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:
Here's what we have planned for 2023! RSVP to the below events at the bottom of the page or by calling one of the shops.
DECEMBER 2022
December 3: Underwater Pictures with Scuba Santa & Annual Food Drive benefitting St. Louis Area Foodbank
JANUARY 2023
January 1, 2023: Mermet Springs, Metropolis, Illinois ~ Polar Bear Plunge
FEBRUARY
February 1, 2023: starting at 6:30 pm: Virtual or in-person at our Chesterfield store on choosing and using Dive Computers. Hosted by Valerie Elliott, owner of Y-kiki Divers
MARCH
March 4, 2023: Principia School Pool, 1-2:30pm & 2:30-4pm: Pool Sessions ~ Buoyancy coaching/gear checkouts - Pre-season Tune-up (any gear you need can also be used free of charge, including tanks and weights, but you must pick up and return it to the shop)
March 26 - Fun Dives at Bonne Terre Mine - $230 for 2 dives at the mine, a pair of 5mm High Stretch gloves, and a 2mm beanie. Register here, call, or come by the shop.
APRIL
April 29-30, 2023: Poker Run & Fun Dives ~ Mermet Springs, Metropolis, Illinois
What's a Poker Run? It's a scavenger hunt for colored tokens (poker chips) that are traded in for playing cards - highest poker hand gets first choice of participation prizes. The Poker Run will take place Saturday at noon (or should we say "High noon"?) with fun dives all weekend (or complete a specialty while you are there).
MAY
May 27-28, 2023: (Memorial Day Weekend) Pennyroyal Scuba Center, Hopkinsville, KY ~ Fun Dives and Zombie Apocalypse Diver
JUNE
June 24-26, 2023: Great Lakes Wreck Diving, Mackinaw
JULY
July 15, 2023: Mermet Springs, Metropolis, Illinois ~ PADI Women's Dive Day. Register here!
July 29-30, 2023: Table Rock Lake ~ Fun Dives
AUGUST
August 26-27, 2023: Table Rock Lake ~ Fun Dives
SEPTEMBER
September 9-11, 2023: Great Lakes Wreck Diving, Milwaukee
OCTOBER
October 6-9, 2023: Bull Shoals Houseboat Weekend
October 14, 2023: Mermet Springs Soak Your Gourd Pumpkin Carve Dive
NOVEMBER
November 4-5, 2023: Fun Dives ~ Mermet Springs, Metropolis, Illinois
DECEMBER
December 2, 2023: Underwater Pictures with Scuba Santa & Annual Food Drive benefitting St. Louis Area Foodbank
JANUARY 2024
January 1, 2024: Mermet Springs, Metropolis, Illinois ~ Polar Bear Plunge
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.