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Our trips are one-of-a-kind, life changing adventures. But don’t just take our word for it.

Beaming with confidence!: “Our daughter came home beaming with confidence after her Caribbean dive program! She admitted that she thought it would be 'easy' and 'fun' and quickly realized it was going to be an enormous personal challenge. She accomplished it along side of new friends and supportive group leaders and tells wonderful and funny tales of their experiences together.”— Sally M from Cincinnati, OH
Explore the world, discover yourself!: “The experience that my son had this summer was one of a lifetime. He loved his instructors and had a wonderful, close relationship with them. They inspired him to grow personally and helped him to gain insight that will serve him well in life. He learned how to navigate the ocean under sail by himself. He pushed himself to learn how to adapt to new cultures, environments and challenges that were not always easy. He explored the world and his own strengths and weaknesses; learning to draw on what he knew and a willingness to stretch himself to grow in other areas. He gained a sense of the world at large, the disparity in regions of the world and a sense of adventure and possibility that he did not grasp prior to his Broadreach experience. It takes much effort to sustain the level of mentoring, care and challenge that you do, and I am so very grateful for the gifts you have given my son. He has a lifetime to share and enjoy them.”— Valerie H from Irmo, SC
Our son, Gabe really enjoyed this trip! He learned so much and I believe ...: “Our son, Gabe really enjoyed this trip! He learned so much and I believe he did Grow from many parts of the experience. Of course he learned through both the teaching and the real experience of all the beautiful scuba diving. He also learned how to be a crew-member on a catamaran sailing vessel with 11 other teens and enjoyed that experience so much! I am hoping he grew in his "social skills" living with the Leaders and teens on board. * I would like to hear from the Leaders of his trip. As his mom, I was so happy to hear from him, on his return home, that he at least tried and frequently enjoyed the foods that were made on-board. He is our Very "picky eater" and I was a little worried that he would get enough calories due to this issue to sustain all of the activity. But to my Delight he told me that he enjoyed almost everything and always at least tried tasting all the food. As far as I am concerned that is a Miracle because at home he will not eat many foods. So it shows me many things; 1) he does better when in a different setting, 2) he had the Willingness to try different foods, 3) he was kept so physically active that he was extremely hungry (he told me he often asked for seconds!) and 4) that another teen (girl) on-board, who also was a picky eater and Gabe said he empathized with her, encouraging her to try some of the foods. He said she almost always ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches; but I feel so good that he tried to help her. I am So impressed with Broadreach, with your office staff, your Leaders and coordinators of the trips! And I must say the woman who set up Gabe's flight reservations through BeeLine was Fabulous!! She not only did it quickly (we decided on this trip in mid-June) but coordinated that Gabe would be meeting another team member on the way down and flying back into the states. And she talked to me about her years of experience of setting up Flight Reservations for Broadreach travelers, and how she has heard from parents sending their kids back multiple years how they Love Broadreach! This really made me feel wonderful about picking Broadreach because I was hearing it from an outside source who was telling her experience. I'm sure there is more I can share but I will end with; Your group met our expectations and truly exceeded them! Thank you all!! Mary Knapp Seibel, Gabe's Mom :) ”— Mary S from Bethesda, MD
We hoped this trip would show our son what he was made of - the leadership ...: “We hoped this trip would show our son what he was made of - the leadership qualities and self-reliance we knew he was capable of. He discovered those qualities and more. They use experiential learning to teach kids things they never imagined they could do but made the process fun along the way. Everyone should consider the three week trips, as the final week was where everything came together for our son. He can't wait to go back.”— Kari H from Las Vegas, NV
The perfect brithday present: “To spend my birthday on this trip was the perfect present. The amount of memories I made from this trip will last me a lifetime. I always find myself thinking about the friends I made and the many memories of just looking up at the stars on the trampoline at night while slowly drifting asleep or just sitting around with everyone talking. From going on numerous dives a day to hiking up to a rainfall to making dinner for everyone; I've never had so much fun and can't wait to do another trip next summer!”— Maddie M (age 16)
It was a great trip. The scuba diving was great. I learned how to sail ...: “It was a great trip. The scuba diving was great. I learned how to sail a boat, although I wasn't very good at it. I saw all kinds of fish. I just love the Carribean. I made a lot of friends that I keep in touch with.”— Grace K (age 15)
