Dive training

Why Peak Performance Buoyancy Is the Most Important Skill You’ll Ever Learn Underwater

by
Perfect dive trip, Palau, Kids Sea Camp

By Robert Peyton, PADI Staff Instructor — Kids Sea Camp

Ask any experienced diver what separates a good diver from a great one, and the answer is almost always the same: buoyancy. Not the gear they’re wearing. Not how many dives are in their logbook. Not even where in the world they’ve been. It comes down to buoyancy — specifically, perfect buoyancy. And that’s exactly what PADI’s Peak Performance Buoyancy (PPB) specialty is designed to teach.

I’ve had the privilege of teaching diving to hundreds of students over the years, from wide-eyed kids taking their first breaths underwater to seasoned adults looking to sharpen skills they thought they already had. And without fail, PPB is the course that produces the most dramatic transformation — often in a single session.

Here’s why I think every diver, at every level, should make PPB a priority.

What Is Peak Performance Buoyancy?

Before we get into the why, let’s quickly cover the what. Buoyancy control is your ability to hover effortlessly in the water — not sinking, not floating up, just suspended. The PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy course takes that fundamental skill and refines it. You’ll learn to fine-tune your weighting so you’re not carrying too much or too little lead, how to use your breath as a buoyancy tool, and how to maintain a streamlined position that puts the least drag on your body as you move through the water.

It sounds simple. It is not — at first. But once it clicks, everything about diving changes.

The Diver Who Destroys the Reef Without Knowing It

Let me paint a picture. You’re diving a beautiful coral wall. The colors are stunning, the fish are everywhere, and you’re excited. You kick a little too hard, drift a little too low, and — crunch. A branch of coral that took 20 years to grow is gone in a second.

It happens constantly, and most divers who do it don’t even realize it. Poor buoyancy is one of the leading causes of accidental reef damage around the world. When divers are overweighted, they tend to fin furiously to stay off the bottom, kicking up sediment, disturbing marine life, and crashing into corals. When they’re underweighted, they fight to stay down, constantly disrupting the water column around them.

PPB fixes this. A diver with peak buoyancy control barely disturbs the water. They glide. They hover. They observe. They’re not fighting the ocean — they’re with it. The environmental impact of a well-trained diver versus a poorly buoyant one is genuinely night and day.

Air Consumption: Your Underwater Fuel Economy

Here’s something most new divers don’t immediately connect: buoyancy and air consumption are deeply linked.

When you’re fighting to maintain depth — constantly finning up, inflating your BCD, then overinflating, then dumping air, then sinking again — your body is working hard. Hard work means faster breathing. Faster breathing means you burn through your tank quickly and the dive ends sooner.

A diver who has mastered PPB uses far less energy. They breathe slowly and deliberately, and those breaths serve double duty — controlling both oxygen intake and buoyancy simultaneously. I’ve seen students go from 45-minute dives to 70-minute dives on the same tank size after completing PPB. That’s not an exaggeration. More time underwater means more of everything you came to see.

Safety First — Always

Beyond the environmental and experiential benefits, buoyancy is a genuine safety issue. Uncontrolled ascents — caused by a diver becoming too positively buoyant and rocketing toward the surface — are one of the most serious risks in recreational diving. Ascending too fast doesn’t allow nitrogen to safely leave your body, which can lead to decompression sickness. In severe cases, this is life-altering or fatal.

PPB teaches divers to stay in control at all times, to recognize when they’re beginning to ascend unintentionally, and to respond with calm, deliberate corrections rather than panic. That calm is everything. Underwater, panic leads to bad decisions. Solid buoyancy skills are one of the best defenses against panic, because you’re not constantly fighting your environment — you feel at home in it.

Why It Matters Even More for Kids

At Kids Sea Camp, buoyancy is something we talk about constantly. Kids are natural movers — they want to touch things, dart around, and explore. Teaching them PPB early gives them the discipline to channel that energy without causing harm to themselves or the reef.

