Finding the Right Broadreach Adventure

By: Broadreach HQ February 22, 2022 High School Adventures, Middle School, Parents, Scuba, Sailing, Marine Biology, Vet Medicine, Wildlife Conservation

Broadreach has a variety of teen travel programs that provide middle school and high school students with immersive learning and adventure. We have our roots in teen scuba dive and sailing training and have been designing teen summer programs since 1993. We now focus on creating life-changing experiences related to scuba, sailing, marine biology, wildlife biology, and veterinary medicine.

You may be wondering why Broadreach – here’s some information about us and how Broadreach summer adventures are special. But if you’ve already decided that a Broadreach trip is a good choice for you, it can be difficult to decide on a trip.

Here are four things to consider while weighing your options:

1. Program length

Broadreach adventures range from 12 days to over 20. We believe that programs should be at least 12 days long for students to get the most from the experience. If you’re concerned about leaving home for the first time or have limited time this summer, these shorter programs are the perfect place to start. On the other hand, our longer programs allow for more time to dive deeper into the adventure: earn more certifications or college credits, explore more islands or dive sites, develop more meaningful friendships and get more in-depth in the subject matter of the program.

Shorter programs:

• Our 12-Day Scuba + Sailing Discoveries for middle school students or 12-Day Scuba + Sailing Exploration for high school students are both great “intro to Broadreach” programs. They are a great way to experience life on a boat while learning to scuba dive and sail!
• Our Bonaire Scuba trip is perfect for high school students who are already Open Water certified but prefer a shorter advanced scuba program.
• The Bahamas Veterinary + Wildlife Care high school trip is a great 12-day adventure for a teen animal lover – also available for middle school students.
• Our 12-Day Snorkeling + Sailing Discoveries middle school trip or 12-Day Sailing + Leadership high school trip are liveaboard adventures for those who want to island-hop and experience sailing without scuba diving.

Longer programs:

• The 21-Day Scuba + Sailing Voyage for middle school students and our 21-Day Scuba + Sailing Voyage for high school students are longer liveaboard options as well as our most popular programs. For good reason – they’re the quintessential Broadreach liveaboard adventures. Chances are, you know someone who’s been. We’re happy to provide references!
• Our Costa Rica Veterinary Experience gives high schoolers the opportunity to work with a variety of animal species over 22 days. You’ll get behind-the-scenes access to a variety of animal care settings.
• Observe the biodiversity of three ecosystems in Ecuador on the Amazon + Galapagos Eco Adventure. On this 20-day wildlife biology experience, you’ll see everything from blue-footed boobies and Galapagos tortoises to monkeys and tapirs.
• The 24-Day Advanced Sailing Voyage is a great option for high school students who love sailing and want a longer, sailing-intensive, liveaboard adventure.

 

2. Land-based vs. boat-based

We may be biased, but living on a boat is a really special experience. Working together as a crew creates opportunities for great friendships and bonding as you experience living on a boat for the first time. It allows for greater flexibility and independence, as each group can decide together where to go and on what schedule. It allows you to visit otherwise inaccessible places. Plus, when you’re learning about marine biology, diving, or sailing, it provides the ultimate immersive experience. Your boat is your classroom.

That said, boat life isn’t for everyone. If you’re not a fan of camping or the sea, you may prefer a land-based adventure.

Boat-based:

• Our middle school Caribbean Intro to Marine Biology adventure and high school Caribbean Marine Biology Voyage are the ultimate liveaboard trips for teens interested in marine science.
• Learn to scuba dive and sail while living on a boat for three weeks on our Caribbean 21-Day Scuba + Sailing Voyages for middle school students or high school students.

Land-based:

• Our Bonaire Scuba trip is a great, land-based advanced scuba option for high school students who are already Open Water certified.
• The Curacao Marine Biology Adventure is a marine science trip that includes scuba diving – without the liveaboard component.
• High school students interested in marine biology and conservation who aren’t interested in scuba will love our Costa Rica Sea Turtle + Marine Conservation trip. You’ll experience conservation in action as you assist with ongoing research on sea turtle hatchlings.

