My best recollection of Randy was diving from his Peter Island base, in perhaps the mid 90’s.

His huge enthusiasm and fantastic knowledge of every item we saw be it coral or fish was wonderful. He had dived those sites hundreds of times, but his excitement made it a very special experience for all in the group.

As very much a novice diver at the time, I remember he told me to hold my breath for six seconds between breaths, to extend the dive time - they don’t tell you that in the PADI books!

All these years later, I still count those six seconds!

Thank you Randy!

We were blessed to have an opportunity to dive with Randy. It was my first real dive, and I was so terrified that I wrote  on the form that I am claustrophobic. Ha ha ha. Randy took the form and asked me: “Can you go to the closet?” This simple question eased me up, and the dive was amazing.  Randy and the ocean were one. His love for the sea and the marine life and all the creatures down there was incredible. Randy was an absolutely unique man of the sea, full of love and joy. 

Thank you Randy, for touching our lives in such a unique way. 

Tanya and Carter 

Hi dear…

It's Chouby LAROSE. A friend from Haiti who had the opportunity to meet and spend some times with Mr. Randy and his wonderful family in Tortola.

I can never forget the days I spent around Mr. Randy keil and his wonderful family in east-end Tortola in 2017.

My short experience with Mr. Randy was a true learning session. I remember the day we went to the Marina below the house where he had a boat and we wanted to rescue a couple of things that were there. I appreciated the way that he used to speak when giving an idea or explaining something. He always wanted to make sure that you understand what he is saying completely and never got tired of starting over. He helped me to fall in love with the ocean. He enjoyed talking about underwater. I still miss the scuba diving experience that he wanted me to live though but every second with him was precious because I liked talking with him. I liked his personal way of explanation that he never got tired of. Mr. Randy taught me many things about the boat and was really kind with me. He liked watching football games and I was fortunate to watch a final with him. We enjoyed the game that night.

Randy will always be missed by all of us who were lucky enough to meet him!

Randy  has had a  very special place in our families hearts since we first met  many years ago. The total devotion to his family, his country, and his many friends is exemplary and will never ever be forgotten. 

His many interesting stories covered the waterfront and when often followed with laughter, it was absolutely contagious. Those were great moments of togetherness.

One of my most memorable events was when Randy taught me and my young daughter how to scuba dive. Within two days we actually made an unforgettable deep dive on the famous RMS Rhone in the BVI. That experience remains indelible in our minds.

I first met Randy when I came to the BVI’s in the late eighties. I believe that he was working for Alan and Eva at Baskin in the Sun. He always had a ready smile and an encouraging word. He taught me my rescue diver course and I will always remember the time during that course when he explained that I would be doing an emergency accent. We were on Blonde Rock, and I was on the bottom in about 60’. The idea is that you inflate your BCD and you go up. You have to hum on the way up to expel any excess air in your lungs. Well out of the water shoots Eddie after quite a ride up, and you had better believe that I’m humming. I don’t think that they teach that in the rescue diver course these days. Randy’s love of diving was only surpassed by his love for his family. Fair winds and following sea’s Randy.

Eddie Brockbank.

Randy Keil , your memory lives on . We will never forget you . We loved you dearly . The happiest childhood  memories my children have , have been with you and   your family . We learnt how to pursue the forced family fun  adventures together . Your patience, kindness , gentleness , guidance and humour as the two of us were left either sitting in the car or under the trees at Cooper when our other halves had met someone new to talk to . 

You loved the ocean , you loved reading , you loved your dogs and how proud you were of Lauren and Austin and your beloved Maritha . 

You have been instrumental in inspiring joy and laughter to so many people and the Maree family’s lives have been  greatly enriched because of you . We will be forever grateful that we got to call you our friend . 

Thank you our beloved Randy , 

When I arrived to Baskin in the Sun, in January  2000,  I got two mentors that forever will be in my heart and mind. Sue Thompson and Randy Kiel. They both taught me so much.

I will never forget  Randys laughter, smile and good mood.  I later had the fortune to get to know his famlly and wife. 

