Destination: Roatan

Kids Sea Camp mom learns to dive at age 61 and logs 90 dives in 6 countries in two years

By Betsy Meade

Scuba Diving, no way! My husband, Doug, and I recently retired after raising our four children. We both enjoy traveling, so we started to think about what the next stage of our lives together should look like. Doug is an active sportsperson who loves adventure, biking, and scuba diving. My travel habits favor sightseeing, beaches, and relaxing. I am willing to try new things, but scuba diving was not on my list.

I am not fond of swimming in the ocean at all. As a child, I was content to sit in the sun and play in the sand. As an adult, I occasionally ventured out into the waves, but I feared all the “creatures” I suspected would be waiting to torment me. On several trips, I attempted to snorkel but never quite got the hang of blowing water out of the snorkel and keeping water out of my mask. As an adult, I was still not interested in encountering any sea life. Scuba diving was not on my list of things to do.

Doug, on the other hand, has been scuba diving for over fifteen years. I spent many vacations happily sitting on beaches, while he scuba-dived during the day. He returned with great stories and pictures of his dives, and I was entertained by learning about his time underwater. Doug enjoyed diving but had mixed emotions, always leaving our family and me behind while on vacation. He often suggested that we get certified and join him, but I didn’t think the kids could do that. I certainly had no interest. So we remained content sitting on the beach until now.

I believed I could not enjoy scuba diving for many reasons; I am claustrophobic, and being underwater would scare me. My fear of not having immediate access to fresh air, and could not wrap my head around the idea that all I needed would be provided in a small metal capsule on my back. I was not a strong swimmer, so I thought currents and waves could be a problem, and the most significant piece of the pie was that I am afraid of sharks, fish, eels, or anything else that moves, stings, or bites.

My mentor, Margo Peyton

Margo Peyton, my neighbor and close friend, is the founder and owner of Kids Sea Camp. Mrs. Peyton would talk to me with so much passion, understanding, and determination about diving. Her beautiful pictures helped me debunk all my fears with her knowledge and experience. And she explained that having well-fitting, comfortable dive gear can make a huge difference in comfort, confidence, and the overall diving experience. She gave me a soft Scubapro mask called a Synergy TrueFit, sized just right for my small face.

Even the mask strap was necessary. She added a sports band that ensured the mask was easy to slip on, remove, and adjust—even underwater. She provided me with a smaller mouthpiece that was more comfortable. Then she outfitted me with comfortable, longer fins that prevented leg cramps and let me move through the water with scuba gear. I had no idea what a difference a fin could make. I was provided a comfy two-piece wetsuit that was easy to get in and out of, stylish, kept me warm, and protected me from stings and sunburn. The BCD was the key to my ultimate comfort. The fit was perfect and easy to use, and it supported my back as needed in the water. Having dependable, comfortable equipment I learned to use gave me so much confidence while I was scuba diving.

Facing my scuba fears

I booked my PADI Open Water class for July 2023 in Roatan, Honduras. I was still terrified of marine life when I arrived in Roatan. The night before my first class, I had tried to convince myself that scuba diving was not for me; all my troublesome thoughts, concerns, and excuses came rushing back. I didn’t want to disappoint Doug or Margo, so I got into the pool. It was my first class. Margo personally hand-picked my dive instructor to fit my needs and fears. I had the most patient, kind, and just wonderful instructor, Kiley Thueson, she was perfect for me.

Some skills were more challenging than others, but Kiley was patient, and I completed the requirements of my confined-water dives. I was excited but extremely nervous for my first open-water dive, as I would see fish. I took a giant stride into the ocean.

There was so much to think about—equalizing my ears, not holding my breath, monitoring my air, the dreaded mask removal skill, and swimming with fish. As I descended, the beauty of the corals and the blue hues of the ocean water amazed and calmed me. I was not afraid of those fish! They also seemed entirely uninterested in me.

Upon completing my first day of scuba diving, I was so proud of myself and started looking forward to the next day. However, after dinner, doubt and fear crept in again. I had to keep reminding myself, “I can do this!” Each day, I again forced myself to return to my class, determined to succeed and overcome more of my fears.

It took three days to become a PADI-certified open-water scuba diver at age 61. I was proud of myself for pushing through and enjoyed diving with Kiley and Doug for the rest of the trip. I enjoyed diving so much that five months later, we called Family Dive Adventures and went back to Roatan, this time to complete my Advanced Open Water certification with another Kids Sea Camp Instructor whom Margo hand-picked, Peter Kockisch. He is from Germany and worked with me on buoyancy, weight placement, fish identification, boat diving, navigation, and a deep dive.

Doug, my diving buddy

Then Doug and I went to St. Eustatius, and after that, we felt prepared for Indonesia. So we went to Lembeh Resort in Indonesia and then to Komodo aboard the Arenui with Margo and Tom. Again, we had private guides and learned so much. We did our first muck dives in Lembeh. Doug and I had to practice keeping our fins up, not stirring up the bottom, and destroying all visibility. And there certainly was a lot to see! We both started taking photos and having fun. In Komodo, we saw dragons on land and had private dives with whale sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, and even some reef sharks. Going on a few night dives required me to overcome a few more fears. Again, with proper equipment and planning, these were fun, too.

How’s that for overcoming fears? I am so very proud of myself. Doug and I are really enjoying this big blue new world we are exploring together. After Komodo, we went to Anse Chastanet in St. Lucia, dove wrecks, and learned to drift dive. Next, we are taking our daughter to Belize with Family Dive Adventures this spring to Blackbird Caye. I’m very excited for our daughter and looking forward to more new experiences, and I now love scuba diving.

Structure and attention to detail—particularly safety—are most important on Margo and Tom’s trips. This was a huge part of my success. Being part of that group and realizing that the instruction specifically addressed many of my concerns played a considerable role in building my comfort, confidence, and enjoyment of diving. Margo uses the same philosophy with her children’s programs.

Becoming certified scuba divers has changed our lives in so many ways. Doug and I explore the underwater world together as buddies. We have fun, travel, and meet new people.

Constantly blowing bubbles — now.

Experiencing this new world with my eyes was much better than looking at Doug’s pictures and listening to his stories. In the past year, I logged 90 dives in 6 countries and experienced a wide variety of sea life, including endless types of corals, sponges, and critters.

I am obsessed with diving now. With every dive, I am becoming a better, more confident diver. With each trip and each new experience, I learn more and overcome more fears. Having Doug as my dive buddy gives me more confidence because he always has my back.

Our calendars for 2025 and 2026 are already filling up with more Kids Sea Camp / Family Dive Adventure trips. We are off to Belize with Tom and Margo in the spring and then getting excited to be back on the Arenui with their Forgotten Islands Trip. While we regret missing out on 15 years of diving together, the last year has been so much fun, and we plan to continue to create new memories on future trips with Margo and Tom. In addition, we look forward to introducing our children and grandchildren to scuba diving with Kids Sea Camp.

I am so grateful to Margo for encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. I never thought that at age 61, I could learn to scuba dive or that I would enjoy it so much.