Spending three weeks in the Carribean on a sail boat with 14 other people ...: “Spending three weeks in the Carribean on a sail boat with 14 other people I had never met before was one of best experiences of my life. First of all, every location we stayed at and every island was extremely beautiful. We got to dive every single day; so I learned tons of new things about diving and now I feel a hundred times more confident than I did at the beginning of the trip, and I got to experience a great variety of dives. One of the parts of diving that I loved was getting my rescue diver certification; we got so involved while in the learning process and it was a lot of fun, and of course I gained so much knowledge from this as well- now I can save a diver! Other than diving, we sailed a lot, did watersports, hiked to waterfalls, and got to explore some islands. All of these activities were incredibly fun and interesting as well, and I learned a lot from them. Aside from all the activities and diving, I think what made this trip such an amazing experience was getting to know the other kids and instructors and forming a true family with them. Also, even though most of the time we had to "rough it out", the good experiences completely outweighed the tougher ones, so each part of the trip was just as great. Some other memories I love are sleeping outside on the boat, cooking, cleaning, and just getting to experience life on a boat- a completely different and new lifestyle, but one that will always keep bringing me back to the ocean! I would go back and do that trip a million other times!”— Isabella O (age 15) from Brooklyn, NY
On my trip, Grenadines Voyage, not only did I travel to the beautiful ...: “On my trip, Grenadines Voyage, not only did I travel to the beautiful islands of St. Vincent and The Grenadines and dive some of the best dive sites in the Caribbean, I made friends to last a lifetime. The group of people who attend and work on Broadreach trips are as diverse as the places they travel. I will never forget the incredible friends I made with my peers and my dive instructors. ”— Dalton W (age 17) from West New York, NJ
leaving was the hardest part...: “I asked my son what his favorite part of the trip was. He said it was the other kids and the counselors on his boat. He said it was just so cool to be in that tight group. I also asked him what was the most challenging part of the trip. He said leaving was the hardest part... He loved the scuba diving and the hikes and said he was the skipper from one country to another. As his father, I can see his demeanor has changed... I am certain he is confident he can do just about anything now.”— Julien M from Edenton, NC
Davis had the experience of a lifetime. I sent away a boy and a man ...: “Davis had the experience of a lifetime. I sent away a boy and a man returned. He says that the time flew by and in instant he was returning home. He is an incredible person to begin with, but now his mind and perspective have been expanded to a degree that could never have been achieved without the time and interactions he had with his peers and your instructors. He learned so much from the skipper. Not only about sailing, but life choices and the importance and value of life experiences and following your own path. This is the second trip Davis has taken with Broadreach and I am grateful for the work and opportunities you provide that words cannot express. Davis hopes to work with your program in some capacity and would love to have the opportunity to travel with you again. Thank you!”— Valerie H
This was our son's second Broadreach adventure. After experiencing the ...: “This was our son's second Broadreach adventure. After experiencing the thrill of scuba diving and living aboard a boat for two weeks in St. Matreen, he was ready for the advanced adventure of the Grenadines Voyage. This trip did not disappoint in the slightest. They did so much to advance their diving skills with many new PADI certifications. All the while, they were encouraged to lead, explore and share experiences with others from all around the world. The Broadreach staff was by all accounts "awesome". They were teachers, protectors, leaders, followers, peers, friends, and so much more to these young adults for 21 days. Knowing that training each has fufilled with Broadreach gave us great comfort that our child we be kept safe throughout his time away.”— Karyn A
This was a great experience for our son. He gained so much self confidence ...: “This was a great experience for our son. He gained so much self confidence during the 21 day voyage. The trip taught him so much about himself and what he could accomplish. The staff seemed to really support the kids and did not smother them with some perdetermined program. Of course there was strucutre, but within that structure there was time for each child to explore and lead and share experieinces. Scuba diving and sailing in such beautiful places must have been amazing - and by all accounts, it was! With Broadreach, we knew we we going to get top quality staff and we had a lot of comfort in their training. We liked knowing that safety was their number one priority.”— Karyn A
This trip is absolutely incredible. From visiting sites featured in Pirates ...: “This trip is absolutely incredible. From visiting sites featured in Pirates of the Caribbean to diving off uninhabited islands, it is nonstop fun. You will make lifelong friends and have awesome instructors. You learn new diving tricks and gain sailing tips everyday as you command your way upon your own unique route through the Grenadines.There is no better way to spend a summer! This trip is truly unforgettable.”— Phillip S (age 18)
Our experience was the same as last year...very organized and safe. The ...: “Our experience was the same as last year...very organized and safe. The trip leaders were outstanding as usual — great role models for David. He continues to think of Broadreach as his summer home. The experiences personally for him are insightful and inspiring for his future.”— Beth G from Riverwoods, IL
Video: Hear what Luke said about diving and sailing in the Grenadines ...

