Staff Update Day 1
Location: West End, Tortola
It may be June, but the time setting up for the first session has felt a little bit similar to preparing for the winter holiday season. We've picked up our beautiful fifty-foot vessel Zourite from Sunsail Yachts and meticulously stocked her with all the supplies well use during our journey. There is for food many feasts as well as bundles of learning materials to aid our students in transforming into PADI professionals. The staff has been getting to know each other while eagerly waiting to meet the eight other members of our crew. Jake, Emelia, and I have been having a great time together, and the times will only get better when our crew is complete. We cant wait to see everyone soon!
Here is an introduction to the crew of Zourite:
Jake- skipper
Easily recognizable by the constant smile on his face, Jake is the director of the Divemaster program and coordinates our introductory dive programs. Brought into diving by his mom, Jake has experience diving all over the world, from the murky, freezing waters of the Great Lakes to the warm, clear waters of the Caribbean. After returning home from a life-changing trip with ActionQuest in 2005, Jake knew he had to become involved with the program. Now, as a skipper and PADI instructor, Jake strives to provide his shipmates with the same incredible experience he had as a student. Jake recently made the move to Sarasota and manages enrollment and business development for ActionQuest.
Annie- dive instructor/mate
Annie was born and raised in North Carolina, where she visited the beach frequently and developed a great respect for the marine world. When she was fifteen, she attended ActionQuest for the first time and fell head over flippers in love with diving and sailing. She went on to sail across the Atlantic on board S/Y Argo. To advance her diving career, she became a PADI Open Water SCUBA Instructor. She really enjoys working with young divers and believes teaching is the art of assisting self-discovery. Having just returned from studying in Greece and traveling leisurely worldwide, she looks forward to making new memories in the British Virgin Islands with students from all over the world.
Emelia-dive instructor/mate
Originally from Washington, DC, Emelia started with ActionQuest in 2008 as a shipmate, having never been sailing or scuba diving before. She continued as a student for six summers, in 2013 earning her Divemaster certification and entering the AQ staff team. Emelia now holds her PADI Open Water SCUBA Instructor license, as well as her 200ton Master of Yachts certification. Outside the AQ world, Emelia is a full-time student at the University of San Diego, where she studies marine science and anthropology and trains with a local circus as an aerial acrobat.