Kids who learn proper buoyancy from the start build habits that stay with them for life. They become the adults who don’t drag their gauges across the coral, who help protect dive sites rather than degrade them. In a sport where we’re asking the ocean to share its beauty with us, that stewardship matters enormously.

For parents diving alongside their children, PPB helps them stay at the same depth, move at the same pace, and share the experience together. There’s something really special about watching a parent and child hover side by side over a coral garden, completely still, watching a sea turtle sleep.

Underwater Photography: You Can't Shoot What You Can't Hover For

If you’ve ever tried to photograph a nudibranch, a seahorse, or a shy pufferfish, you already know the frustration: the moment you get close, you drift, you fin to correct, and the subject is gone — or worse, you’ve spooked it entirely. Underwater photography is one of the fastest-growing parts of recreational diving, and buoyancy is the invisible foundation beneath every great shot. A photographer who can hold a perfect hover — motionless, at the exact right depth, without touching anything — can take their time, frame the shot, adjust the lighting, and wait for the animal to relax. A photographer who is fighting their buoyancy is always rushing, always compensating, and the images show it. Beyond the creative benefits, good buoyancy also protects the subjects you’re trying to capture. Getting close to a coral-encrusted wall for a macro shot with poor buoyancy control means fins churning up sediment, hands reaching out for balance, and delicate organisms getting disturbed or crushed. PPB teaches you to be still, and stillness is the single most valuable skill an underwater photographer can have.

For the Experienced Diver: You're Not Too Advanced for This

I’ve met 200-dive divers who are still overweighted by six pounds and don’t know it. Log count is not the same as skill level. Habits get ingrained, and not all of them are good ones.

PPB is not just a beginner course — it’s a tune-up that benefits everyone. Many instructors and divemasters I know will quietly admit that taking PPB was one of their biggest “a-ha” moments, even after years in the water. There’s always something to refine, and the difference between good buoyancy and great buoyancy is the difference between a diver people enjoy following and one they dread getting in the water with.

The Bottom Line

Diving is a privilege. The ocean lets us in, and we owe it our best behavior while we’re guests. Peak Performance Buoyancy isn’t just a specialty certification — it’s a commitment to diving with intention, care, and skill.

Whether you’re a brand-new diver who wants to get the most out of every dive from day one, a parent hoping to share the underwater world safely with your kids, or an experienced diver who wants to genuinely level up — PPB is the course I recommend above all others.

It will change how you dive. It might even change how you see yourself as a diver.

And that’s worth every minute spent perfecting that hover.

​Becoming a diver

by
Kids Sea Camp, becoming a diver, Kids and dive training

Is Kids Sea Camp a dream?

By Athena Gennone, age 10

Pale rays of tropical daylight filter through blue-tinted water as a ball of thin silver fish passes me by. Underneath, long streaks of flourishing orange corals stretch out, trees planted into the sandy floor. Is this a dream? No, it’s Kid’s Sea Camp!

My mom and I are at Buddy Dive on the beautiful island of Bonaire. It is more than a tropical family dive vacation; it’s a mother-daughter adventure that changed my life.

Here’s my experience of becoming a diver at the Kids’ Sea Camp!

I woke up on August 10 with the excitement of this new world in my eyes. This wasn’t a regular vacation day; this was the day I started my PADI Jr. Open Water (JOW) course at Kids’ Sea Camp!

When I was dressed and ready, I walked out of our brightly colored orange-and-yellow room, which stood out vibrantly against the surrounding turquoise water. I see the unearthly, gentle water lapping at the wooden dock to the left. My mom and I walked past the Blennies restaurant, enjoying the turquoise views, before turning toward the staircase to the dock below.

Meeting my instructors

As we walked down the steps, we saw the Kids Sea Camp and Buddy Instructors (Vanessa, Madi, Sven, Joe, and Mark), who waved to us from beside a round wooden table, topped with a large umbrella and a sign that said “JOW class.” They were warm, welcoming, and as lovely as anyone could ever be. They were helpful and kind, always lending a hand, but also allowed me to be independent and gain experience doing things on my own.

