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Kids Sea Camp was exactly what we were looking for

We have taken our son James with us on every dive trip we’ve taken, sometimes with and sometimes without babysitters, and it’s usually worked out for us. But when we learned about Kids Sea Camp, we knew it was exactly what we were looking for all along. So much so, in fact, that we began to wonder, “could it really be as good as they say?”

Well, it was better than advertised! The kids were kept so busy with so many wonderful activities that the days just flew by! Animal encounters, ocean art, stories, snorkeling, SASY, etc, etc! And best of all, there were enough responsible and professional instructors that each child got all the individual care that they needed. Friends were made instantly by both kids and parents. The families had many opportunities to gather for beach cookouts and the kids even had their own movie and pizza night. And yes, there is plenty to do for non-divers!

Do yourself and your kids a real favor and attend a Kids Sea Camp destination in 2006!

Tim & Jill Kolakowski ( James age 7) Curacao 2004

Parents love Kids Sea Camp

Kids Sea Camp allowed us as parents to enjoy great morning dives each day knowing that the kids were well attended to.

Upon return to the hotel each day after diving is lunchtime, the kids were so consumed with the content of their programming, they barely recognized our return!

The afternoon allowed us to get out and enjoy some more activities, before returning to get the kids at the end of their afternoon sessions. As if the scheduled kid’s activities weren’t enough, it wasn’t uncommon for the instructors and counselors to continue to interact with the kids well beyond the end of scheduled times, and quite often into the evening as well!

Perhaps most rewarding was that by the end of the week we got to experience the wonders of the oceans with our newly certified Seal Team members together as a family.

To quote the kids – “that was the most awesome vacation we’ve ever had!” Indeed it was!

Mike Jones & Natalie Kunkel (Ian and Morgan Jones, age 8 & 10) Grand Cayman 2004

Fiji adventure to Castaway Island at Kids Sea Camp

By Jennifer Peyton-Chornlesky, age 11

Day 1 and 2: I drove to Atlanta and fly to LAX to meet the group at 6 pm. We left LAX at 10:30 at night on November 15^th arrival in Fiji on Air Pacific a 747 10hr and 45 min to NAD airport.

Day 3: Saturday: 46 kids and 48 adults. We meet the South Seas Cruises Catamaran for a 2.5-hour sail through the Yasawa islands to Castaway Island.

Day 4 & 5: I woke up to the peaceful sound of the ocean crashing against the rocks. After I ate breakfast at the beachside restaurant, I went on 2 dives with other kids from all around the world, I am in the teen diver group for kids that are already certified divers and can dive. The first dive was really rough but it was a great dive, and I saw 7 Clownfish. This fish is mostly orange with white stripes and lives inside a sea anemone. Sea anemones sting other fish and people, but not the clownfish. These fish are only found in the South Pacific.

I am certified as a PADI diver up to 40 feet, other kids that are 12 and have their advanced diver certification can dive up to 65 feet. The second dive was at a sandbar I did not go on that dive but I went on the sandbar and snorkeled and took pictures. Later in the afternoon, we had a treasure hunt. We had to go looking for keys and maps. My team was the yellow team the green team won. I started my painting today with this famous artist Rogest. He is really funny He makes all the kids laugh and he paints with us during the week. We do dot art it an Australian style.

We usually do dot paintings, but instead this time the teen divers did graffiti art. The art is a picture of a marine animal and we have to tell a story or make a statement about the protection of that animal and what its crises are. Like Shark fining, or hunting of Sea Turtles or overfishing or killing whales. Why we think its wrong and what we can do to help stop it. After the day was over I went on a snorkel with my mom and dad. I saw clown fish, Needlenose fish and lots of blue starfish. They are so beautiful and only found in Fiji,

Day 6: I am really sad that I am leaving in just two days. This morning I went on a shark dive I was excited but also very scared. We were at a dive site called the Supermarket. This is where the sharks come to eat that is why they call it the Supermarket. There are hundreds of sharks that gather here, but they do not hurt any people. My dive group was the last ones in the water. When I jumped in I could just here the jaws music playing in my head. I saw a shark and I thought it was going to charge me but it didn’t. I saw 7 Wight tip reef sharks and some Bronzy Sharks; they are 5- 6 feet in length. That was the best dive Ever because I overcame a fear I had of sharks. The second dive I did not go on because it was too rough, there was a storm offshore. The storm was really outrages there were tree branches everywhere, The weather this year was not normal, we had lots of wind and rain a few days. This is due to Global Warming and one of the effects seen in Fiji. At dinner time we had a big feast For Thanksgiving. Instead of turkey, we had chicken. I had clam chowder and chicken with gravy. At Castaway Island, there is music at each meal and singing. There are beautiful flowers everywhere and the people are very nice, they smile and learn your name, and say Bula which means hello, Vanaka means thank you. They also were really pretty clothes around them called a Sulu, both the men and the women wear these. We all wore them for Thanksgiving.

