ActionQuest: Bora Bora

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Choice Camps Recommendation of ActionQuest: Bora Bora

The Bora Bora Voyage is a unique voyage because it give teens a chance to sail aboard out college vessel, a 112-foot schooner, Argo, that sails year round with college students. This voyage will take you from French Polynesia to Australia via the Cook Islands, Fiji, and Vanuatu. For more than 30 years, ActionQuest has offered water-based adventure training programs for teens around the world. The AQ experience is centered on small, co-ed, age appropriate groups of 8 to 20 teenagers. This encourages close friendships to form while fostering unique, hands-on experiences. Programs are non-competitive, adventure-based, and most are run full-time aboard sailing vessels.

From introductory to advanced sailing and SCUBA, water sports, land excursions, cultural immersion, tropical marine biology and community service – ActionQuest delivers fast-paced action for every experience level and adventurer. All ActionQuest programs and certification courses are performance-based as instructors work one-on-one with students to help them master a variety of skills. For teenagers looking for a high action, life-changing adventure that promotes personal growth, teamwork, and leadership, ActionQuest may be the perfect experience.

Trip Description

The main focus of the Bora Bora voyage is on sailing, shore exploration, and hiking, all with a cultural and historical emphasis. No previous experience is necessary for this voyage, which will take you from the picture-perfect island of Bora Bora, with its soaring volcanic peaks, lush green colors, shimmering lagoon and encircling chain of motus, to the vanilla island of Tahaa, and countless other islands within this South Pacific paradise. Along the way, you'll develop or refine some strong seamanship skills, as well as snorkel the vivid reefs and hike the green mountain tops.

During the voyage, you'll earn a number of different sailing certifications through International Yachtmaster Training (IYT). Dependent on the sailing certification that you hold prior to your arrival, you can achieve the IYT International Crew Certificate through to the Basic Flotilla Skipper Certificate.

Staff Overview

With an average age of 27, ActionQuest staff members are young, dynamic teachers who live aboard with travelers 24/7. Most of the core operational staff work full-time as educators with Sea|mester, ActionQuest’s college-level marine science program. Others are traditional teachers and specialists during the year. More than 75% of AQ staff members return each summer and 56% were once shipmates themselves.

Every ActionQuest team member possesses the essential abilities for their particular area of expertise, yet most are multi-talented, combining the many skills necessary to operate a mobile live-aboard training program. Team members include U.S. Coast Guard licensed captains, IYT/RYA Yachtmasters, PADI scuba instructors, marine scientists, Emergency Medical Technicians, Paramedics and other water sport instructors. All staff members are trained first aid responders. During pre-summer, staff members complete an intensive training program encompassing safety procedures, risk management, equipment maintenance and operation, itinerary planning as well as instruction in teambuilding and communication facilitation.

Setting & Accommodations

The Bora Bora voyage is run exclusively aboard our 112-foot training schooner Argo which can hold up to 26 students and seven staff. The boats holds all of the food and necessities for the voyage and staff and shipmates alike prepare meals aboard.

Arriving in Tahiti early in the morning, travelers spend a day exploring the island and then overnight at a local hotel before hopping over to the island of Raiatea the following morning. As soon as you arrive, you’ll move straight aboard the yacht. The boat has 5 cabins and a large salon that converts to a 6th, so there's enough room for everyone to sleep down below if it should rain, but, for the most part, the evenings are clear and dry and most participants like to sleep out on deck, under the stars.

Safety Standards

Safety is ActionQuest's first priority. Their activities are adventurous and to say that there are no ricks would be misleading. However, awareness of potential risks is the key to effective control and management. Risk management and safety training is a core part of operating our programs and is intergrated in a number of specific ways. On program, they sail with certified Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics and tow Rescue boats in our fleet for rapid and dependable transportation. All of their staff are first aid and CPR trained during our pre-summer orientation and most come with previous safety training from their field of specialty - yachting and scuba instruction or in the field of education.