several sightings for all divers during the week. As well as the sharks we were treated to many other sightings, a Manta Ray, many huge turtles and lots of Eagle Rays….. and the fish. Never before have I had poor visibility because I could barely see through the thousands of fish!

Of course, the Galapagos is famous for its unique wildlife, and we were lucky enough to see Marine Iguanas feeding on algae underwater and, on the same dive, Flightless Cormorants diving amongst us for fish. Tropical Fish and Penguins all on the same boat ride – this is rather like Alice’s Wonderland.

Kids Sea Camp, you run a tight ship

I made some great new friends amongst the Kids Sea Camp families on the trip. And we all enjoyed the excellent service from our friendly, helpful crew. I can honestly say that, in all my years of diving and across the many locations I have been to, this was truly the trip of a lifetime.

Thanks, Kids Sea Camp, you run a tight ship, and this was an incredible Galapagos family adventure.

And special thanks to Margo, KSC is truly the best when it comes to family travel.

By Lucy Dunbar, former owner of Columbia Scuba, in South Carolina