Captain Ben was always fascinated by the sea, he started scuba diving and sailing regularly while studying marine biology at UVA. He later moved to Florida to be closer to the water and earn his master’s degree from the University of Miami. During Ben's time in Florida, he taught scuba diving, ran boats and upgraded his USCG Master captains credential to 500GT. Ben is also an American Sailing Association sailing instructor and enjoys sharing the intricacies of yachting with interested guests. He is very serious about the safety of his guests and yacht but this certainly does not impede his ability to have fun onboard.
Onboard Valere, Ben enjoys sharing a wide variety of water activities with his guests including diving, underwater scooters, wakeboarding, tubing, and many more. He is a highly credentialed PADI SCUBA and Freediving instructor who is also classically trained in marine biology. Ben is a veteran with a background in fitness training who will gladly take you on a rewarding hike to some of the best views atop the islands or can put together and accompany you in a morning workout on board, upon request. Ben also loves crafting your favorite cocktails and taking that perfect vacation photo for your group with his drone.
