From Rookie to Reef Master, A Journey of Self Discovery Joining the Ocean’s Tribe.

My journey started with a cold call to Tom Peyton in 2016. Tom is the VP of a dive travel company, Kids Sea Camp Inc. I remember asking him if he was currently offering Belize scuba diving trips. Then he asked me, “Do you even know who we are?” I was a young, ambitious scuba diving and fly fishing sales agent. I worked for a company based in Texas and managed sales for 7 different resorts in Belize. I found Kids Sea Camp through my Google searches, it seemed like a good candidate for dive bookings so I gave them a call. I had assumed every tour operator would want to book Belize, considering the many incredible options I had to offer to adventure travelers. However, I had not realized how much I had yet to learn.

All that changed when I crossed paths with the likes of Tom Peyton. Tom is a very friendly and authentic sort of guy; he enjoys talking to most people. He shared countless stories about  Kids Sea Camp and what they meant to the dive industry. He was honest that getting Belize on Margo’s agenda would be a slim possibility.  She is quite tough when it comes to selecting destinations for KSC. She has very specific points that must be met.  Apparently, back in 2010, Margo had given Belize a chance and picked a property that had been highly recommended to her but did not cut the mustard, as they say. She requires strict PADI standards to be followed on depths and training for kids, along with safety protocols for both land and sea. The resort and dive operators must have emergency contingency plans in place, too. Margo is very diligent in ensuring rooms, boats, transfers, and all activities are adequately prepared for the quality and friendliness she expects. Tom gave me a few good, detailed reasons why Belize did not qualify.  He said Margo did not have a good experience with crocodiles on the first go-round. That was #1, and the challenge was set. Little did I know that my quest to acquire Kids Sea Camp as a new “client” for our dive resorts in Belize would actually turn into a career path that I never would have expected would be possible.

Fast forward a year, I had continued to pester Tom for several reasons; he always took the time to share with me new and interesting things about the industry that better helped me understand what tour operators expected and needed from suppliers. He also took the time to walk me around the trade show floor and introduce me to many of his connections. The more I learned and absorbed, the more wondrous and intrigued I became with the diving industry as a whole. Tom introduced it as a close-knit family of like-minded people with a common thread.

I remember trying to get in front of Margo at one of the trade shows, and there was a line of people waiting to speak with her. Tom finally interrupted her and gave me a quick introduction. Here I was, walking around the show floor, trying to speak to vendors, and she had a lineup in front of her at her booth. I knew that was what I wanted to strive for, and I wanted to make sure I could cut the mustard to earn her trust. Tom was the key to making that happen for sure; I just needed to be patient. I wanted the family market, and it was a market my company needed to have. In 2017, I decided to make an offer to Tom so I invited him and Margo on a fully paid 7-night FAM trip hosted by me to come back to Belize and experience what I had to offer. It was quite a journey! (See, you can go next year)

Tom said he would talk to Margo and try to convince her to take a week to go back to Belize. Honestly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I knew that I was very passionate about working with them, and Tom was on my side. I loved what Kids Sea Camp stood for as a company and its philosophies about engaging children in the underwater world and other cultures. I had a lot of work to do to prepare for their FAM;  7 nights and multiple domestic flights to 4 different resorts I felt would be a good match for KSC. Tom gave me some good tips on what components were necessary: connecting rooms, 1, 2, 3 bedroom villas, beach and ocean access, short boat rides to dive sites, good food, and on-site dive operations with a big enough dive staff to meet kid ratios in the water. I just wanted the FAM to be interesting, fun, and crocodile-free.

Knowing who Margo is today, I am sure she picked up on my inexperience as a diver (during our FAM trip). However, there was something she saw in me back then that really stuck like glue, and she took me under her wing quickly. Returning from our first dive, she plunked one of the KSC fleece beanies on my head after she saw me shivering on the dive boat. She also noticed my cheeks were quite red, so she pulled out her tube of sunblock and applied it to my face, just like my mom would have done when I was a child.  Our dives that week were with a new crew; we had just hired a novice captain and a new boat crew. To be honest, it was a hot mess; Tom and Margo jumped right into leadership mode. 

