One giant stride for family kind
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: The Burkhards: (left) John, (center) Beth and (right) Morgan
KIDS SEA CAMP A LIFE-CHANGING EVENT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
Without the experience of traveling around the Kids Sea Camp (KSC) world over the last seven years, I would not be the same person. Seeing the world through diving has taken me far beyond what I would learn in school or community. It has given me more life skills, introduced me to new places and different cultures, and allowed me to learn about the world above and below 1st hand. KSC is just one giant family! After a few trips, our family made friends from all over the world. Now, it’s like attending a big family reunion with people I feel like I’ve always known. The resorts and dive staff make you feel special and offer jaw-dropping experiences. My first trips were to Bonaire, Roatan, and Utila. They were a blur of blow-karting, zip-lining, zombies, and wild dolphins. Even though I was young
then, I was a part of so many unique activities, and I made friends that I still dive with today, like Kai Hunsicker and Max Lavinsky. When I was 9, my mom signed me up for the KSC PADI Seal Team program. She was apprehensive about the dive gear not fitting me because I was so tiny. KSC owner Margo Peyton told mom she had plenty of small tanks and BCs available for all kids my size. I loved every minute of being underwater and experiencing zero gravity. I liked listening to the sounds of fish munching on the reef. I take a training course every KSC trip to become a better diver. I completed my PADI JOW and AOW and became a PADI Jr Rescue Diver at Buddy Dive in Bonaire. I completed my Master Diver Certification in the Philippines with Sea Explorers last summer. Next year, I turn 15, and I’m excited about taking
my PADI Jr. Dive Master course in Dominica. I am very grateful that my parents, who are long-time scuba divers, wanted to keep diving and include me. We make KSC our family vacation every year. KSC is not just for kids! Sometimes, my parents (Beth and John Burkhard) have more fun than anyone. Margo and Tom Peyton strive to make each vacation personal, focusing on family fun for all your family members. They even gave my and Kai’s parents some added privacy on our Philippines trip, meaning Kai and I got our own room. It was awesome! Tom usually sets up all the sporting activities on the trips, like volleyball, soccer, and football, and he gets everyone going with basketball, too. He and Woody like to host Karaoke or ocean trivia after dinner. Tom is one of the best underwater
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