Seamester

loved it. The challenges that brought people together and helped me grow as a person, the sheer beauty and thrill of sailing across an ocean, all the stops along the way, and the list goes on and on. The staff were super super super incredible and I wish that everyone had the opportunity to do something this awesome and fun. Thanks for the best summer ever. I did actionquest two years before and I knew the GXG was an awesome group. I would recommend taking some stuff off the packing list because I did overpack. That might’ve just been me though. Loved the food and even though they warned us we would get tired of pasta, I never did. All the staff was awesome. They always cared selflessly and made the trip so much fun. They always made sure to put us before themselves and even though I would’ve been tired of dealing with us by the end, they were always energetic, smiling, and positive.
I was able to grow as a person and socialize better.
This trip was awesome.

SeaMester was an absolutely life changing experience, I don't think there would have been a better way to spend three months. The lessons are invaluable, the staff is amazing, the locations are unforgettable. I participated in this program nearly five years ago and the effects are still rippling through my present day. I had did first open water dive aboard SY Argo back in 2019 and just this past year was able to get my PADI DiveMaster. I am currently saving up for a small sailboat of my own to explore and dive in with my friends (probably will have some of my SeaMester pals onboard to crew with me). I'm so excited for the day that I can revisit these wonderful places in my own boat, sailing & diving with the friends I made back during SeaMester. Not only was the trip incredibly fun, it was so informative. I started my semester thinking my girlfriend was silly for not using plastic straws and left that semester absolutely horrified at the state of plastic pollution in our beautiful oceans. SeaMester will open your eyes, teach you lessons, and inspire new passions to last a lifetime. DO IT!

The 80 days I spent on Ocean Star were some of the best days of my life! Everyday was unique and exciting and there wasn't one day where I didn't learn at least a dozen new things. Waking up at sunrise in a new place never gets old and just when you think you've seen it all it only gets better! As a working member of the crew, we participated in cooking, cleaning and all the sail handling, but who says shouting the lyrics to your favorite songs while cleaning isn't fun? Within 3 days, every person on the boat will feel like family and by the end you will have up to 15 lifelong friends from all over the world. I came into this program with next to no sailing or diving experience (as did the majority of the students on my trip) and I never felt behind at all. We started with basic sailing 101 for everyone and slowly built our skills from there. I went from taking my first breaths underwater to becoming a fully certified Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver on this trip and saw unforgettable wildlife, reefs and wrecks in the process. The Seamester staff are AMAZING! They care so much about every student and want to see each person thrive. The medical care I received far exceeded my expectations and good medical facilities were easily accessible everywhere we went. The excursions on land were incredible; We went canyoning in Guadeloupe, hiked to a boiling lake in Dominica, went horseback riding on the beach in Nevis, and SO much more! This trip truly changed my life, and I am forever grateful for the time I had with Seamester. I would do it again in a heartbeat. PSA: This is NOT a cruise ship. If you are expecting luxury and can't survive without AC and cold water, look somewhere else. If you are adventurous, hard working, open minded and up for any challenge, then this program is for you and you will have the time of your life. Apply now! I promise you will regret it if you don't.

Seamester was a trip that exceeded all of my expectations. I had an opportunity to visit places some people may never see in a lifetime and I got to make countless memories with amazing new people. I grew a bond with not only the students but also the staff that could never be replaced. We got to witness beautiful sites such as healthy coral, marine life, and beautiful islands. I gained a great knowledge of sailing which is one thing I had always dreamed of doing. Everyday I wish I could go back and relive it all just once more.

Being a crew mate on STV Vela was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Sometimes I find it hard to search for words to encompass the voyage I had, for it has fundamentally changed who I am. Who knew I could drive a 112-foot sailboat? Who knew I could be a certified rescue scuba diver? I never could have imagined setting foot on an uninhabited island, with a never-ending supply of coconuts. My favorite parts of the trip are as small as discovering my new favorite fruit and as grand as completing a 23-day Pacific Ocean crossing!