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Danika Kritter

“To climb the highest peaks, to travel through… celestial space, to turn our searchlights upon domains of eternal darkness, that is what makes life worth living.” – Auguste Piccard (quoted in “The Eternal Darkness” by Robert D. Ballard)

The rasps of regulators were the only sounds in the abyss. The divers’ fins stirred the water and ignited a galaxy of bioluminescent plankton as our group ascended. It had been a breathtaking night dive, filled with playful cuttlefish and impressive lobsters. While the other divers turned their dive lights to the surface for the ascent, I snuck a final peek at the underwater landscape. My light’s beam pierced through the clear, Caribbean water and fell upon the creature that ignited my passion for discovery.

Illuminated by the dive light, the octopus twisted like a glowing orb in the eerie darkness. Breathlessly, I watched its tentacles grapple along the bottom, its eyes gazing toward my light with startling intelligence. Confused by my awkward, bubbling presence, it desperately tried to camouflage itself. Its skin swirled in a kaleidoscopic pattern of green, burgundy, and pale blue, and patches of rock and sand texture rippled across its skin. I was overcome by sheer awe at the alien-like octopus and its mysterious underwater realm. If something so stunning was waiting six meters below the surface, what incredible sights existed six miles below? It was the beginning of my love affair with learning.

When I returned to school that year, my new perspective changed how I approached my high school subjects. Geography was more than memorizing obscure capitals; it was a way to travel the world. The formulas of Algebra II and Pre-Calculus gave me more than mere answers; they provided a glimpse into the lives of the philosophers who spawned them. Watching cheesy sitcoms in Spanish III, the intricacies of the language were a taste of Latin culture. Even John Keats’s deranged, depressed mental state was betrayed by the alliteration, symbolism, and Romanticism I highlighted on my worksheets in English class. My teachers recognized my love of knowledge, and at the end of sophomore year I collected the academic excellence award in every class.

Two years later, that octopus’s effect is still evident in my fascinated approach to life. I want to continue to illuminate the darkness, to climb the highest mountains until the marrow of my bones is filled with knowledge, because that is truly what makes life worth living. Seeing that bizarre octopus instilled in me a thirst to turn my searchlight upon the domains of eternal darkness.

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In the News

Sport Diver Magazine

Broadreach takes you to a world you never even dreamed of, not only in your mind but also in your heart. You experience it firsthand and it changes you.

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Sail Magazine

Often the traits of a good crew—teamwork, communication, responsibility, mutual respect—don’t top the list of traits associated with an average teenager.

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Yacht Essentials

What makes a good leader is often difficult to pinpoint. Good leaders seem natural, seem born for it. I believe leadership can be taught, and it starts with good followership.

View Article (PDF)

Caribbean Grenadines Advanced Scuba Voyage

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