How to become a Surf Instructor
Surf Instructor is a role people enter from work ashore, not from a junior yacht job. You need no yacht experience. You do need the qualifications and the background below.
Where you startAnd where it leads. A typical path, not a rule.
Surf Instructor
Year 0. Pay from about US$3,300 a month. Specialist crew who coach guests to surf from the yacht, run surf trips by tender and look after boards, safety and wakesurf sessions.
Deckhand / Watersports Instructor
Year 1-2. Pay from about US$3,500 a month. A deckhand who also teaches and supervises guests on water toys, from jet skis and eFoils to wakeboarding and kitesurfing, on charter and private yachts.
Water Toys Specialist
Year 2-3. Pay from about US$3,800 a month. Deck crew specialist who maintains, launches and teaches guests to use a superyacht's jet skis, Seabobs, eFoils, slides and other water toys.
Lead Deckhand / Senior Deckhand
Year 3-4. Pay from about US$3,800 a month. The senior deckhand who runs daily deck jobs, trains newer crew and covers for the bosun on superyachts of roughly 50m and above.
Before you applyWhat a Surf Instructor needs, from the Surf Instructor guide
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- ISA Surf Instructor or national equivalent (Surfing Australia, Surfing England)
- Surf lifesaving or ISA water rescue award
- First aid certificate
Gets you hired
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- RYA Personal Watercraft
- PDSD
- Proficiency in Designated Security Duties
- PADI Open Water or higher
Visas
- B1/B2 (US)
- Schengen access
- Valid passport with 6+ months remaining
What counts instead of yacht experienceOur advice
Captains hire a Surf Instructor for surf coaching all levels, reading swell and tides and water rescue in surf. With no yacht job behind you, show the same skills from work ashore. For a Surf Instructor, that means your qualifications and the years you have worked in the profession.
Write each job on your CV as what you did, with numbers: how many guests, how many boats, how many covers. Then list every skill below that you can prove.
- Surf coaching all levels
- Reading swell and tides
- Water rescue in surf
- Tender driving in swell
- Board repair and care
- Wakesurf and foil sessions
- Deck maintenance
Your first stepsIn the order we suggest
Get the tickets a Surf Instructor must hold
You need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical certificate, ISA Surf Instructor (Surfing Australia, Surfing England), Surf lifesaving or ISA water rescue award and First aid certificate before a yacht can put you to work as a Surf Instructor.
STCW and ENG1: what they are and what they cost →Write a first Surf Instructor CV
Keep it to one page. Put your tickets and your start date at the top, then your qualifications and your work ashore, with dates.
See a Surf Instructor CV example →Create your crew profile
Upload that CV and we build your profile from it. Your name and contact details stay hidden. Captains and recruiters contact you. It is free.
Create your crew profile →Apply and look for daywork
Apply to open jobs and to crew agencies, and take daywork: a few paid days on a yacht is how most first-time crew get a reference.
Surf Instructor guide →Step up to Deckhand / Watersports Instructor
The usual path puts Deckhand / Watersports Instructor at year 1 to 2. Pay starts from about US$3,500 a month.
How to become a Deckhand / Watersports Instructor →
QuestionsMore in the green crew guide
Can I become a Surf Instructor with no experience?
With no yacht experience, yes. With no professional background, no. Surf Instructor is a role people enter from work ashore, and you need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical certificate and ISA Surf Instructor or national equivalent (Surfing Australia, Surfing England).
How long does it take to become a Surf Instructor?
It is a starting role, so the time is what it takes to get the tickets and find the first job. From there, the usual path puts Deckhand / Watersports Instructor at year 1 to 2.
What does a Surf Instructor earn at the start?
From about US$3,300 a month, by our Surf Instructor guide. undefined
Let the yachts come to you
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