Tropical Oasis

It is day one, and we are already beyond happy to start Session 2! It is not too long until our 12 shipmates arrive, and we're very excited to welcome them aboard! After weeks of hard work from the staff, Tropical Oasis has been cleaned, rigged, and packed with food, fuel, water, and other odds and ends, in preparation for the three, much-anticipated weeks ahead. We are hoping to certify our shipmates with a bunch of new certifications; whether that be their International Yacht Training certificate, PADI open water diver certification, ActionQuest advanced sailing certification, or their PADI advanced open water diver certification. Courses aside, our goal as staff is to provide a fun, supportive, and safe environment that allows our students to discover their ability to learn and overcome challenges. We hope to build this environment not only from our daily activities such as water skiing, dinghy sailing, snorkeling, hiking, but with responsibility, accountability, and team building!

We're looking forward to meeting our students soon and having an incredible time over the upcoming weeks!

Here's an introduction of the crew on Tropical Oasis:

Ben: Skipper

Ben hails from Baltimore, Maryland, where he spent his summers on the Chesapeake Bay. While attending the University of Maryland, College Park, he participated in a Seamester program which introduced him to sailing. Since then, he has worked in the industry, specializing in instruction and deliveries. He has accumulated over 15,000 nm on the water, including a trans-oceanic delivery from Baltimore to Sydney, Australia. Currently, he works as a boatbuilder, specializing in custom composites and Grand Prix finishes for high-performance racing sailboats. Ben joined the AQ team in 2016 and is looking forward to returning to the BVI for another amazing summer.

Kaleigh: Dive Instructor/Mate

Working full time with Global Expeditions Group has been Kaleigh’s dream job ever since she was a student in 2015 and is excited to give every student the same amazing experience she had as an AQ shipmate. She loves sharks and snakes and is on the pre-vet track at Villanova University. Kaleigh is a PADI Scuba Instructor and teaches skiing to young kids during the winter.

Martine: Mate

Martine grew up in Florida and had been sailing since 2015. She fell in love with experiential education after a summer semester with Seamester and has been pursuing a career in that field ever since. Martine is currently studying ocean engineering and environmental science at Florida Atlantic University while working with their outdoor recreation department. When not racing with her team on their boat Rabbit, Martine loves to paint, travel, and kayak.