Before I did the open-water dives in the ocean, I had to complete my confined training dives in the pool. The Camp this week had a full JOW class of 12 kids, ages 10 to 15, with 4 PADI Instructors and other divemaster assistants.

The first day was challenging

On my first day, I learned how to set up and use my dive gear, including my BCD (buoyancy control device), regulator and gauges, air tanks, fins, mask, and snorkel. The first day was challenging, and I felt as though I’d never get it, but as the course progressed, I was required to take apart and reassemble my gear many times, and I began to understand. Over the three days of the course, I had it memorized and was ready to go each morning. My excitement towards the end of the week was to show my mom that I could get my gear set up and ready to jump off the dock and enjoy a dive with her.

During my course, I learned PADI diving skills and basic hand signals that evolved as we progressed toward becoming a diver.

Kids Sea Camp, becoming a diver, Kids and dive trainingFloating in divine heaven

The very first morning, I remember sliding my fins on and stepping into the shallow end of the pool with my gear on. We were split into our four groups, always with our instructors and buddies. We were practicing the pool skills we would use again in the ocean. My first breath underwater felt as if I was floating in divine heaven, the sun rays glimmering like golden gates through the water in front of me.

My excitement is bubbling inside me

On the day of my first open-water dive, we finished setting up our gear, had a dive briefing, and then a snack of green grapes. I remember my excitement bubbling inside me as I walked down the metal staircase that led into the calm, clear ocean.

The weight of the shiny grey tank decreased as I slipped into the water. I slid my long fins onto my feet as tiny waves lapped at my chest. My BCD, inflated with air, helped me stay afloat as I paddled over to my buddy, who waited patiently for the rest of us to join.

I dipped my face into the salty seawater and saw a bright teal parrot fish scuffling among the white sand and chipped pieces of coral that lay upon the bottom. My vision was a bit clouded by a light fog that blanketed the inside of my mask’s glass.

I learned to equalize my ears

When my head bobbed back up, Madi was looking at me expectantly. “Sorry,” I mumbled silently as she began to speak. The instructors briefed us on what we would be doing underwater. After we discussed the dive plan and signals, we held our deflator hose in the air and descended. I learned to equalize my ears.

I watched my buddy’s face light up as a small school of sparkling fish swam underneath us. One of them stopped to examine my fin, then kept swimming. My buddy Hadley was already ahead of me, waving for me to pull myself away from the extraordinary sights that I wanted to enjoy more of.

Signaling underwater

The other instructors and kids were diving alongside in their buddy teams as we headed to the training area. Vanessa turned to check on me as I had stopped again to observe two little angelfish swimming side by side. She asked, “Okay?” by making the okay sign with her hands. I nodded, making the same signal back to her.

As we passed a thicket of colorful coral, a huge yellow spotted eel emerged from its hiding place. Vanessa pointed to it, gave the diving group time to look, and we moved on. Another group of KSC kids, recognizable by their Scubapro dive gear, followed, their fins kicking through the water eagerly as they passed us by.

We descended to 20ft. I equalized my ears again. My buddy looked at me with a bit of concern in her eyes as she, too, equalized and then signaled, ‘Okay?’ I signaled back to her. We then watched a school of silverfish part as they swam past us.

UGH! The mask skill

My instructor, Vanessa, stopped again to check on us, then turned to point out a tiny spotted drumfish in a cleft within a piece of coral.

We finally reached the training area, and my instructor signaled to me to demonstrate the mask removal and replacement skill. If I didn’t have a regulator in my mouth, I would’ve groaned louder than the blue whale calls. This was not my favorite skill.

I had practiced taking my mask off many times in the pool, but I reluctantly nodded and peeled my mask off my face. Squeezing my eyes shut tight to keep out the salt water that would soon surround my face. My instructor’s hand was gently holding me so I could put my mask back on. Grabbing my scuba mask strap and pulling it over my head, pressing my mask against my face at the top, looking up, blowing air from my nose, and clearing my mask. When the flooding salty seawater had been emptied out of my mask, I opened my eyes.

