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 one of the shops.
DECEMBER
December 31, 2023: Mermet Springs, Metropolis, Illinois ~ Dive Into the New Year
**Enjoy an evening of camaraderie with fellow divers enjoying warm beverages, s'mores, and snacks shared among the group before the official dive starts at 11:45pm. Just before midnight we will gather and count down the new year with the release of a surface marker.
JANUARY 2024
January 1, 2024: Mermet Springs, Metropolis, Illinois ~ Polar Bear Plunge
January 7, 2024 at 7am: Bonne Terre Mine, Bonne Terre, MO ~ 3 dives! Register and pay on the website here for your dives. Need to finish your Dry Suit Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, or Enriched Air Diver certification? Call the shop to schedule dives to complete your specialty at 314-469-8722.
February 2024
Choosing and Using a Dive Computer - presentation by Valerie Elliott - in-person at the Chesterfield store or join virtually.
February 10 - 11, 2024 at 7am: Bonne Terre Mine, Bonne Terre, MO ~ 3 fun dives on Sunday! Register and pay on the website here. Let us know you'll be attending by registering on our LDA below. We will be offering Open Water Checkout Dives, Advanced Open Water, Dry Suit Diver, Enriched Air Diver, and Peak Performance Buoyancy specialties and dives. Call the shop to schedule specialty dives at 314-469-8722.
March 2024
March 2, 1-2:30pm and 2:30-4pm - Principia Pool Session - Buoyancy coaching/gear checkout.
April 2024
April 27-28 - Mermet Springs, Poker Run/Fun Dives
MAY 2024
May25-26 - Pennyroyal Fun Dives
JUNE 2024
June 22-23 - Lake Michigan - Great Lakes Wreck Diving
- Wreck diving adventure with 4 dives planned. See the flyer for all the details.
June 29-30 - 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.
JULY 2024
July 20 - PADI Women’s Dive Day, Mermet Springs
AUGUST 2024
August 24-25 - Table Rock Lake Fun Dives
- See details above on the july trip.
SEPTEMBER 2024
September 28-29 - Lake Michigan - Great Lakes Wreck Diving
- Wreck diving adventure with 4 dives planned. See the flyer for all the details.
OCTOBER 2024
October 11-14 - Bull Shoals Houseboat
October 12 - Mermet Springs Soak Your Gourd Pumpkin Carve Dive
NOVEMBER 2024
November 2-3 - Mermet Springs
DECEMBER 2024
December 7 - SCUBA Santa, Pool Session, UW photo opp w/ Santa
JANUARY 2024
January 1, 2025 - Mermet Springs - Polar Bear Dive
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.
| Start Date | Course | Location | Price | ||||||||
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| 27 Apr 2024 | Poker Run 24 | Mermet Springs | - | ||||||||
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Special Event
Poker Run and Fun Dives |
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| 25 May 2024 | Fun Dives 5/25/2024 | Pennyroyal | - | ||||||||
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Special Event
Fun Dives at Pennyroyal Divers are responsible for entry fees. Reserve rental gear by contacting one of the shops. |
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| 29 Jun 2024 | Fun Dives - Table Rock 7-24 | Table Rock Lake | - | ||||||||
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Special Event
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| 20 Jul 2024 | Women Dive Day 24 | Mermet Springs | US$ 50.00 | ||||||||
| 24 Aug 2024 | Fun Dives - Table Rock 8-24 | Table Rock Lake | - | ||||||||
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Special Event
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| 12 Oct 2024 | UNPCS 10/12/2024 | Mermet Springs | US$ 40.00 | ||||||||
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Underwater Pumpkin Carving Specialist
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| 12 Oct 2024 | Soak Your Gourd | Mermet Springs | US$ 50.00 | ||||||||
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Soak Your Gourd
Underwater Pumpkin Carving and Fun Dives (sign up for the Underwater Pumpkin Carving specialty separately from this registration - you are only paying for the event here). Fee includes lunch and a shirt to commemorate the fun. |
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| 02 Nov 2024 | Fun Dives - Mermet - 11-24 | Mermet Springs | - | ||||||||
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Special Event
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| 01 Jan 2025 | Polar Bear Plunge 25 | Mermet Springs | - | ||||||||
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Special Event
Polar Bear Plunge @ Mermet Springs |
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