Tropical Oasis

Welcome to Tropical Oasis! Walking down the West End dock lined with all our vessels, it’s hard to believe it’s already the end of July and the start of Session 3. Looking down our berthing list at our mix of advanced divers, sailors, and Vega students, we can hardly wait for our shipmates to arrive. The staff has spent the past couple days cleaning and preparing dinghies, Zests, marlinspike kits, and other program gear before loading our own boat with all the supplies needed for our upcoming adventure. Our cupboards are packed with dry goods, our fridges are full of fresh fruits, veggies, cheese and meat, our shelves hold the books for our Open Waters, Advanced Open Waters, Basic Crew, and Advanced sailors, and the dive gear has been distributed throughout the fleet. Now, all we need is to set sail!

Here is an introduction to the crew of 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.

Martine: Mate/WFR

Martine grew up in Florida and had been sailing since 2015. She fell in love with experiential education after a summer semester with Seamester. 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.

Sydnei: Dive Instructor/Mate

Despite being born and raised in the cold city of Chicago, the warm beaches and ocean have always called Sydnei’s name. Now a sophomore studying graphic design at the University of Miami, Sydnei spends as much time as she can in the sun and near the water, diving year-round. During the school year, she teaches scuba classes at a local dive shop and goes out for fun dives when she has the time. She is a longtime alumnus of ActionQuest, starting in 2015. This will be her fifth summer back in the beautiful BVI. Out of the water, she enjoys reading, along with playing tennis and badminton.