“A Serendipituous discovery through scuba diving and family”

Kids Sea Camp was a serendipitous discovery for our family and a stroke of incredible luck. The universe started this miraculous journey over 16 years ago. Josh and I were off on another diving getaway in Bonaire. We had booked at Buddy Dive Resort as usual, and the first morning walking down the dock, we noticed a big colorful banner hanging at the dive dock that said Kids Sea Camp Buddy Dive Bonaire and highlighted kids scuba diving. Intrigued, we asked the dive shop manager what Kids Sea Camp was all about.  He advised that Kids Sea Camp was a worldwide diving group that hosted an event here at Buddy Dive Resort each year.  The event included a complete, all-inclusive diving package for adults. At the same time, kids ages 4-17 had some excellent age-appropriate programs set up for the week to enjoy with scuba instructors.  We were hooked! We had searched for this many times, but did not know Kids Sea Camp existed until now. After some more research and a call to Margo Peyton, the owner of Kids Sea Camp, we eagerly booked our first trip to her Kids Sea Camp Belize event.

As a mom, I was initially nervous, but talking to margo about the kids’ programs and the qualified instructors that would be with our two kids, along with all the planned activities and opportunity to meet other kids from around the world, was just so exciting.  Margo explained the staff ratios to kids, which was 1:2 for kids ages 4-1,1, and 12 and up would be 1:4.  This was unheard of anywhere else in the world. By the end of that call, I was completely sold. This was the first family vacation that Josh and I could truly relax, knowing that everything—from diving and meals to children’s activities and entertainment—was seamlessly taken care of in a safe and fun way. I could dive without worry, returning each afternoon to find my children super happy (and exhausted). From that moment, I knew Kids Sea Camp was the perfect fit for our family. Josh and I reconnected and enjoyed a real family vacation, and our kids had a blast.  Margo has a night out for parents on each trip where the kids have a pizza movie night from 6-9, and Josh and I went off to do a night dive together while having the peace of mind that Melea and Nate were having fun, too. 

Since then, we’ve made it a tradition to book at least one trip every year, often indulging in multiple trips. Our younger kids got certified to dive through Kids Sea Camp and continued to hone their skills each year. Our son Nate became a Master Diver, and our daughter Melea worked her way up to being a Dive Instructor. Josh enjoyed watching the kids grow and learn through diving that his passion for teaching kids became a goal, and he became a Divemaster and then an Instructor through Kids Sea Camp. Since then, his love for underwater photography has also blossomed, expanding to capture both the mesmerizing marine life and the families we encountered.

Kids Sea Camp opened up a world of connections and destinations for us. Josh and I have continued to explore the Caribbean, diving in Belize, Bonaire, the Cayman Islands, Saint Vincent, Roatan, Utila, and more with the Kids Sea Camp team. After all, why mess with perfection?  Kids Sea Camp provides the level of care and service that we needed and expected for our family. As our kids grew older and more adept at diving, we embarked on more challenging adventures to extraordinary places like Palau, the Socorro Islands, and the Galapagos, all with Kids Sea Camp. Margo and Tom have two kids, too. Robbie and Jen also grew up in this incredible family business, so they created it based on their needs and desires as a dving family and expanded those values and ideas into each event. 

Through Kids Sea Camp, we’ve met countless engaging like-minded families.. Making friends in the diving world and watching our kids bond with their peers have given us yet another reason to continue our journeys.

Over the years, we’ve watched the company grow and evolve, just as our family has. Kids Sea Camp and Family Dive Adventures now offer more locations and trips for “Empty Nesters”.  Margo and Tom now offer luxurious liveaboard vacations, which Josh and I adore. Even with our kids growing up and pursuing their own adventures, Josh and I still travel with KSC, both for our own pleasure and because Josh is a part of the team that captures memories for other families now. 

Our family continues to expand, and we’re thrilled that our three grandchildren are already on competitive swim teams, with the youngest being only three. We’re beyond excited to plan our first Kids Sea Camp trip with the next generation.

Finding Kids Sea Camp has profoundly transformed our family. Margo, Tom, and the KSC dive team have given us adventurous, safe, and fun vacations, lifelong friends, and countless treasured memories. We can’t recommend Kids Sea Camp enough—it’s truly a life-changing experience for the entire family.

Q & A with Liz Comay:  Interview by Margo Peyton

Hello Liz.

Can you tell me about the skits and songs you made for the Kids Sea Camp poem presentations each year? Your family created songs on each trip and performed together at the end of the week.   I remember many times, Josh playing the ukulele, Melia singing, and Nate doing bebop with him.  Can you express some of the behind-the-scenes workings and fun to create those moments? 

 After our first trip to Belize trip, my musical family (I am not musical and have no rhythm) decided to turn our poem into a song/rap to be more original. We would all work on the lyrics, and the kids and Josh would practice for a few nights before the contest. We had many fun memories practicing together and plotting our family songs. And win we did on several trips. This also helped us make closer connections with other families who we saw trip after trip stepping up their game and trying to “take us down.” (The Mulkintins 🙂 )

Can you mention some of the lasting friendships created? Melea has kept in touch with several of the girls she met at our earliest Sea Camps, including the Danks and Mulkinton girls; they are all still friends 15 years later. Josh and I have also continued to travel with many of the parents that we met along the way, like the Nathansons, Curvelos, and others. 

Can you express a little more detail about Josh’s feelings and emotions about becoming an instructor and Melea’s following?  My family loves the idea of learning in general, working to save the ocean, and working to be safer under the water. Taking steps to further their knowledge in diving came naturally to them, as the next step in the process of education and possibly teaching others to respect and love the ocean as well. Kids Sea Camp made it an easy decision to offer the Rescue, Divemaster, and KSC IDC programs each year. 

Liz, as a talented artist, how has Josh getting into photography inspired you to create, edit, and share those moments and beautiful photos online?  My actual career before having kids was as a Graphic Designer, where I used the computer and Photoshop for 10 hours a day. When Josh started learning Lightroom, it interested me. I saw immediately where it and Photoshop overlap. I like to control things, and because I was already familiar with the software in some ways, I sort of pushed Josh aside and took over. One perk is that at Kids Sea Camp,  it also gave me something to do, and I feel more a part of the team. It’s challenging to process the hundreds of photos Josh takes; for me, it’s enjoyable. I like making the photos the best they can be in the quickest, most efficient manner for all the families, including my own, to enjoy, keep, and share.

What keeps you engaged with traveling with us? We have seen and experienced firsthand how much the Kids Sea Camp family cares about the ocean, kids, and family, and I know that the trips for me will have incredible diving, interesting people, and, above all, safety.

What does diving mean to you and Josh as grandparents and as a couple who have been married 34 years?  It has given us a valued connecting point, a hobby that we have always enjoyed together as buddies. Our kids have outgrown us so we are hopeful someday to get our grandkids certified so that they will see the beautiful secret world under the sea and grow to love it as much as we have. Time is important now, and creating lasting memories with our family is a top priority. Join Josh and Liz on the Borneo 2025 and St. Lucia 2025 trips.  2026 trips