Margo was the only one of us with a safety sausage that was needed when we surfaced with a zoo keeper full of lionfish out in the blue and needed to exit quickly. She monitored my air and time as we were all so excited about the number of lionfish I was able to catch.  In her Mama-Margo way, she gave us all a lecture after the dive about safety sausages, and she gave each of the dive team one to keep.  She also talked with them about the importance of navigation, checking currents, and how to find diver bubbles based on wind and currents. Lastly, she gave me a quick dissertation on watching my no-decompression limits and air consumption while better monitoring my depth and time.  The new instructor with us also received a “Margo lesson” about safety and lionfish hunting.  We all listened to her and took her advice seriously. We all enjoyed the beautiful walls, nurse sharks, loggerheads, and rays those days, and I was happy to say “no crocodiles”. To this day, Margo loves to tell the story about me lionfish hunting. She says I went from Holly Hobby to  “Sheba the Sea Warrior”. 

I was really worried that I had let them down with the level of safety and care for dives.  Margo had basically turned the FAM trip into a dive staff training and management consulting for free. She really took the time to clarify what was needed not only for KSC but to be a successful dive team. With that, friendship and trust were created. The experiences we had together that week created the foundation and admiration we share with one another today.

We ran the first of many Belize KSC trips in the spring of 2018. Those 3 weeks were some of the most rewarding and educational experiences of my professional career to date. What amazed me the most was actually getting to see all the efforts and hours of work that go into preparing a KSC trip.  We had spent a year putting all the details of each activity, meal, transfer, rooming list and dive itinerary together. It’s like planning a wedding, then the event begins and the families with their kids bring the event to life. Seeing how Tom and Margo pull it all together as a team is awe-inspiring, and the real work starts when the guests arrive. They are like twin conductors, making sure everything runs on time and seamlessly.  At least they make it look that way.

The work that goes on in the background is never seen or heard by the guests. Learning how to create life-changing moments for the families, especially the kids, was something I knew I wanted to continue doing with KSC. Margo, Tom, and I came together during those weeks as a team to navigate some difficult situations that arose. I had to learn to prioritize outcomes that would be best for their customers. Through the intensity of those unplanned moments, I realized that they had weathered many storms together and the level of respect, trust, and expectations that the families who travel with them have for them is well earned. Our three weeks in Belize turned into huge success for their 125 guests and simultaneously was a boot-camp for my team and I. Returning back to the corporate office, I had a warm fuzzy feeling of how incredible the 3 weeks I just experienced were. Tom calls that feeling “The KSC Magic.”

I loved feeling the challenge while being pushed to my potential. After having the opportunity to meet Tom and Margo and experiencing being tested to meet or exceed their expectation, I left feeling an incredible sense of being valued. I wanted to be an important part of a team that was enriching people’s lives, making ethical decisions and the best choices for happy outcomes. I wanted to be a part of the dream-making that Kids Sea Camp created on every trip. (See our 2025 Catalog)

Later that summer, I picked up the phone and spoke to Tom about the possibility of working with Kids Sea Camp.  He said that timing was the universe putting things in their place.  Margo’s mom had just been diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer, and she needed help so she could spend more time with her mom for the time she had remaining.  Tom told me to give Margo a call, and when I did, I found out her mom had only been given 6 weeks. Margo wanted and needed to be with her as much as possible. I told her that I wanted to be that person to step into her fins so she could be where she was needed, and I did just that. 

I was at a point in my life where I was ready for “real” change. She opened the door to new possibilities and opportunities, and I said YES! So I packed everything I could into my Jeep, drove with my dad from Texas to South Carolina, and moved in with them for the rest of the summer. I literally took a big breath and told my dad this was going to be one of the best decisions of my life. I don’t know how many of you have ever been around Tom or Margo, but you often feel that way when you spend any amount of time with them. 

The world of working with KSC literally means you have the world on your shoulders!

It means that every mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa, along with each child, are treated with thoughtful decisions like they are your very own family. Each family is an individual consideration and requires attention to their detail, from the size of the scuba tank to dietary needs, special needs, birthday wishes, special occasions, and bed sizes. Then there are the room locations for bad knees, dive gear valet services for shoulder replacement, private instructors, and guides for special requests. Creating and organizing private moments for proposals and anniversaries. We’ve done it all. KSC bat mitzvah, underwater weddings, proposals, Lip dubs, singing, dancing, jungle biking, blow-karting, and the list goes on. The life moments that arise, like catering to someone who has been diagnosed with dementia and the families wish for their last dive together or A mother with breast cancer whose last wish was to get certified with her 10-year-old son before she died. Families celebrate the lives of their parent or grandparent and sometimes a sibling by diving for them as a family. They celebrate a life by getting their children or grandchildren certified and creating new memories together.  Grandparents often want to share quality time and create lasting memories for their children and grandchildren.  The connectivity and purpose of Kids Sea Camp is massive!

