scuba gear made for youngsters. They loved the Donkey Sanctuary, turtle hatches, treasure hunts, and pizza movie night and continued to make new friends. Joe and I enjoyed the relaxed pace of Bonaire, its ease of diving, and the perfect areas to experience with our grandkids in the ocean just off the dock. In 2011, we decided on
the shark show at the same time. In the summer of 2013, Kiera and Ayden earned their long-awaited Junior Open Water certifications. It was an incredible memory and time to celebrate that all the kids were certified to dive. We were so
traveled together. 2021 was a big summer for us; our granddaughter Kiera completed her DM in Roatan under PADI Instructor Robbie Peyton and then went directly to the KSC IDC in Bonaire. She was joined by friends Kendal, Sydney, Malea, and Mara, all
of who had been through the Kids Sea Camp journey as youngsters. Margo gave Kiera the opportunity to intern and teach in St. Lucia in 2021 and again in Belize in 2022. So many friendships, stories, and fond memories were created during that 15-year passage of time. To date, we have made 18 total trips, and the positives among them are the careful, loving, educational way Margo, Tom, and the staff guide and inspire others to learn about the ocean. They provide a wonderful mentorship for the sport of scuba diving. Having spent such valuable
Grand Cayman as Maia, the oldest, turned 10 and became a PADI Jr. Open Water Diver that summer. Grand Cayman did not disappoint; pirates,
tug-o-war, bonfires, a treasure hunt, and baby turtles were released. Maia was certified with her open-water dive on the Kitti Wake wreck. Ayden and Kiera were enrolled in the PADI Seal Team and enjoyed dives at Sting-Ray City that week, while Maia got to experience the world’s best 12 ft dive with her mom and dad. SERVICE WITH A SMILE The quality of service and level of safety that Tom and Margo provide on their trips convinced us to head across the Pacific in 2012 to Palau for our next KSC adventure. We spent two memorable weeks there, and the family was amazed at the diversity of sealife and the cultural interactions along the beautiful beaches and boat rides. One memorable dive was at the Blue Corner. While the adults were hooked in at about 60 feet, Maia and the other certified kids were at 40 feet, and Ayden and Kiera were doing a Bubble Maker Dive at 6 feet with their instructors. The whole family was watching
excited about diving together as a family, and we planned another awesome adventure each summer. We bounced back and forth between Caribbean sites, returning to Bonaire Buddy Dive Resort, St. Lucia Anse Chastanet, and The Cayman Islands. We took bigger 10-14-day trips to the Pacific, including Yap at Manta Ray Bay, Palau again, Wakatobi (Indonesia), and Fiji. All those incredible family adventures eventually led up to that final trip as one big family in 2021, St. Lucia as our 14th year of KSC. NEVER ENDING KSC VACATIONS However, as luck would have it, that would not be the end of traveling with Tom, Margo Peyton, and the Kids Sea Camp crew. It was just a change in how many of us
and quality time with our kids and grandkids over the years, meeting like-minded families, and making lifelong memories, KSC became one of the best choices we made each year as a family.
Tom and Margo have provided outstanding, professional, caring
leadership for this organization and have been responsible for providing priceless opportunities for young divers. While our family has grown up, the Empty Nester trips with Margo and Tom have allowed us to continue traveling with them. Congratulations, Peyton family, on your 25th anniversary of Kids Sea Camp. Thank you for the cherished memories with our adult children and grandchildren.
www.familydivers.com 803-419-2556 dive@familydivers.com
www.oceanwishes.org
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