Reef Buddy: Caribbean & Philippines Reviews

I only have good words for this program and its team. I accidentally found Reef Buddy while housesitting in Carriacou. I was planning to do one or 2 dives with them and ended up doing two weeks and returning for the dive master program as well! The reefs in Carriacou have been nadly damaged by the hurricane Beryl in 2024 and they really do need help to recover quicker, and the divers and volunteers are doing a great job. Not only the marine conservation program is much more fun than just diving, but also highly important. As a marine scientist, I much more prefer diving with purpose than diving just for fun.

My stay with Reef Buddy was simply lovely! Gary, Raquell, Tom and Romel made me feel like part of a family, inviting me to dinners and activities throughout my stay. The training, supervision and attention to detail in conservation were outstanding, and I felt a real sense of accomplishment gaining hands-on experience building coral structures.

Tom and Romel especially improved my diving tenfold. I went from being an Open Water diver with just five dives to an Advanced diver with 70 dives. Their support helped me grow in confidence, and I have no doubt they could help others make similar progress.

Although I initially worried about feeling lonely as the only volunteer, Tom took me to explore lots of places, including relaxing hot springs high in the mountains. Romel also invited me to the beach on weekends for some great fun. Any problems I encountered were resolved quickly, with Gary and Raquell always being kind and helpful.

I would wholeheartedly recommend Reef Buddy to anyone! My only regret is not staying longer. Four weeks flew by, and I wish I had booked at least eight!

I spent 3 weeks in Dauin with Reef Buddy and it was an expansive experience! We were scuba diving almost every day exploring the reefs, cleaning corals, installing reef frames, and attaching coral. Our instructors told us much information about reef ecology and how major threats impact them. Additionally, I received training from Reef Check and was able to conduct survey work in the reefs to determine their overall health. This hands on learning is very valuable as someone wishing to pursue wildlife conservation. We also did fun dives at an island close by which has beautiful underwater terrain and reefs. In our free time, our instructors took us on day trips to local saunas, waterfalls, coffee plantations, bars, and hot springs. They also have recommendations for nice restaurants for us to go explore on our own. Very social and easygoing environment within the team.

I spent 4 weeks with Caribbean Reef Buddy and I had such a great time! It was my first time in the Caribbean and it was so exciting to see a new part of the world. Grenada is such a beautiful, peaceful island, and it was the perfect place to spend a few weeks. The best part was definitely being surrounded by staff and volunteers who are all so passionate about marine conservation. There was also a really nice balance between diving and free time, you could hang out with everyone, relax or go for hikes. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who loves the ocean, wants to get involved in conservation and wants to get away to somewhere more quiet for a bit!

My experience with Caribbean Reef Buddy in the Reef Renewal program was truly positive. The team is organized, present, and every dive has a clear goal.

I learned the basics of coral restoration: maintaining the nurseries, preparing fragments, transplanting them, doing "gardening" to remove algae, and doing Coral Watch surveys to feed the global database.

I dove a lot with Nora, who gave me the bug for macro photography and the world of nudibranchs. She also does a great job passing on the island's history and the events of recent years (e.g., the hurricane), which really helps you understand the scale of the impacts and puts what we observe underwater into perspective.

Carl, for his part, teaches us the discipline needed for everything to go well, and shows us corners of the island during evenings and days off.

I unfortunately wasn't able to meet Gaëlle, but she organized everything so that my arrival and stay went perfectly.

The closeness between the housing, the beach, and the dive center makes the days simple: everything is done on foot.

Finally, their relationship with the local fishermen is just as remarkable — a real, respectful dialogue that's passed on without pressure.

CRB makes a real difference for the region.

Original:
Mon expérience avec Caribbean Reef Buddy dans le programme Reef Renewal a été vraiment positive. L'équipe est organisée, présente et chaque plongée a un objectif clair.

J'ai appris les bases de la restauration corallienne : entretenir les nurseries, préparer les fragments, les transplanter, faire du "jardinage" pour enlever les algues et réaliser des Coral Watch pour alimenter la base mondiale de données.

J'ai beaucoup plongé avec Nora, qui m'a donné la piqûre de la photo macro et du monde des nudibranches. Elle transmet aussi super bien l'histoire de l'île et les événements des dernières années (ex : l'ouragan) ce qui permet de vraiment comprendre l'ampleur des impacts et les mets en perspective ce que nous observons sous l'eau.

Carl de son côté, nous enseigne la rigueur nécessaire pour que tout se passe bien, et nous fait découvrir des coins de l'île lors des soirées et des jours de congé.

Je n'ai malheureusement pas pu rencontrer Gaëlle, mais elle a tout organisé pour que mon arrivée et mon séjour se passent parfaitement.

La proximité entre le logement, la plage et le centre de plongée rend les journées simples : tout se fait à pied.

Finalement, leur relation avec les pêcheurs locaux est tout aussi remarquable, un vrai dialogue respectueux qui se transmet sans pression.

CRB fait une réelle différence pour la région.

I spent 3 weeks volunteering with Reef Buddy in Carriacou. I had never previously scuba dived before, but I felt comfortable and supported as a beginner and was able to get my advanced open water certification in the first week! The island of Carriacou is pretty small and remote, but holds so much beauty and will quickly feel like home. Everyone working at the dive shop was the best and made the experience so fun - not to mention the BEAUTIFUL diving scenes and impactful reef work you get to do.

The team were fantastic, taking 3 divers (including one teenager) who had just passed their PADI openwater course and supported them through the Advanced Open Water course and then led us through a variety of coral reef conservation tasks including Algae clearance, coral harvesting and planting as well as looking after the nursery. We saw mazing wildlife and beautiful coral reefs. Hopefully we have contributed in a small way to preserving this amazing ecosystem.

Fantastic experience, would definitely do it again!

Absolutely brilliant! I was looking for something completely different to what I'd known before and I certainly got that. 4 weeks of diving in paradise with great scenery, wildlife and people made this one of the best things that I have ever done. Night dives, building artificial reefs and hunting lionfish are some of the amazing things that I got to do with CRB. It's also nice to be doing something that has a tangible impact on the reef during each dive. I hadn't had a single open water dive before but I was quickly up to scratch thanks to the quality of the instructors at Deefer. As with many others, I can only say that I wish I had longer!

The team and the people you meet are amazing. You stay in a nice little hotel/motel apartment you shared with other volunteers. The island is small and peaceful, so don't expect a big party scene, but there are enough opportunities to grab a drink and have a great time. The Divemaster certification and conservation work fill most days and can be quite exhausting depending on the tasks, but learning and mastering the necessary skills and crafts makes it an amazing but challenging experience. I really liked the animals, the shop has 2 dogs and one cat which are the moste adoroble folks you find.

The two weeks I spent in Carriacou were the absolute highlight of my summer! The staff were all so lovely and welcoming, and helped me settle in with the other volunteers super quickly! I passed my advanced course quickly, thanks to the superb training offered by the dive centre, and the dive sites we were taken to were all vibrant and full of life! The programme was great fun to work on, and you always feel like you’re doing something important whether it’s cleaning the coral nursery or hunting invasive lionfish!