Program Reviews

This program was the most fun and best experience that I have ever had. I made great friends and saw amazing sights and animals that I could not have seen anywhere else. We hiked up a volcano, explored a fort, cleared a trail in the mountains, saw amazing marine life, including turtles, sharks, octopi, barracuda, and thousands of different types of fish, and were in the water everyday. We earned sailing and scuba certifications, including Open Water and Advanced Open Water as well as our International Yachting Crew certifications. I learned a lot about myself and my skills as well as learning new skills that can be applied elsewhere, such as leadership skills and dealing with the same people for an extended period of time.

This was my first trip overseas on my own, and I was naturally nervous about many things. However, from the moment I got off the plane, the staff and other kids made me feel supported and welcome. Everyone was very warm, and, in no time at all, I was feeling like part of the group even though I had arrived on the later plane and many kids were already there. We quickly hopped on another plane and flew to the tiny island of San Salvador, where the Gerace Research Center is located. The island was beautiful and right away we got down to business. We were split two groups, those who were already scuba certified and those who weren't. I was in the group who wasn't. Within a few days, however, we had gained enough skill in diving to merge the groups again. The diving instructors were very competent, clear and supportive and because of this we were able to speed through our instruction in no time. On the dives throughout this trip we saw many things including hawksbill sea turtles, grey reef sharks, rays, octopuses and more. Not only that, but the reefs themselves were healthy and amazing.
Besides the diving, there was also a heavy academic component to this trip. Every day you would have a lecture and homework to complete. If you are interested in marine biology as well as diving, than this is certainly the trip for you. You'll learn a ton and be able to actively observe what you're learning in the classroom during your dives. There are a couple tests and research projects that help determine your grade, however, if you love marine biology like I do, you will have an easy time with them because you've soaked up all the info during the lectures and homework. The academic instructor was a very intelligent and accomplished marine biologist who taught the material well and was eager to help everyone learn. She was very approachable and friendly and also very knowledgable and interesting.
If you're looking for great diving experiences and an expanded knowledge of marine biology, than you will absolutely love this trip!

This was my second Broadreach program (my first being the Costa Rica Sea Turtle Studies - I highly recommend that as well) and honestly the most amazing time of my life. I was nervous about scuba diving, since I've never been a very outdoorsy/athletic person, but since I already had experience with Broadreach I knew I'd feel super comfortable and also have a lot of fun. The office is so helpful and communicative and will answer any questions you have. The instructors are sooo friendly and really great at making everyone feel at ease and getting everyone to talk, since people are mostly a little shy at first. But you become such a family so quickly it's amazing. Gerace is absolutely beautiful, even though the rooms aren't that glamorous. The food is pretty simple "American" food, and there's always cake at dinner which is FABULOUS. The rooms don't have air-conditioning but the lab rooms where all the schoolwork/hanging out is done are so it's all good. The weather is the stereotypical sunny cloudless sky, so bring lots of sunscreen! The town on San Salvador is more conservative, so when driving to different places on the island you need to be fully clothed FYI (Tshirt and shorts). The instructors are really patient and if you don't understand something, either with diving or the academics, they'll go over it with you until you're confident about it. My summers with Broadreach have impacted me so much in my life and I can't rave about them enough. If you're looking for something fun, adventurous, and life-changing, a Broadreach trip is the exact thing.

Deciding to go on Broadreach was the best decision I ever made! The experiences and adventures were spectacular. I never would have expected how close I would become with my ship-mates and instructors in such a short period of time. It was incredibly hard to say goodbye after 3 weeks. Not only was the sailing and diving awesome, but all of the other little moments made it great like watching the stars, cooking meals, going on hikes and sharing our glums and glows each night. I will never forget all of the fun I had and the lifelong friends that I made.

