FUN DIVING! Y-KIKI'S LOCAL DIVING ADVENTURES PROGRAM
Welcome to Fun Diving, and if you’re newly certified, welcome to diving!
You may have heard the saying, “Five years from now you will be the same person you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet.” Likewise, I would say that five years from now you will be the same diver you are today, except for the classes you take and the divers you dive with.
Our Fun Diving “Club” includes a core group of avid divers who are very proficient, experienced, and enthusiastic about sharing their love of diving with whomever chooses to join us on any given outing, whether it is one of the scheduled Local Diving Adventures sponsored by Y-kiki Divers or an additional outing that we add to the mix and invite all to attend.
Especially welcome is anyone who does not have a buddy or who is a little insecure about their current skills. We always have on hand a skilled and patient buddy who will truly enjoy diving with you and offering any guidance or assistance you may want. Really. This is one of the main purposes of the Fun Diving “Club”. We will stay within your limits and comfort zone when we dive with you, and not consider it to be any kind of imposition. On occasion we will also send out an invitation for an excursion that requires a minimum level of experience, such as a wreck diving weekend on Lake Michigan. When this occurs the invite will clearly state what depths you need to be certified for and whether equipment such as a drysuit is advisable.
The only way to get better at diving is to go diving, and the best way to get better is to go diving with divers who are more skilled than you. Acquiring more skills now on local dives will greatly enhance your enjoyment and safety when you make your trips to exotic destinations. Imagine being able to focus on what you are seeing, experiencing, or photographing, because you no longer need to concentrate on your buoyancy control and manipulating your equipment.
In conclusion, our priorities when we go out fun diving are:
Safety first, always
Having fun, both in the water and when sharing surface intervals and meals
Acquiring and improving on diving skills
Have questions? Whether general diving questions or questions specific to one of our planned dive outings… bring them on! You may e-mail me or call/visit Y-kiki Divers to get your questions answered: Bill Harrison, bill.deepblue@gmail.com.
Sign up to receive the Fun Diving Report, a periodic update on upcoming destinations/events, travel/lodging plans. Submit your email below to add your name & e-mail to our eNewsletters. You’ll be asked to check mark the lists you’re interested in. Be sure and check “Local Diving Adventures” to receive the Fun Diving Report:
RSVP to the below events at the bottom of the page via the "Buy Now" cart or by calling the shop.
NOVEMBER 1, 2024 - MARCH 15, 2025: We Own Winter Contest
LDA dives at Mermet; January 11/12, 25/26, February 8/9, 22/23, March 15/16
DECEMBER 2024
December 31, 2024, 11:45pm: Dive into the New Year
JANUARY
January 1, 2025: Polar Bear Plunge ~ Mermet Springs, Metropolis, Illinois
January 30 - February 2, 2025: Ice Hole Festival ~ Lake Okojobi, Iowa
FEBRUARY
February 4, 2025: How to Choose and Use Dive Computers. Hosted by Valerie Elliott, owner of Y-kiki Divers ~ Virtual or in-person at our Chesterfield store, starting at 6:30pm
February 15, 2025: Fun Dives ~ Bonne Terre Mine
MARCH
March 1, 2025: Pool Session ~ Test Dive Your Gear. This is a free pool session to get your gear ready for diving in 2025. Don’t have your own gear?? Anything you need is available for rent (including tanks & weights), contact the shop to make a reservation. Principia School Pool, (2 sessions) 1-2:30 and 2:30-4pm.
APRIL
April 26 - 27, 2025: Poker Run & Fun Dives ~ Mermet Springs, Metropolis, Illinois
MAY
May 24 - 25, 2025: Pennyroyal Blue Springs, Hopkinsville, Kentucky ~ Fun Dives
Pennyroyal Scuba Center website link: https://pennyroyalscuba.com
JUNE
June 21 - 22, 2025: Wreck Diving ~ Great Lakes
JULY
July 19, 2025: PADI Women Dive Day ~ Mermet Springs, Metropolis, Illinois
July 26 - 27, 2025: Fun Dives ~ Table Rock Lake
- Dive site is the Dewey Short Dam & Visitors Center - a shore dive with plentiful parking and lots of room on shore to spread out. The only "facilities" are bathrooms. Buddies will be available for any who need one. Water temps will be warm in the shallow water (less than 40 ft.) and a little colder in the deeper water. Divers should have (or rent) all standard dive gear to include compass, cutting device, dive light, and surface signalling items. Bring chairs if you wish and a cooler with drinks and lunch.
There is a small dive shop a mile up the road that can rent and/or fill tanks, but it has rather short hours. It would be best to bring everything you need and at least 2 full tanks (3 preferred).
There are more than a hundred available hotels, resorts, and campsites not far from the dam. We will be staying at Branson Stone Castle Hotel, and are getting a special price there by reserving through Ozarks Kirkwood Tour & Travel, 417-335-4668 (tell them you are diving with Y-Kiki Divers to get the substantial discount, and RSVP as soon as possible). If you are bringing any non-divers with you, the dam is a very pretty site to hang out at and/or there are more than a hundred interesting shows/shops/restaurants/mini golf courses within 5 miles.
AUGUST
August 30 - 31, 2025: Fun Dives ~ Table Rock Lake
SEPTEMBER
September 5 - 8 2025: Bull Shoals Houseboat Weekend
September 20 - 21, 2025: Fun Dives ~ Beaver Lake
OCTOBER
October 11, 2025: “Soak Your Gourd” Pumpkin Carving Dive ~ Mermet Springs
NOVEMBER
November 1 - 2, 2025: Fun Dives ~ Mermet Springs, Metropolis, Illinois
DECEMBER
December 6, 2025: Underwater Pictures with Scuba Santa & Annual Food Drive benefitting the St. Louis Area Foodbank
RSVP for any of the events below. There is no charge to attend any of our Fun Dive events, but you are responsible for entry fees, hotels, meals, air, etc.