Vanessa gave me an enthusiastic high-five and continued to ask the other students to remove their masks one by one. This was how we did each skill, one at a time, with big high-fives after each of us completed one. After our skills were done, Vanessa would take us on a short, fun dive.

Diving is so mesmerizing

She pointed into crevices to show us an octopus, and we saw white Spotted Drumfish and little fish called Sargent Majors. Vanessa loved pointing critters out to us, and we would bundle around her to peer at them, creating a pod of young divers. After the fun dives, although only for a few minutes, we would head back the way we came. My heart always sank as we came closer and closer to the end of our precious dives. I was snapped out of my thoughts one dive when my buddy rapidly tapped me and pointed to something exciting, like a long, white, and yellow-spotted eel dancing on the sand below.

On another dive, I looked up to see a massive silver fish with dark silver stripes jiggling out from its stomach and back; it was almost bigger than me. A Tarpon! My blue-gray eyes widened, and I signaled “cool” to my buddy, falling behind in the group as I stared at the Tarpon, its long fin disappearing into the water. Diving is so mesmerizing.

Time flies underwater

Twenty minutes could fly by, and it felt like twenty seconds. At the end of each dive, we headed to the Buddy Dive metal staircase that spiraled out of the water and up to the dock in front of us. Vanessa signaled “Okay?” to the diving group and instructed us to ascend slowly. We all gave her a final “Okay” as she lifted her inflator hose above her head, and we followed her like clones to the surface.

I inflated my BCD, feeling my weight lighten as I stopped kicking. Vanessa, taking her regulator out of her mouth, congratulated us on a class well done, and she climbed the stairs to the dock. She waved for us to follow, and I removed my regulator from my mouth. “That was so awesome!” I exclaimed happily after every dive.

Thank you, Mom and Kids Sea Camp

On Friday afternoon, while walking back to our room, past the Blennies restaurant and the turquoise water and white-sand beach, the colorful lizards scuttling along our path, the tropical birds singing melodies from the palm trees rising toward the still-bright sun, I shared my day with my mom. I thanked her for this experience, as it would stay a fond memory in my head and create a special place in my heart forever.

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

by
Margo Peyton, Tom Peyton, Palau, Kids Sea Camp

By Olivia Rapisand

My journey started with a cold call to Tom Peyton 

It all started in 2016. Tom is the VP of a dive travel company, Kids Sea Camp Inc. I remember asking him whether he was currently offering scuba diving trips in Belize. 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.

Meeting Tom

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.

No Diving With Crocodiles

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 adherence to PADI standards for depth limits and training for kids, along with safety protocols for both land and sea. The resort and dive operators must also have emergency contingency plans in place. Margo is very diligent in ensuring that rooms, boats, transfers, and all activities are adequately prepared to meet 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 become a career path I never expected to be possible.

Fast forward a year, and I had continued to pester Tom for several reasons; he always took the time to share new and interesting things about the industry that helped me better 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 one my company needed. In 2017, I decided to make an offer to Tom, so I invited him and Margo on a fully paid, 7-night FAM trip I hosted to come back to Belize and experience what I had to offer. It was quite a journey! (See, you can go next year)

A Life Changing FAM

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 it would be a good match for KSC. Tom gave me some good tips on which components were necessary: connecting rooms, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom villas, beach and ocean access, short boat rides to dive sites, good food, and on-site dive operations with a large 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 quickly took me under her wing. 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’s Way

Margo was the only one of us with a safety sausage, which was needed when we surfaced with a zookeeper full of lionfish out in the blue and had to exit quickly. She monitored my air and time because we were all so excited about how many lionfish I was able to catch. In her Mama-Margo way, she gave us all a lecture after the dive about safety sausages and gave each member of the dive team one to keep. She also talked with them about the importance of navigation, checking currents, and finding 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 in terms of the level of safety and care for dives. Margo had basically turned the FAM trip into a dive-staff training and management-consulting session for free. She really took the time to clarify what was needed, not only for KSC but also for the dive team to be successful. 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.