This trip was life changing! Two summers ago I experienced this trip and had the best time of my life. Life on the boat was simple, but it was hard work. Ocean showers, scrubbing the deck and cooking canned food became a regular routine. But waking up on the deck and looking out to the crystal clear ocean, seeing stingrays and sea turtles during my wake up swim, diving with nurse sharks and endless coral reefs, make every ounce of work worth it. These are the things I live for and this trip with Broadreach showed me how hard work, friends and nature can really open you up to yourself and allow you to appreciate everything in life. I had a blast making new friends, seeing different islands, hiking a volcano, snorkeling (at least 5 times a day) and learning more than I ever would have in a classroom. Ive done multiple trips with Broadreach and the memories continue to make me smile!

Wish I could be on that boat again! Thanks Broadreach!

This was the best summer of my life. The boat was amazing and so was the food. Most of all the staff was extraordinary they were all fun and funny, but safe at the same time. I would go back in a heart beat!
Best summer ever and I am going back next year!

I participated in the Caribbean marine biology program this past summer and I am so glad I did! It is an amazing experience and I would definitely recommend it to everyone! While on the trip I received several SCUBA certifications, learned to sail, met awesome people and got to explore beautiful places all while earning school credit. Yes, every meal is cooked by the students on the boat and you have to clean up after yourself. We were assigned days to cook or clean and would switch everyday. If you do not live with your parents at home, it's kinda the same thing, just in PARADISE! You wake up everyday with the view everyone wishes they had, staring at beautiful water. I loved that we had class on the top of a mountain! We were right off of an island and we watched the sun begin to set before we returned to the boat. We got to cliff jump, hike, explore and participate in community service in the rainforest along with the botanical gardens. We had designated lecture time everyday and a few exams but even the lectures were fun. I never felt unsafe on this trip but I knew I could talk to the crew members if I did and if I wanted to call home they would let me use the phone. I was never uncomfortable or worried, Broadreach is an amazing program with amazing staff and I would do it all again tomorrow, worth every penny!

My name is Eric, and I am so glad I decided to go on this trip to start off my summer. I want to talk about the lifestyle and freedom I experienced. I was taking my final exam the day before the trip started, and suddenly the next day I was on board a yacht in the Caribbean. That feeling was unbelievable, how I would eat dinner under the sunset, go to sleep under the stars and look at the lights on the islands, and wake up to some of the most beautiful sunrises I've ever seen everyday. It was a great escape from school and everything else I was stressing about, because everyday was so packed and when I did have breaks, the beauty of paradise pulled me away from my worries.

Diving and sailing were the main focus of the program, and this experience really opened my eyes up. It was the first time that I had done either of those things, and it really blew my mind away. I was very nervous when I first started "breathing" underwater, but then I got very comfortable, to the point where I couldn't wait to get into the water again. Sailing was also something I've always wanted to do, watching the bow of the boat piercing the beautiful waters of the Caribbean was simply fascinating. I think this trip really took me away. When I was diving all I could hear was the sound of me breathing and the beating of my heart, nothing else. It was very peaceful and magical watching the sun reflecting on the surface of the ocean above me. Swimming with the fishes was incredible, too. It enabled me to interact with nature and almost become one with it. When I was sailing I was thinking much less than diving, being on a boat just really makes me happy and sailing around the islands was definitely on my bucket list.

The program was very nicely and carefully organized and I had an amazing time. The staff was an amazing crew, there were a lot of unique individuals with lots of stories to tell. Together it created a very positive atmosphere for me and my friends, in which we were able to enjoy.

I completely loved participating in this amazing program. Everything about it was absolutely fantastic. My two counselors were incredibly nice and fun to hang out with, and both were excellent teachers as well. During the trip, we went on dives almost every day and always saw massive Sharks. I was incredibly excited to be as close as I was to these magnificent animals, but at no point did I feel unsafe. Every day we had an extensive safety briefing on the boat ride out to the dive sites. In addition to the incredible diving, our living space was fantastic. We all lived in a house, walking distance away from the dive shop. All in all, this program changed my life, and I really want to go back!

This program was one of the best I have ever had. We spent every day SCUBA diving with sharks, making friends, and taking a college course. It was so much fun. The course was challenging and fun, a great first college course for anyone. The shark dives were the best, however. The sharks are so close and so cool to watch. The staff is great and the dive masters are all so nice and fun to work with. The locals are so nice and welcoming too. This experience is so worth it, so great. I definitely recommend it.