3. Program focus

While ALL of our programs are a blast (in our opinion), you’ll probably enjoy your trip more if it focuses on one of your interests. All Broadreach adventures focus on either marine biology, scuba diving, sailing, veterinary medicine or wildlife biology. On both our Middle School adventures and High School adventures pages, you can filter programs by focus area. You’ll see that some trips have multiple focuses. If you’re just starting out, try a program with a broader focus. This will allow you to explore different experiences and interests and see what you love most. That’s why our Caribbean Marine Biology Voyage is one of our most popular programs for first-time Broadreachers. You’ll be introduced to scuba diving, sailing, and marine biology!

If you’ve already identified a particular interest, look for trips with a narrower focus. Find you love sailing but not scuba? You can check out one of our sailing intensive programs. Really into advancing your dive skills and want to earn more advanced PADI scuba certifications? Try an advanced dive program. Have an interest in a specific sea creature? Earn college credits studying sharks in Fiji or sea turtles in Costa Rica.

Broad focus:

• Explore marine science, scuba diving, and sailing on our Caribbean Intro to Marine Biology and Caribbean Marine Biology Voyage experiences.
• Experience both scuba diving and sailing on our 21-Day Caribbean liveaboard voyages, available for both middle school students and high school students.

Specialized focus:

• Sail focus: For shorter and more introductory sailing trips, check our 12-Day Sailing + Leadership trip for high school students or 12-Day Snorkeling + Sailing trip for middle school. For high school students with some sailing experience, our 24-Day Advanced Sailing Voyage is a great choice.
• Dive focus: For the more experienced teen diver, check out our Caribbean Advanced Scuba voyages for middle school or high school students setting sail from St. Martin. Other great options include the St. Lucia Advanced Scuba Voyage which allows middle school alumni students or high school students to explore a different set of islands. And for our most advanced divers, check out the new PADI Jr. Divemaster program!
• Marine Biology: Assist with coral reef restoration efforts in Curacao. Study shark biology in Fiji and observe sharks in their natural habitat on dives. Or participate in hands-on data collection of sea turtle hatchlings in Costa Rica!
• Vet Medicine: Love animals? Want to become a veterinarian? See what it’s like working with animals on our Costa Rica Veterinary Experience or Bahamas Wildlife Explorer/Bahamas Veterinary + Wildlife Care trips!
• Wildlife Biology: Both our Costa Rica Sea Turtle + Marine Conservation trip and our Amazon + Galapagos Eco Adventure allow high school students to assist with real-life research while earning college credits and getting a taste for career paths related to wildlife biology.

4. Active learning

Summer is a time to reset, escape the pressures of everyday life, and try new things! For some people, there’s no better time to pursue curiosities about potential careers or interests in the classroom through hands-on learning in real-life situations. For others, programs more focused on building skills (think sailing, scuba, and leadership) and exploring new places are more attractive. Whether you choose a more academic-focused or skill-focused experience, there will be plenty of fun, new friendships, and adventure activities on your trip! And we promise – learning on Broadreach is nothing like school!

Academic exploration:

• Assist with research and conservation of sea turtle hatchlings in Costa Rica.
• Observe the biodiversity of different ecosystems in Ecuador.
• Participate in coral reef restoration while living at a research station in Curacao.
• Work with animal care professionals on our Costa Rica Veterinary Experience.
• Understand the cultural and biological importance of sharks in Fiji.

Skill/Adventure focus

• Learn to dive and sail while earning certifications on our 12-Day Scuba + Sailing trips – available for both middle school and high school students.
• Build your leadership and confidence, working as a team to sail your new, floating home on our Snorkeling + Sailing voyage for middle school students or our Sailing + Island Exploration trip for high school students.
• Our Red Sea Advanced Scuba trip is the ultimate diving adventure. Earn multiple scuba certifications while completing world-class dives and becoming a world traveler.

At the end of the day, there’s no one perfect program for everyone. That’s why we have so many! You may find that multiple programs sound right to you. If you’re having trouble deciding, get in touch! One of our friendly program coordinators will be happy to talk through the differences between your top choices to help you find the best fit.