Finding a place to dive as a family:
”Our only option for getting our kids certified to scuba dive was in dark, kelp filled, cold water.”
Michael and I, Having both been raised in scuba diving families, could not wait until our son, Trey and daughter Hutton, turned 12 and we could get them both SCUBA certified (we didn’t realize that the certification for Junior Open Water with PADI had changed to age 10)!
Michael and I went to our local Dive Shop in Hermosa Beach, CA, and our son Trey quickly completed the e-learning, confined, and pool work with ease. All that was left were the 4 open-water dives. Now let me explain: it was going to have to be done off the coast of Palos Verdes, CA in January – in dark, kelp filled, cold water. (Not the definition of Kid Friendly) While Trey was very comfortable in the ocean and a strong swimmer, he also would have to wear a thick 7 mm wetsuit, hood, booties and a great deal of lead weight. Well, needless to say, he was not having any of it! We knew right away that this wouldn’t be the place for either child to learn to dive. The search for our family’s dive vacation began.
Not giving up, we decided to look into group scuba trips that would help us navigate or find any dive sites around the world that would be kid-friendly and provide a safe, comfortable, and fun option to complete Jr. open water certifications for our kids.
That’s when we found Kids Sea Camp! It was exactly what we needed. A group of top scuba instructors arranging trips for families who want to explore the underwater world together – and bonus, they were focused on families and had incredible youth dive training programs to offer, as well as continued environmental education for all. Done 
Kids Sea Camp has exceeded all our expectations. Both of our kids have been successfully certified at Kids Sea Camp, and we now have been on two one-week-long dive trips to Little Cayman(Little Cayman Beach Resort and St. Lucia at Anse Chastanet Resort)
With each trip we all become more confident and comfortable. Our family loves the balance that these trips give us as well. We get to have quality family time together, hours of diving activity, great meals getting to know other families, and stolen private moments alone as well. Margo and Tom provide professional photographers througout the week to capture each memorable moment of our family diving and the kids new- found friends.
Scattered throughout the week, everyone (both big and small, young and old – like Tom, haha) has the option to enjoy activities such as jungle biking, sunset cruises, chocolate tasting, paddle boarding, treasure hunts, hiking, volleyball (a family favorite!), karaoke (start practicing your song now!), various culinary delights and art classes. There is time together and time for making new friends with other like-minded families. We are so happy that our kids love diving and that, as a family, we can unplug and reconnect with each other by exploring the underwater world together.
We cannot recommend Kids Sea Camp enough! It’s one of those gems of a vacation that you almost don’t want to share with others lest they take your spot! But no, all jokes aside, we were always blown away when speaking with other KSC guests regarding how many years they have been diving with Margo and Tom – many for more than five years! And I know we, too, will be among them. Now we just have to agree upon the next location!
Thank you for all the memories (and incredible photography!) Margo, Tom and the entire Kids Sea Camp crew!
Much love,
The Morris Family (Kati, Michael, Trey and Hutton)
Kati Haack Morris