I am now an integral part of the hard work behind the scenes that comes to life on the trips! Margo was able to spend the better part of 9 months with her mom before she passed. She fully trusted me to step into her very large “fins” as Tom guided and nurtured me. Margo charted the course, set the sails, and handed over the wheel. This is now our 6th year together, and I will say my life has been incredible. From the families and suppliers I have met to the value I now feel and the level of adoration that I have for this family and KSC, the journey has exceeded my dreams.

Did I mention Tom Peyton is a rock star?  He was the lead singer of his band and published a CD called Heart of the Rose on iTunes. He also had a play go off-Broadway. Are you thinking what that has to do with me? Well, when it came to speaking or singing publicly, let’s just say I wasn’t very good at it. In order to keep my job, Tom said I HAD TO SING! LOL, yes, that is right! Tom said it would help break down barriers, create courage, and push me through feeling uncomfortable.  He said it would make me feel free and release unwanted stigmas. So I figured I would let him have it.  Tom and I run it together if we are on trips, or I run it on my own when I am not traveling with him. Even though he sings like a real rock star and I, well… I don’t; he encourages me and makes me feel like one. Needless to say, karaoke is a big part of KSC!  The good thing about that is everyone’s having fun.  Some people are like Tom, and wow, can they sing? Some people are like me; maybe they are not the best, but they have the most fun doing it. So, if you’re ever on a trip with me, be prepared not to feel intimidated about singing but rather encouraged.  If you have something to show, then for sure rise up for the occasion with Tom.

Margo, Tom, and I have all worked side by side with each other, running KSC weeks, working in the office doing trade shows, overcoming global pandemics, creating new programs, finding new destinations, capturing stories, and making dreams come true. Margo has taught me so much about the nuts and bolts of running a travel company that focuses on family. Reviewing every waiver, reading all supplier contracts, negotiating with pricing, and even implementing safety standards for diving specifically for children. She has also taught me how to provide consulting to dive shops and resorts worldwide that want to establish kids’ programs and become more family-friendly.

In 2021 I became a PADI Instructor at Buddy Dive Bonaire, which was an incredibly fulfilling journey. I now teach children and adults to scuba dive. I contribute to the next generation of kids and adults becoming PADI Pros through the curriculums Margo and I have implemented as well as the mentorship and training that we offer to young adults who join us for the internship programs we offer to new DM’s and Instructors.

One of the newest endeavors this past year has been underwater photography, and I love it! Margo has been hell-bent on making me a photo pro so she gave me her own personal Olympus setup from ‘Reef Photo & Video’ in Ft. Lauderdale after she bought herself a new setup. It is so fun now getting to shoot underwater photos together and of each other. She has spent a lot of time teaching me her skills and different techniques to get the perfect shot. I also was able to learn from two other KSC photo pro’s, Josh Comay and Jesse Alpert this year. If you were to have told me when I started with KSC that I would eventually start working my way towards not only leading trips but being the photographer for the trip, I would have thought you were out of your mind. But here I am, spreading my wings further than I ever thought they would go. 

What’s the next chapter…. getting married Dec. 14th 2024!  My fiance, Sam, who I met after moving to South Carolina, became a diver in St. Lucia at Anse Chastanet in 2021. Of course, his initiation into the tribe was to sing at karaoke with Tom. Sam tried to get away with Tequila, a one-word song, but Tom refused to let that pass. He had to encourage Sam’s inner child, and I will say successfully, so Sam is a nonstop karaoke star now.

Tom says Kids Sea Camp is a family and Margo says it’s a tribe, either way it is hard to put into words how much gratitude and sense of purpose I have felt being a part of this family tribe. To think, a few short years ago I was waiting in line at a trade show to speak with Margo while Tom was teaching me the ropes of the dive industry. Now I can create “KSC magic,” I am running trips and talking to lines of kids and their parents that congregate around my trade show booth. I can only imagine what the future has in store for Sam and me or the places we’ll go together.

Thank you to Margo and Tom for trusting me and allowing me to grow within your family tribe. 

By Olivia Rapisand