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British Virgin Islands - 2022, Session 1

Welcome to Break Away!!

Location: West End, Tortola

Day 1: Meet the Crew!

Welcome to Break Away! Over the past few weeks, our staff has been preparing for our student’s arrival. Day one is finally here, and we couldn’t be more excited! Soon, we’ll be sailing, SCUBA diving, and finding so many more adventures. First, though, everyone needs to get here. We’re ready and can’t wait to meet you. Here’s to a fantastic session and an even better summer! See you soon!

Skipper: Kackie Gould
Kackie first joined the AQ team as a skipper in 2021 and is thrilled to come back for her second summer. After graduating high school in 2018, Kackie spent a year pursuing her RYA Yachtmaster 200t certification in Sydney, Australia. After earning her certification, Kackie spent four months in South Africa, surfing and backpacking through coastal villages and staying at local hostels before starting her degree in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech. Despite currently living in Atlanta, there is nothing Kackie likes more than being on the water and sharing her love for sailing with others. Her favorite part of the ActionQuest experience is Race Day, where all the boats in the fleet engage in a big sailing race against each other. Kackie loves watching her students get super excited to apply the sailing skills they have learned to win the race!

Mate and Dive Instructor: Garrison Clower
Garrison is a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor returning for his second summer to Action Quest! He loves to show students the underwater world and doesn’t fail to point out some of his favorite marine animals. Garrison first joined the GXG team in 2019 as a shipmate on S/Y Argo with the Seamester program. Realizing his love for the ocean, he spent six months pursuing his dive instructor’s certification on Utila Island. While on the island, Garrison also became more familiar with Caribbean fishes and coral. Now, he goes to school at Vanderbilt, where he is a board member of the sailing team. His most significant flex at school is that he gets to spend his summers at AQ!

Mate and Dive Instructor: Jessie Sims
Jessie is an Open Water Scuba Instructor who hails from Australia but has most recently been exploring Utila, Honduras. She has dived her entire life and loves nothing more than sharing her passion for the ocean with students. Her qualifications include everything from Open water to Side Mount Diver to Underwater Photography. She enjoys swimming, hiking, and exploring and is always keen for an adventure. This is her first summer with ActionQuest, and she is excited to meet shipmates and share this adventure.