Working My First Kids Sea Camp Trip

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 most was actually seeing all the effort and hours of work that go into preparing a KSC trip. We had spent a year compiling all the details of each activity, meal, transfer, rooming list, and dive itinerary. It’s like planning a wedding: once the event begins, the families with their kids bring it 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. 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.

Kids Sea Camp Magic

Returning to the corporate office, I felt warm and fuzzy about how incredible the three weeks I had just experienced were. Tom calls that feeling “The KSC Magic.”

I loved feeling the challenge while being pushed to my potential. After meeting Tom and Margo and being tested to meet or exceed their expectations, I left feeling an incredible sense of being valued. I wanted to be an important part of a team that enriched people’s lives, made ethical decisions, and made 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 2026 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.

An Ocean Of Opportunity

I was at a point in my life where I was ready for “real” change. She opened the door to new possibilities, 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.

Kids Sea Camp Special Treatment

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, is treated with thoughtful decisions as if they were 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 replacements, 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 family’s 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 parents, grandparents, 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 are massive!

It’s A lot of Work

I am now an integral part of the behind-the-scenes hard work 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.

Singing to Keep Your Job

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. To keep my job, Tom said I HAD TO SING! LOL, yes, that is right!

Tom said it would help break down barriers, build courage, and push me past my discomfort. He said it would make me feel free and help me shed unwanted stigma. 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 to the occasion with Tom.

Margo, Tom, and I have all worked together, 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.

PADI PRO

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 curriculum Margo and I have implemented, as well as the mentorship and training we offer to young adults who join us for the internship programs for new DMs 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 personal Olympus setup from ‘Reef Photo & Video’ in Ft. Lauderdale after she bought herself a new one. It is so much fun now to get 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 learned from two other KSC photo pros, Josh Comay and Jesse Alpert, this year. If you had told me when I started with KSC that I would eventually work my way towards not only leading trips but also 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.

Getting Married to Sam

What’s the next chapter…. getting married December 14, 2024! My fiancé, Sam, whom I met after moving to South Carolina, became a diver at Anse Chastanet in St. Lucia in 2021. Of course, his initiation into the tribe involved singing 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.

The Family Tribe

Tom says Kids Sea Camp is a family, and Margo says it’s a tribe; either way, it’s hard to put into words how much gratitude and a sense of purpose I have felt being part of this family-tribe. A few short years ago, I was waiting in line at a trade show to speak with Margo while Tom taught me the ropes of the dive industry.

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

 

Tips for better buoyancy and air consumption

by
Buoyancy, Kids Sea camp, scuba training for kids

Keys to better diving

  • Good buoyancy is key. Make sure you are neutrally buoyant, trim your gear so nothing is hanging or dragging below you, and try to evenly distribute your weights. 4lb on the left, then 4lb on the right. Move them around, ankle weights are also used, I use 1lb on each ankle when diving with my camera. Some BC’s, like my ScubaPro Lady Hawk, have pockets up high in the back. I often put a 1 lb in each of those pockets. A Peak performance buoyancy class will be a fun continuing education class, as it will teach you more about good buoyancy control.
  • Breathe slowly and deeply when you’re diving; don’t ever hold your breath. Short and shallow breaths can be dangerous and create dead air spaces.

Gear is important

  • Streamline your gear and have property-fitting equipment, nothing dangling or dragging. Make sure your equipment is in good working order and has been serviced regularly by your local dive shop.
  • Use proper kick cycles and don’t swim while diving (no hands needed). Make sure you’re using Scuba fins, not snorkel fins. Dive fins should be longer and fit comfortably. Go to your local dive shop and try on a few pairs. Some adults like me prefer full-foot fins; for kids, I recommend fins with straps for growing feet.
  • Make sure to be suited up as conditions dictate. Stay warm, choices of a shorty or long wet-suit, 2 mm, 3 mm, 5 mml and more are available depending on the temperature of the water your diving. In the Galapagos, I use a 5- or 7-mm long suit; in Bonaire, I use a 2-mm shorty. New wetsuits are more buoyant than older ones, and thickness makes a big difference as well. The thicker the suit, the more weight is needed. Long suits will require more weight than a shorty.