My thoughts and love is with you all!

Katrin Wollner

Randy set the bar as dive master, husband, father, and friend. He was a guiding force -- a voracious reader, curious student, and cheerleader of knowledge. Curious about everything, you could always count on Randy to find the beauty and humor in anything. He introduced our family to illuminating books about the ocean and history, things that captured his imagination, and he encouraged our participation in conservation groups that were his passion.

We dived with him (and family) from 1989 to 2023 in Caribbean waters and in the Pacific. Randy made every new observation feel like your own discovery, even though we knew it was really because he was there pointing, teaching and learning. He encouraged our daughter Danna from 1989 at age 5 until he certified her Open Ocean on the wreck of the Rhone at age 13.

Since then our family dive trips became yearly expeditions to hear Randy's latest finds in the global ocean. We smile at the underwater memories when he presented the "molted exoskeleton of rare pineapple lobster" at the Rhone and "dived the dunk tank" aboard the Komodo Aggressor. His daughter Lauren and our daughter Danna (the same age) became life-long friends sharing many family diving adventures diving with dolphins and schooling hammerheads in Galapagos, exploring Cayman reefs aboard the Aggressor, and enjoying excursions to favorite spots in the Sir Francis Drake channel.

Randy’s beloved family Maritha, Lauren and Austen ("Blue Boy") carry on his light and knowledge in the world. He was a humble man of faith and a blessing to everyone who met him. Our family is much enriched by his friendship.  

Russ and Elisa  Berger

I met Randy on October 30 1981.

I ( On a third thought), decided to take a “Resort Course”

at the Prospect Reef Hotel.

I was told to wait by the pool and that the Instructor would be there in a few

Minutes. As soon as I saw him I said to myself,

“This guy’s got military written all over him”.

Little did I know that the fella who put a regulator in my mouth,

would be like family to me, and let me into a family.

The Man I Co Piloted a Manta Ray with.

The man who told me,

“If you are going to be in the waters with sharks, Do not Behave like Prey!”

I’m still trying to figure that one out.

The man who said to me;

“Do you ever think about doing this for a living?”

The Man who introduced me To Maritha, Lauren and Austen.

God’s waters

And A world of wonderful Men and Women, this knucklehead From Old Brooklyn would never have encountered in A million Years.

See you on The Beach, Randy. 

Excerpts from an email I sent to Randy in 2021

Randy;

There’s no reason on God’s green earth why you should remember me. I do remember you because you were an important part of an important day for me, although I didn’t know it at the time. I’ll tell you a story or two and put it in context.

It was probably late 1985 and we were doing stateside reservation phone work for Aquatic Centers and programming for the Moorings and the BVI government.  Somewhere in there I was in the BVI working and took a resort course. I would’ve done it with George Marler except he and Luana we’re trying to decide whether they were going to stay in the BVI or move back to Texas, so I did the resort course with you. As I recall I had real trouble getting down, I refused to exhale, but after a lot of encouragement from you I did, and the dive went pretty well. A group of people ended up at your house for cocktails later that day. I took a Resort Course or two again over the next 15 years, if I happened to be somewhere with diving, but didn’t end up getting certified until 2000.

From 2000 and till 2015 I’d probably make one dive trip a year. I really enjoyed it but didn’t have time or money to do much more. Then in 2015 I had the opportunity to do some underwater aviation archaeology in the mid Pacific. Think Amelia Earhart. In preparation for that I did some specialties and Dive Master. After that, the amount of diving I did increased a lot and got to somewhere between 30 and 50 dives a year. I have a little more money now, but no more time.

Earlier this summer I did the IDC, and last weekend I successfully completed the IE. I’m hoping in retirement, if I ever retire, I might go become a dive bum somewhere.

Thank you for that resort course 36 years ago. I still wanted to do more diving when we were finished and as it turned out, I ended up doing a lot more diving. I hope this email works and you will let me know how things are for you.

All the best,

Lee

Lee Paynter