KSC IS NOT JUST FOR KIDS
“KIDS SEA CAMP IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT” SOPHIE QUAST-JONES, KSC AMBASSADOR
By Sophia Quast- Jones KSC is for family but also the perfect place for young adult divers aged 13-19 who are ready for some independence, advanced adventure, continuing education, and want to have memorable experiences with other teens. I’m getting ready for college soon, and this summer, I enjoyed diving with my family, grandparents, aunt, and uncle at Roatan KSC. Spending a week together diving was one of my best experiences with them. My dad is a military doctor, so I have grown up moving around quite a bit. We lived in Guam for many years, and that’s when my mom read about Kids Sea Camp and booked Palau in 2012. Since then, each year, my parents, myself, and two younger sisters, Helen, age 15, and Zoe, age 13, pick a KSC dive trip; land-based or liveaboards are on the table and open for discussion. Kids Sea Camp trips are held in the best dive destinations worldwide. I have been to KSC Palau three times with Sam’s Tours, Fiji KSC at Bequa Lagoon Resort, Roatan KSC at Mayan Princess, and the Sea Of Cortez KSC
“Citizen Science: a week with the Quino El Guardian.
put down. Being in the moment is more fun than worrying about what everyone is doing back home. I have found that I can easily handle being “Unplugged” in exchange for adventure. My parents surprised me with a Quino El Guardian trip to Mexico this past summer on a KSC “Citizen Science” week. It was double sweet because my best friend Mo was my roommate and dive buddy. We had several other girls our age onboard as well. The week was full of science and extraordinary encounters with whales, sharks, and sea lions. I met (Mo) Momo Hudes on a flight to KSC Palau in 2013. We really bonded and became dive buddies and best friends. Adding shipmates to that relationship this past summer set the bar high for planning our next adventure. Our parents have faith and trust in Kids Sea Camp, allowing us to embark on our own adventure. Momo and I joined the liveaboard in the Sea of Cortez. The two of us journeyed through many airports and had to find our way around without our parents. This was
A GREAT PLACE FOR KIDS There are many KSC followers year after year, like my family, and there are always new families, dive staff, and great people to meet. That’s the magic of this organization Margo Peyton created 25 years ago for her kids. My mom enjoys underwater photography, and Dad seems to relax and enjoy the quiet of being submerged on a dive boat where the business of everyday life can’t reach him. My sisters love the water and look forward to these trips, as there are many things to do and diving. I think we all agree that having other kids our age on the trips to hang out and share adventures with has been the best part. I love to travel with my family, but diving with other teens from around the world, learning about new cultures, creatures, and ecosystems—and discovering myself—is why I want to keep coming back. On these trips, the cell phones actually get
www.familydivers.com 803-419-2556 dive@familydivers.com
www.oceanwishes.org
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