Kids Sea Camp has been the greatest family adventure vacation I have ever experienced.
It is scuba diving trips for families who love the ocean and travel. Kids Sea Camp like nothing else I have ever experienced. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing young kids learn to dive with their parents and siblings. These trips have greatly enriched and changed my life because I have become a more confident diver and grown much closer to my own family.
Grand Cayman, our first KSC
One way KSC has enriched my life is by improving my diving skills with each trip. My first family event was in Grand Cayman, where I learned proper buoyancy techniques and the importance of being a role model for marine conservation. I signed up for a digital photography course focused on buoyancy, as well as the PADI Rescue Diver course to improve my first aid skills and be a better dive buddy.
In 2016, I became a PADI PRO dive master during the Buddy Dive Bonaire KSC event. I learned the science behind diving, how to guide underwater, how to assist divers in distress, and how to teach it all.
The second way KSC has enriched my life is through the friendships I have made around the world with the staff instructors, guest speakers, educators, and, of course, traveling families.
I am 18 years old, and there have always been other divers my age to dive and hang out with, and I really enjoy scuba diving with my own family. The memories that have left lasting impressions on my mind are countless.
Singing with Mr. Peyton
In Fiji, Tom Peyton and I had the best time after shark diving. We would entertain families in the afternoons with volleyball; in the evenings, I played the guitar, and Tom sang, which got everyone else singing and dancing too.
My favorite KSC instructor is Woody Tinsley; he is hilarious and makes learning fun. Woody invented the Zombie Apocalypse course and was my PADI dive master instructor. I learned how to teach my dive skills and give dive briefings perfectly. Woody is the kind of instructor I hope to be one day. He is just one of a great team of fun and friendly professionals to learn from. I can honestly say some of the greatest people I have ever met are at Kids Sea Camp.
KSC bonds your family
I have grown closer to my own family through these diving and traveling experiences. On our first trip, my sister had never dived and was afraid. She did not want to learn how to dive. I was able to help her overcome her fears. Now she is a certified diver. Our whole family looks forward to diving together and planning our next KSC trip.
Diving Ulong
The best way these experiences have enriched my life is that, in my eyes, it’s special to dive with my little brother Jason. He has a passion for the sport, just like the rest of our family, and there is no better feeling in the world than teaching someone his age to dive. Jason was 9 for our Palau trip and a PADI Seal. Per Margo’s safety record at KSC, the Seal Team has a special waiver with Margo to dive the Ulong channel.
We would normally have had to split up our family and not have been able to include Jason. At Kids Sea Camp, we can dive as a family.
Not only has diving enriched my life, but it has also enriched the lives of my entire family. Any family can clearly see that dive travel is like attending a living classroom. I think KSC is the greatest family vacation in the world! Families unplug from electronics and reconnect to each other through adventure, diving, and fun. I am grateful for my family and the memories my parents create with us.
The world needs more Kids Sea Camps
I wish there were more people like Tom and Margo (owners of Kids Sea Camp) because they make the world a better place for families. This year, Jason will get certified in Cayman Brac, and our entire family will be divers.
Margo has a passion for teaching kids and parents how to dive together safely. I will continue to dive and travel with my family and hopefully become a PADI dive instructor, so I can change lives, too.
By James Devinney
