The BVI is beautiful, no question. The beaches, the ocean, the lush rolling hillsides, the clean air full of sunshine and sea. The archipelago’s aesthetic appeal is all around, as irrefutable as it is unmissable. And that’s just scratching the surface. If you’re a traveler yearning for a deeper connection – an authentic experience that goes beyond the skin deep – then Alex Dick-Read (aka Woo) of Groundsea Adventures BVI is your man. We chat to this true expert – nature connoisseur if you will – on adventuring beneath the breakers.

RC: Firstly, tell us about Woo and how you came to be in the BVI.

ADR: Real name is Alex Dick-Read. Woo is a nickname from childhood and that’s the only name many people around here know! I was born in Road Town in 1969, the second child of English parents who had come here in the early ‘sixties.

RC: You’re a surfing legend. Tell us about your relationship with the ocean.

ADR: Surfing legend? That’s quite a stretch! (RC: It’s not) I surf competently and have done for many years, that’s all.

If I wonder where the ocean and surfing started for me, it was probably a predisposition I was born with, mixed with incredible opportunity. We grew up down in West End, swimming and snorkelling at Smuggler Cove. I was also obsessed with bodysurfing and playing in the little shore break waves there. That was the predisposition – I don’t know why that was an obsession at a young age.

Opportunity came from being West, also, and watching the early BVI surfers at Capoon’s Bay. It was compelling viewing, even though I was determined never to try it because it looked so scary. I was always afraid of bigger waves. A couple of times friends lent me real boards which I tried but it never ended well.

Much later (preteens) when I was tagging along with my older brother Aragorn and his friends, we’d go sailing, camping, fishing, and spearfishing. At some point surfing became the thing. I tagged along and always used a bodyboard and sat way wide of the actual waves because I was terrified. Slowly I began to be able to read the waves better and started using Bomba’s huge longboard to try standing up. Well, because I was already wild about skateboarding, that part was easy. Then it got momentum and soon it kind of became my thing.

Our whole childhood involved so much ocean time, so many opportunities that all feed into each other. Snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing, etc. all contributed to a good grounding for enjoying the ocean and a life-long, profound relationship with it. I’m very grateful for those blessings.

RC: What qualifies as an adventure to you?

ADR: Isn’t there a saying that ‘it’s only an adventure when something goes wrong’? Hopefully not… see below.

RC: Groundsea Adventures BVI – what’s it all about?

ADR: It’s about taking visitors and BVI people into the wild spaces where Nature still rules. Half of our business is Surf School BVI, at Josiah’s Bay where we offer surfing lessons and rentals. Surfing is total immersion in the forces of natural world. It changes your perspective. The other half of the business involves different nature activities such as hiking, paddleboard trips and paddling in the beautiful untouched mangroves.

RC: What can people experience with you that they wouldn’t on a self-guided exploration?

ADR: Local knowledge and a deeper perspective on what they’re seeing and doing.

RC: Why do you think it’s so important for people to be aware of what you can share with them?

ADR: I actually believe the world is in an ecological crisis precipitated by a cultural crisis that allows too little space for a meaningful relationship with nature. But I know that when people interact and immerse in the natural world, they are always moved by it and in some ways, their perspective changes.

RC: What do you think our environment’s greatest threat is right now?

ADR: A culture so successful in dominating nature that it can’t stop itself from destroying the very systems that are vital for our existence. The cultural idea that we’re separate from these systems and not part of them, is the root of it.

RC: As a single individual, it’s hard to imagine that anything one does can be helpful to the environment. Any tips on how one can make any sort of positive impact?

ADR: First of all, notice it. Stop. Watch. Listen. Change gear to meet the quiet pace of the natural world. Then you’ll probably be curious to learn more about it. So, take a moment to learn about why it matters. Then think about what your own passions in life are, and what skills you have, and if any of those can be harnessed to contribute something positive in an area that you are particularly interested in or concerned about.

And do things like vote – with your dollars so you simply aren’t supporting businesses that are doing wanton damage; vote in elections if you can find any politicians genuinely concerned about the big issues.

The idea that it’s our fault as individuals suits the giant organizations that create the boundaries we all live within. Governments, big corporations that profit from major system damage, etc. – they’ve spent a lot of money and effort to make us feel we are individually responsible while they have designed and maintain the architecture that dictates the boundaries we live in. Try to change those big entities however you can, even if it’s by not buying their products.

RC: There are countless tropical destinations that travellers can choose to visit. Why the BVI?

ADR: Because we’ve got the beaches, the ocean, the green hills, and the wonderful, rich range of people. Everywhere is unique but, in my biased opinion, nothing touches the BVI!

RC: When you’re not on the water, where would we find you?

ADR: In the garden, in the bush cutting a hiking trail, and – less so nowadays – at the computer writing. I was a journalist and editor for 20 years, and these days I enjoy having time in nature up front, with things like deadlines and edits in the background!

RC: What’s your greatest adventure thus far?

ADR: Being a parent, of course. But actual activities? I ran a surf travel magazine for 17 years and that in itself was an adventure, full of many other adventures!

RC: One still on the bucket list?

ADR: The Sundarbans – the giant mangrove forests of Bangladesh, full of Bengal tigers and other magnificent creatures, great and small.

We’re in! Join us? Get in touch by visiting the Groundsea Adventures BVI website, email info@groundseabvi.com or call/WhatsApp message +1 (284) 499 1620.