Caribbean Reef Buddy

Program Reviews

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Brandon
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Incredible Experience

My experience with Caribbean Reef Buddy was nothing short of incredible. Everything about this program was incredible to me and I could not recommend it enough to those seeking to get involved with the underwater world. I applied to this program as a Freshman studying Marine Biology in college and was a bit anxious about spending three weeks in Grenada. However this anxiety quickly faded as I got to know everyone involved with the program. Everyone involved is unbelievably welcoming, knowledgeable and truly want you to enjoy your time working with them. Speaking of which, the work I did with CRB was truly rewarding and I felt as though I was truly helping to protect Carriacou's local reefs. In addition, I gained invaluable field experience in the realm of marine science which has and will continue to aid in future endeavors with work. I also went into this program as an open water diver and while partaking in this program received my advanced open water scuba certification as well as deep diver specialty certification. Gary is an incredible dive instructor, the best I have ever had, and puts safety as an utmost priority. He taught me invaluable skills in the water and I am a more confident diver than ever thanks to his guidance. For those wondering about the diving itself, the reefs in Carriacou are gorgeous and were full of photography opportunities for those interested in the field. I will say that much of the marine life there is on the smaller size so macro photographers should be excited. I got to see so many incredible creatures and experience so much during my time with CRB. I truly could not recommend it enough.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The most surprising thing I saw was a purple-crowned sea goddess nudibranch. I managed to spot this small sea slug out of the corner of my eye and was ecstatic to have found it. Definitely a highlight of my trip.
Pros
  • Hands on experience in Marine Biology
  • Experienced and involved diving instructors who prioritize safety above all else
  • In depth and involved volunteer work that contributes to protecting local coral reefs
Cons
  • The island is small and there is not a ton to do outside of the volunteer program
  • There is not an incredible amount of variety in terms of food options due to the small size of the island.
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Angela
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I learned so much from this motivated and dedicated crew

As a 19 year old single female I was a little apprehensive about traveling to a Caribbean island I had never heard of. Talking to the team before I arrived they assured me it was safe and explained the travel plans. When on the island and meeting the crew and the other volunteers it was brilliant. Safe, fun and very very informative. I learned so much in a hand on way. Not too much study and no heavy lectures. Plenty of time to party and socialise.... although to be honest we were typically too tired after diving to do too much party.

The team at CRB are fantastic too. Very knowledgeable, very passionate, and very real. Good vibes all round.

What was your funniest moment?
We were able to see and participate in one of the other volunteers 'snorkel test' after she completed her divemaster qualification. OMG that was a wild night.
Pros
  • Informative team
  • learned to dive.... really well
Cons
  • Stay was too short
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Owen
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Caribbean Reef Buddy is Amazing place to volunteer!

I wrote a review but realized I only spoke about Deefer Diving, the dive shop that works with Caribbean Reef Buddy. But I wanted to make sure I wrote a review about them too because they are an amazing organization! When looking for a program and where I wanted to volunteer, I read reviews about other places that didn't really offer any educational value. This is not the case here! I learned SO much and really felt like I made an impact helping their marine conservation work! They are very organized too!

Pros
  • I'm only 17 and felt safe and supported entire time.
  • I learned a lot and am using it for my senior project.
  • The dives are amazing and you can get additional certifications.
Cons
  • NONE!!!!!!
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Hannah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Diving in Paradise ✅

After some planes, planes and more planes you arrive at this tiny island in the middle of the Caribbean that is filled with amazing people and nature that is a must visit. Everyone at the dive shop is professional, knowledgable and friendly making for a great and worthwhile experience. I stayed for 2 weeks in July for Lionfish management and reef monitoring and learnt so much about the local reef environment and its challenges. The diving was top tier with so much beautiful marine life. I cannot wait to go back!!

Pros
  • Blondie and Harry the Shop Pets
  • Bucket List Level of Marine Life
  • Big Family Atmosphere
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Owen
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life changing experience.

