Family diving vacations

Grandmother uses KSC for quality family time

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Grandmother divers, family dive vacations, kids sea camp

Discovering Kids Sea Camp is a real gift to my family  

My two adult sons, Danny and Chris, are divers, and they convinced me, 25 years ago, to become a PADI-certified diver.  When they married their wives, Celenie and Stela, they also joined the adventures and became divers. Over the years, I had made taking dive trips with my sons and their wives a top priority for quality family time. 

When my grandkids came along, much to my sadness, the family dive trips came to an end. Then one day, as I was thumbing through Scuba Diving Magazine, dreaming of taking dive adventures with my grandkids, I discovered Kids Sea Camp. 

Kids Scuba, Family Scuba Diving Adventures, Kids Sea Camp, Margo PeytonI immediately called and shared my find with my sons, and suggested we start taking family dive trips again. They were all for it, and in 2013, we were off on our first trip — to Palau Royal Resort and diving with Sam’s Tours and Kids Sea Camp.

The grandkids were 3, 7, 7 & 10. Benjamin, Sophia, and Hunter started SASY with Margo, while Jackson, at age 10, joined the PADI Jr. Open Water Diver class. We, the adult kids, felt like we had gone to heaven. We enjoyed diving during the days while the kids had fun learning with other kids. It was absolutely PERFECT for everyone! There are times set when adults and kids dive or snorkel together, too. Because of owner Margo Peyton’s expertise, instructor training, and perfect safety record with kids, she is granted a special waiver to dive in the ocean with PADI Seal Team kids aged 8 & 9 worldwide. 

Kids Sea Camp in Fiji

We have traveled with Kids Sea Camp to Fiji, where the kids had run of the entire resort, and while Benji was still in SASY, Hunter and Sophia advanced to the PADI Seal Team classes. We had lots of interaction with the local people, and everyone on staff was not only helpful, warm, and hospitable but also genuinely interested in our experience.  When we were leaving Fiji, my grandkids were crying and hugging the very special people they had come to know and love. Hunter even said (while sobbing), “How can I possibly leave these people?”  You know your grandkids have had a life-changing experience when their emotional reactions are so intense, and they don’t want to leave. 

In the summer of 2017, we traveled to Kids Sea Camp Philippines with Sea Explorers. My second grandson, Hunter, became a PADI Jr diver and joined Jackson diving with the other certified kids. We now have 3 generations of divers in our family, diving together. 

It seemed impossible to top Palau or Fiji, but Margo & Tom managed to do it yet again. As always. The Pura Vida Homes resort was luxurious, and the staff and service were nothing short of excellent. I had a torn ankle tendon prior to the trip, and a divemaster was always right there on the ladder to help me take off my equipment and hand it up. The Banka boats were the coolest and most spacious dive boats I have ever been on. 

Whale sharks in Oslob

We all went to Oslob Island, where we swam and dove with EIGHT whale sharks!! An absolutely mind-blowing experience and a memory created that we, as a family, will never, ever forget. How many families get to have an experience like that?

Each trip is better than the last. Kids Sea Camp sets the bar high with dive operators. Margo runs her trips with expert organization, safety, and professionalism. I love the many interesting and fun outings, events, and activities planned for us to enjoy as a family, out of the water. 

All of our trips have been, as the MasterCard commercial says, “priceless.”

I know for absolute certainty that our next trip will be another amazing adventure filled with precious family time, diving, and unforgettable memories. 

Sophia and Benji are next to get certified, then we will all be a family of divers again. Owners Margo & Tom Peyton provide a very personal experience, from planning your trip to assisting you every step along the way. Tom and Margo arrange visits to local schools or villages, provide special-needs care and special-occasion surprises, give educational presentations, and so much great family time. 

In Palau, Margo set up a spectacular helicopter ride over the Rock Islands for us. The result of all the personal service is why we keep coming back! It’s impossible to put into words how these unique family dive adventures have bonded our family and created memories for me with my grandkids that will last them a lifetime.

We have experienced fascinating cultures and explored new worlds so very different than our own. Each of these trips has expanded our knowledge, appreciation, acceptance, and love of people from all over the world. At the end of each trip, Margo Peyton and Brad Holland have left us memories to last a lifetime, documented in their photo gallery on www.familydivers.com. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Tom and Margo, Peyton, for creating Kids Sea Camp, the gift of being able to dive and travel with my kids and grandkids.

Story by Vicki Singley

Kids Sea Camp Bonaire: Diving for The Teens

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Teen diver, Kids and Scuba, Bonaire, Kids Sea Camp

I can’t wait to go back

Although this was my second time participating in the Teen Diver group during Kids Sea Camp Bonaire, it was still an awesome week. I saw a lot of things I hadn’t seen in the water last year, and going back to the donkey sanctuary was pretty sweet. And even though Bonaire is a small island, I am never bored there, and I can’t wait to go back again.

The diving was really cool, yet again. There were many fish, and the water was warm and clear. I even had the experience of seeing my first manta. It was also nice to see Charlie the Tarpon again. That’s certainly one way to know you are at Buddy Dive in Bonaire.

Meeting new friends

While in Bonaire, I was able to see my old friends and make a few new ones. If you are a teenager and you’re sick of your friends back home (no offense to all of you), Kids Sea Camp is the place to be. You are guaranteed to make friends, especially in Bonaire, where many families go (mainly because it is the cheapest Kids Sea Camp, and what parents don’t like is going diving for as little money as possible?). The other good thing about Kids Sea Camp Bonaire and being a teen diver is that you are ALWAYS with your new friends. That is what makes Kids Sea Camp so much fun.

Bonaire is a great place for teens, especially for a Kids Sea Camp, because school just ended. I like to think of it as a way to celebrate the end of the school year. If you treat Bonaire like a celebration for any occasion, you and your friends are sure to have a great time.

Buddy Dive is a great place for us teens to have a good time because there is a lot for us to do at the resort, and there is a really good ice cream store two blocks away. Who doesn’t like good ice cream on a hot Caribbean day? We can also go swimming (pool or ocean) and jump off cliffs into the water (tell your parents it isn’t THAT high, but it’s high enough to get some good hang time).

Rogest

This year, we had the experience of Ron Steven (better known as Rogest) coming to Bonaire. Although Ron seems like the kind of guy who would appeal more to five-year-olds, I think he is one of the coolest people you can have a vacation with. He is funny, he will make you a better artist, and he is just a great source of entertainment. He also likes to embarrass you in a funny way that won’t make you too mad; you’ll end up laughing.

I would recommend Kids Sea Camp Bonaire to all of you teen divers. It is a fun place, and the diving is great whether you have been certified for 5 years or are still a beginner diver. And to the parents who have never been to Bonaire, it’s a fun place for you, too. Don’t even worry about your teens during the day, Buddy Dive and Kids Sea Camp make sure we are all safe and having a great time.

By: Ryan Seltz