Day 7: This is my last day in Fiji I only went on one dive, we see lots of beautiful fish on the reefs, and the water is very warm. I spent the rest the day got with my good friend Isabel and the other kids I met on my trip; there were 46 kids and 50 adults that came with us. We stayed in the pool for almost 3hr we a had a ton of fun. After I out of the pool. I got ready for the graduation ceremony. I showed my painting of a turtle it was called “save the turtles.” The last night, my Dad sang with the Castaway band and everyone danced and had fun. We all cried the next day when it was time to leave. The castaway makes you feel like family. All the dive staff and resort staff come out and sing goodbye songs and hug and kiss you, it’s very sad, like leaving an old friend. It’s sadder I thing for the other families, because I know I will be back every year. My mom leads our Kids Sea Camp group to Fiji every Thanksgiving. Many families come over and over because they love Fiji so much. Its perfect for kids, because kids like to sing and dance and paint and swim and dive and Castaway has all of.

A week we will remember forever

We are a family of five, submerged in the beautiful turquoise waters of Yap: a tiny island, off the beaten path for sure, located in Micronesia. You see, we live in Hawaii, so when I contacted Margo Peyton with Kids Sea Camp the bar was set pretty high for taking a family vacation. Margo guided us through a magical family adventure that we will, like her tagline said, remember forever.

I am surrounded by a pristine reef and schools of fish, many of which are large and pelagic. On the list in Yap was sailfish, reef sharks, manta rays and a whale shark. As I descend with my family into the sea below a euphoric feeling overcomes me. But what really is on my mind is the fact that all of my daughters are getting this experience along with my husband and myself together. It is amazing to have us all be experiencing this amazing, beautiful, untouched, unspoiled, majestic destination together.

Moments to remember forever: My youngest daughter, Emma, floats above my head and dives down for a high-five as she is only 7 right now and is still dreaming of the day she can officially dive with us. For now, she is snorkeling with sharks and learning about the ocean. The view she is getting is fantastic. She is being circled by schools of fish and small white tip reef sharks. She shoots me a huge smile and a great big Shaka from the surface and an OK signal. She is totally stoked to be part of this!

Sierra is out in the blue, following in her dad’s footsteps with her camera just waiting for that chance to log the perfect shot. She is in the zone: perfectly focused and ready for the shot. She signals me a huge OK and I know all is good. Her wish is granted as a juvenile whale shark poses inches from her lens and she has the shot.

Jos is busy being Brad Holland’s photo model. The perfect fit: a teen diver that has her buoyancy and diving down like a master diver. She is so into the dive that she doesn’t even notice all of the attention she is getting from the photographer. During the one-hour time frame that she gets to spend with the loves of her life, manta rays and sharks she is in heaven. She’s soaking in the experience. These moments at Kids Sea Camp are magical.

Jeff is taking the opportunity to spruce up his photography skills and is loving it as well. He has been spoiled by having a professional photographer spend a week with him, sharing tips of the trade. He is stoked to be using his newly found skills, and I even have a few photos of him taking photos which are rare since he is always the one shooting the photos (thank Brad for that).

And me, I’m just thrilled to share this unforgettable journey to Yap and Palau with my family. This type of experience cannot be purchased in a store or found in some prepackaged deal online. It’s not going to be on a cruise ship or in a theme park. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity created and personally hosted by Kids Sea Camp for us to all connect and embrace the majesty of the underwater world. We don’t have to say a single word, we just look at each other and smile when we surface. We all know what each other feels, it’s written all over our faces.

“This is the perfect family experience and one of many Kids Sea Camp offers. A trip of a lifetime. Thanks so much.”  The article was written by Julie Wettstein

Kids Sea Camp is awesome!

I just wanted to let you know what a fabulous time we had in Grand Cayman.  THANK YOU!!!

My daughter did indeed get certified (shown on the right in the pic of the kids) and was able to join us for the last day of diving.  She was so proud to have finally done it, she told everyone she came across that she had gotten certified.

My son and I got in 12 dives, including a night dive that gave us a glimpse of not one, but TWO octopi!  The Sting Rays were amazing, and even though we enjoyed seeing turtles more on our

dives than at the farm ( I followed this turtle up from 20 feet and just happened to have our GoPro in hand), the Turtle Farm was enjoyable too.

Emma was willing to adapt to our needs and was very professional in her approach, which I was more than grateful for.  I trusted everyone at Divetech with our safety as well as our adventures.  On top of all of this, the accommodations, staff, and food at Cobalt Coast were so good my children have asked me to make it an annual event!

Thank you again for your patience with my scattered approach to this trip.  It truly was a family dive adventure we will not forget.

All the best,

Kym Lee