This was my first time traveling abroad alone. From the very start everyone was welcoming. The dive shop is located right across the street from the beach. The dive shop is very organized and the dives are throughly planed out and explained to you. I enjoyed every second of diving and being on the island and around the dive shop and I’m already thinking about when I can get back. There is plenty of spots to eat near the dive shop. There is also hikes that you can do on the island which have amazing views.

Pros
  • Staff is amazing
  • Location is perfect
  • Dive site are incredible
Cons
  • N/A
  • N/A
  • N/A
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Jackson
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I'm so glad I signed up!

Scuba diving and marine conservation have always been on my bucket list. I'm so glad I found Caribbean Reef Buddy and was able to tick two things on my bucket list. I've learned so much from this experience. From scuba diving to protecting marine life. This is my first time to get involved in Marine Conservation and the program gave me so much enlightenment how climate change has been affecting the marine life. I would definitely come back one day and be more involved in their program. Proud Reef Buddy here!

Pros
  • Friendly environment
  • You learn new things everyday
  • Attentive instructors
Cons
  • Limited availability of fruits & vegies on the island
  • Accommodation is close to where parties happen on weekends
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Robyn
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I only wish I'd booked for longer!

What can I say in 500 characters? I came to Carriacou on a 3 week program thinking I'd learn to dive and have a little fun. I'd never dived before, but love the ocean so wanted to give it a try. The first week was intense and I had to overcome many personal hurdles. Particularly with the scuba equipment. But it passed in a blur and then we were right into the project work.

I only managed to do 2 of the project weeks. So only touched on coral regen and predator monitoring. I only wished I could have stayed longer to get more involved.

The key to this thing though was the people you meet. Made some amazing friends who I hope to be able to see again.

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Racquel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Experience

I had a great time during my 4 weeks of volunteering with Caribbean Reef Buddy. On my first week, we did training where I got my required diving qualification/certification. For the remaining 3 weeks, we did various marine conservation activities (different projects every week --- while SCUBA diving) such as predator monitoring, lionfish containment, coral micro-fragmentation & propagation, and reef monitoring. I got to meet new people from the volunteer program as well as locals (and expats) from the island. The locals in Carriacou are very friendly and the staff of Caribbean Reef Buddy are all great. All in all, it's a life-changing experience and I had so much fun. I enjoyed every bit of their program!

Pros
  • Learned so much about diving and marine conservation
  • Carriacou is very laid back and relaxed, people are friendly
  • The members of CRB staff are amazing
Cons
  • Sand flies / mosquitoes
  • There times when it's noisy on weekend nights because of parties happening in town
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Tom
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Experience Ever

I'd just completed a degree in Marine Ecology and was thinking about what to do next. I saw this program advertised and decided to come down to Carriacou for a month before thinking about applying for work to get some headspace after exams. It was without doubt the best thing to have done.

Carriacou is one of those really magical, unspoilt gems of an island. Its warm, friendly, and the locals really know how to party too. I always felt very safe, and the group of volunteer on the program I was on all commented on the same thing. We had a blast!

The program was intense too! We were diving practically every day, 5 or 6 days a week and I felt like we were really making a difference. The work we were doing on the coral nursery and out planting elkhorn corals was really interesting. Of course lionfish hunting was also pretty cool too. I feel I learned so much about the challenges faced relating to the implementation of these types of projects which I never covered in my studies, and certainly never would have thought about. Particularly social and cultural differences in attitudes and approaches. In my month here I feel I learned more than in a whole semester back home.

Pros
  • The team are amazing!
  • The Island, the rum, Lambi Queen on a friday night
  • Learning so much more about conservation in the real world
Cons
  • No A/C and the rooms were small
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Billy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

This was an overall great experience.

The accommodations were the only downside to the whole trip. The staff was fantastic, and as a DiveMaster intern, I learned much more than if I had tried to do it locally. Gary was very hands-on in my training and made me fill like I could do it through the whole process.
The staff made sure that we were taken care of while on the boat and in the water, but this was not a vacation. We worked six days a week, and it was great. I would recommend them to anyone that was looking at doing work on the reef.

Pros
  • Great Staff
  • Diverse programing
Cons
  • Accommodations