learn to dive

“Wow” is all I can think now. We are a family of 5 that submerged ourselves in the beautiful turquoise waters of Yap, a tiny island off the beaten path for sure. The island is located in the Federated States of Micronesia. We live in Hawaii, so when I contacted Margo Peyton at Kids Sea Camp the bar was set pretty high for expectations in taking a family dive vacation. She personally guided us through a magical family adventure to Yap and Palau, and just like her tag line says, “Give them a week we will remember forever.” All our expectations were surpassed.

Surrounded by pristine reefs, large schools of fish, and plenty of large pelagics on a daily basis in Yap. On our list were sailfish, reef sharks, manta and even a rare baby whale shark encounter. Not to make less of some of the most beautiful soft corals and amazing visibility any diver could ask for.

As I descend with my family into the blue a euphoric feeling overcomes me. But, what is really on my mind, is the fact that all three of my daughters are getting this experience along with my husband and myself together! How amazing is it to have us all be experiencing this beautiful, untouched, unspoiled, majestic destination together?

Moments to remember forever: My youngest daughter, Emma floats above my head and dives down for a “high five” as she is only 7 (A sassy) right now and is still dreaming of the day she can officially dive with us. For now she is snorkeling with sharks, learning about the ocean and doing Sassy and that will have to suffice. The view she is getting is fantastic and just as great as ours is, if not better while scuba diving. She is being circled by schools of fish and small white tip reef sharks. She shoots me a huge smile and a great big Shaka from the surface and an “OK” signal. Yeah, she is totally stoked to be part of this!

Sierra (age 11) is out in the blue, following in her dad’s footsteps with her camera just waiting for that chance to capture the perfect shot for her memories. Take only memories and leave the rest behind for the future. She is in her zone. Perfectly focused and ready for the shot. Smiling and happy as can be. She signals me a huge “OK” and I know all is good. Another “wow!” Her wish granted as out of the blue comes a juvenile whale shark, he poses inches from her lens and she has the shot.

Jos (age 14) is busy being Brad Holland’s diving model, Brad is the professional photographer on the Manta Ray Bay Resort. It’s a perfect fit — a teen diver that has her buoyancy and diving down like a master diver. She is so into the dive that she doesn’t even notice all of the attention she is getting by the photographer. And for this short 60 minutes or so, she gets to spend with the loves of her life, manta rays and sharks. Jos is in heaven right now and there is no interrupting her. She’s just soaking in the experience. These moments at Kids Sea Camp are so magical.

Jeff, my husband is taking the opportunity to spruce up his photography skills and is loving it. He has been spoiled having Brad spend a week with him and share tips of the trade. He is pumped to be using his new found skills. And I even have a few photos of him taking photos, which is rare since he is always the one shooting the photos (thanks to Brad Holland for that).

And me, I’m just thrilled to share this unforgettable journey to Yap and Palau with my family. This type of experience cannot be purchased in any store or found in some prepackaged deal online and it’s not going to be on a cruise ship or in a theme park.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity created and personally hosted by Kids Sea Camp, for us to all connect and embrace the majesty of the underwater world. We don’t have to say a single word. We just look at each other and smile when we surface. We all know what each other feels, its written and plastered all over our faces. “Wow” Oh my goodness, how could it possibly get any better?

Kids Sea Camp is the perfect family experience and is a trip of a lifetime.
Thanks so much to Margo