Program Reviews

My 13 year old daughter traveled with ActionQuest summer of 2017 in the BVIs. From the first inquiry to follow-up emails at the end of the trip, the communication was extremely forthcoming, patient and professional. It was an incredible experience for her and seemless for us, her parents. She joined AQ as a self-confident young woman but came home with an even stronger sense of self and confidence, knowing that not only did she achieve what she set out to achieve (Barracuda - Advanced Diving w/3 specialties and Marine Biology) but she could survive and enjoy herself for the nearly 3 weeks in tight quarters with 14 others of different levels of maturity and motivation. What a great life lesson that she will carry with her through the rest of her life.

The Staff (counselors) onboard are incredible and so well chosen for the challenge of living with 10-12 young teenagers of varying expereince and maturity. We couldn't have been more impressed by the quality of the individuals that are chosen by ActionQuest.

This is an outstanding program and I believe that this past summer will be the first of many with AQ. I plan to register her today for summer 2018. Highly, highly recommend ActionQuest!

I have completed two trips with ActionQuest, in the summers of 2016 and 2017. I participated in the Neptune and Rescue programs, both are part of the "dive side" of ActionQuest. Not only did I improve my diving certifications, I learned how to sail, and about the marine world. The program is run aboard a boat, meaning there is no daily routine, you sail to a new spot everyday. Each trip you sail about 250 nautical miles, and get to visit some of the most famous sites in the islands, such as the Baths and Sidney's Peace and Love.

My son's experience was above and beyond our wildest expectations. He came back a confident and happy guy, very proud of having successfully faced the challenges of the trip. The counselors were top-notch - caring, capable, and fun. It was truly a life-changing experience for him.

I was very impressed with the program after initially talking to Jake on the phone. He spent a lot of time answering my questions and making me feel that the program was a good fit for my son. The staff was always helpful when I called with questions before the trip. Leah the travel agent was also very easy to work with for travel plans, and made the whole process a breeze.

My son's travel days went seamlessly. It was great that there were a few kids flying together from Boston, as he did not know anyone. These kids were very friendly right away, which was great.

While my son was away for the 3 weeks, we were treated to a creatively crafted blog posts every day - such a wonderful way to keep in touch and much appreciated. It was clear that the kids were really having a ball as we read the posts every morning.

I have never seen my kid as happy as he was when he returned. Just had a whole new air of confidence about him, and now has a whole set of goals he wants to work on - getting his sailing credentials over time, learning to scuba dive, and planning on taking a gap year to sail!

The instructors really seemed to make the trip for my son. Shannon, George, and Elise were so supportive and fun, and taught him so much. They really gave of themselves, it seemed. Also, my son really appreciated the fact that there was enough "down time" along with all of the super active time. That is really important to him. And that the kids were given a fair amount of independence when exploring on land. He felt that he was treated with respect and trust, which is so key at age 16!
He loved having time to wander around the various towns. He also loved visiting some of the historic sites, and the boat yard (I forget which island that was). It was great that there were some alternatives to the harder hikes for kids with major problems with the heat, like my son. He loves to eat, and had nothing negative to say about food - loved it all! Especially the opportunity to eat in the towns.

Overall an incredibly supportive, caring, exciting and nurturing environment was created on this trip, that gave my son a gift he will never forget!!

Between the scuba diving, making new friends, watersports, and family reflections at the end of the day, I had an amazing time with my shipmates and crew. The best part of this trip was travelling somewhere new and exciting, to a place I had never been to before, and learning and experiencing what the BVIs had to offer. This experience impacted me because I had a chance to participate in something that was new to me. My favorite memory about this journey was with my shipmates and how we always gathered together during free time to hang out, play cards, swim, and talk- no one was ever left out. I encourage future participants to understand that this is an unique experience, and that they are very lucky to be sailing with ActionQuest.

Actionquest is my favorite in every possible way. I love the people. I love how much I've grown. I love the amazing programs. I love everything about it. If you're looking for a way to grow as a person or get out of your comfort zone and experience something truly amazing, AQ is for you. The amazing staff helps everyone no matter what your background is and they make sure that every student is involved.

My three years at Actionquest were life changing. They earned me new friends, new skills, and revealed to me much about myself that I never knew, and that I pride myself on today! In my last program, Divemaster, my staff were incredible. The atmosphere on our boat was always fun, if hard working, but there was always a careful eye on our safety, even for us long time returners to Actionquest who were nearly running the boat ourselves. You guys at Actionquest have something Incredible going on, and if it weren't for other plans and goals in my life, I would be honored to work at ActionQuest for years, making the impacts you do, learning, teaching, and having those little, underestimated conversations with my shipmates, conversations that made such a big impact on my own life.

My daughter had an amazing experience and took advantage of all of the opportunities that were before her. She came back with amazing life experiences and so much confidence in herself and her decisions. She has made some lifelong friends. We highly recommend this experience for all teenagers! My daughter has come back with a love for ocean, a string drive to help others and a want to return to the islands. Now that they Islands have been destroyed by the hurricane she wants to go back to help rebuild.

I was admittedly hesitant about sending my 13 and 14 year olds out of the country for camp. I am so glad they joined Action Quest. They not only had a wonderful time, they learned so much about independence and resiliency and coping with challenges. Oh, and scuba and sailing, too. I I loved getting updates from the camp letting us know how everyone was doing, keeping us in the loop about their activities, although there were a few days in the beginning when info was slow to trickle in. They are very excited about the prospect of going again next year.

I have been going to Action Quest for the last 5 years and I am proud to say that it has fundamentally changed my life. In no other place will you find such a warm and supporting environment where you can grow and develop as a person. The diving, staff, and students are all amazing. I remember the first time that I went to Action Quest. I was 13 years old and terrified of the ocean. However, thanks to the supportiveness of the staff and kids on my boat, I felt comfortable diving and being myself. I now have hundreds of logged dives and am a certified instructor thanks to AQ

It was the best summer of my life. Everything was perfect. The staff, the diving, the sailing and the friendships.

The staff on my trip is what made it really special. I saw them both as teachers and friends. They helped my shipmates and I along our path of finding our happiest self.

They really helped me see that there isn't only one path in life. That I don't have to take the traditional path in life and can create my own path.

Everything was beyond my expectations. I was able to become both certified in sailing and scuba well enjoying the training at the same time.