Be in good condition

  • Be in good physical health, and never dive when you’re not feeling well. Always consult your doctor about any medications you’re taking, as they could have different effects while diving. Make sure to fill out waivers truthfully so that, if something does happen, it will be easier to determine what is going on and to provide help faster and more efficiently.
  • Dive often. The more you dive, the more confident and comfortable you will become, and buoyancy will become easier.

Be a good buddy

  • Stay close to your buddy. Constantly chasing your buddy can use up more air on a dive and create stress.
  • Dive into a current at the start of a dive when you are not tired, so you can then dive with the current returning at the end of your dive. Make sure not to dive in strong currents. Check with your local dive shop or dive professional before entering the water to determine safe dive conditions. Always let someone know you are going diving, and never dive alone.

Relax, it’s just diving

  • Relax, enjoy your dive. Take only photos, leave only bubbles. Observe marine life and don’t touch anything living.
  • Take an advanced open water class, which covers a navigation dive, a deep dive, a buoyancy dive, a night dive, a photography dive, and a Fish ID dive. All of which will make you feel more confident in your direction, buoyancy, and knowledge of marine life, allowing you to feel more comfortable diving. There are other specialty dives you can take in an Advanced Open Water Class, such as Underwater Naturalist, Wreck, or even zombie dives. Visit www.padi.com for more information about courses.
  • Don’t overthink air consumption; the more you think about it, the more anxious you become, and the fewer chances there are for relaxation.
  • Take your family diving and enjoy diving with your kids. They will look to you as role models and strive to dive as you do. Be a good role model.
Have fun and be safe! I look forward to diving with you.
by Margo Peyton, President of Kids Sea Camp, PADI Instructor #57474

Congrats to the Graduating Class of 2009!

by
New divers, kids and diving, fun with diving

The new Kids Sea Camp divers of 2009.

We just wanted to say congratulations to our KSC PADI Jr. Open Water graduates of 2009. Welcome to our underwater world. We cannot wait to have you come back and dive with us again at Kids Sea Camp!

  • Aidan Gottlieb
  • Alexander Grace
  • Amanda Stratton
  • Andre Simmons
  • Andrew Christian
  • Anna Jacobson
  • Annelise Luyckx
  • Brianna Miller
  • Bridget Gottlieb
  • Cameron Carney
  • Campbell Robinson
  • Carina Wolk
  • Christian Ifi
  • Connor Enright
  • Dorothy Bakkenson-Collins
  • Elizabeth Condon
  • Emma Milteer
  • Ethan Caban
  • Hailey Spreeman
  • Hannah Broom
  • Jack Enright
  • Jack Olson
  • James Phipps
  • Jason Tong
  • Jazmin Rodriguez
  • John Cunniff
  • Jonah Parham
  • Josh Carnett
  • Juliana Triano
  • Katherine Mumm
  • Lazar Zamurovic
  • Lena Teckenbrock
  • Matt Parker
  • Miranda Wolk
  • Morgan Tappero
  • Natalie Nicoletti
  • Rachel Grasso
  • Riley Milteer
  • Samuel “Ty” Matheny
  • Sarah Hilborn
  • Sarah Jacobson
  • Sarina Shah
  • Savannah Stanley
  • Shelby Brown
  • Shivan Shah
  • Soniya Shah
  • Steven Schwartz
  • Tom Olson
  • Taylor Pigg
  • Xander Kraus-Mclean
  • Zachariah Kraus-Mclean
  • Zachary Sittler

Kids Sea Camp and Family Dive Adventure have certified over 7,600 divers over the past 20 years of business. Meet the KSC staff who help make us the number one dive operator for families and kids. Kids Sea Camp instructors are PADI Pros, active, and up to date in skills, training, and rescue. Our team is regularly evaluated by parents, students, and other PADI Pros.

Our team leads by example as we practice professionalism on every level. Kids Sea Camp staffers honor the PADI code of conduct, show compassion, prioritize safety, and are family-focused and attentive to detail. It is what our KSC dive team and tour guides represent.