Surf Instructor
A surf instructor on a superyacht takes guests from the aft deck to a reef break and gets them standing up safely. It is a small, specialist niche. Most jobs come on yachts that cruise surf destinations such as the Maldives, Indonesia, Fiji or Central America, and most of them expect you to work as a deckhand when the waves are flat.
The jobWhat fills the day
The core job is coaching. You read the swell forecast, pick a break that suits the guests, brief them on the tender and get in the water with them. That might be pushing a child into whitewater on a foam board or guiding an experienced owner onto a heavy reef pass. You also look after the quiver: waxing, repairing dings, rinsing and stowing boards, fins and leashes. On many yachts you run wakesurf and foil sessions behind the tender too.
With guests aboard, the day follows the tide and the wind. You may be up before dawn to check the break by tender, then out for two sessions with a long gap in the middle. Without guests, or on a yacht cruising the Med in summer, you are a deckhand: washdowns, lines and fenders, tender driving, varnish touch-ups. Smaller yachts only hire a surf instructor if you can do a full deckhand role. On 90m+ expedition yachts the position can be dedicated.
Captains hire for three things. Can you keep guests safe in the surf zone, can you teach different ages and abilities, and will you fit into a crew mess for months at a time. A strong surfing background helps, but a recognised coaching qualification and water rescue ticket matter more than competition results. Many successful candidates come from surf schools in Australia, South Africa, Portugal or Cornwall, then add STCW and a powerboat licence.
Progression usually runs through the deck department. Surf instructors who drive tenders well and learn deck work move into deckhand and watersports roles, then lead deckhand and bosun, with officer tickets after that. Others stay specialist and become the water toys lead on a large yacht, managing foils, jet skis, seabobs and dive kit as well as surf. A few move to freelance charter work, flying in for surf-focused trips at a day rate.
Skills captains look for
- 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
A day aboardCharter day, 75m expedition yacht, North Malé Atoll, Maldives
Run the tender out to the reef pass with the bosun to check the swell, wind and crowd. Report back to the captain and agree a plan for the morning.
Load boards, rash vests, reef boots and the rescue tube. Wax the boards for the two adult guests and set up a soft-top for the teenager.
Beach briefing on the aft deck: currents, the channel, where to paddle out and how to fall on a shallow reef. Then into the tender.
Two-hour session. Coach the teenager on the inside while the tender driver holds position near the guests surfing the main peak.
Back aboard. Rinse and check all boards, fix a small ding with solar resin, log the session for the next day's plan.
Crew lunch and a rest in the cabin while the guests have lunch and a spa treatment.
Help the deck team with a tender washdown and set up the foil board and wakesurf rig for the afternoon.
Wakesurf session in the lagoon behind the tender, then a sunset surf for the owner on the mid-tide.
Stow kit, rinse down, short debrief with the bosun. Off duty unless needed for a night tender run.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
See the Spa, Wellness & Childcare salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
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
Where it leadsA typical career path
Questions crew ask
Do I need yacht experience to get a surf instructor job?
It helps a lot. Most yachts would rather hire a deckhand who surfs than a surfer who has never worked on a boat. If you have no sea time, get STCW, ENG1 and a powerboat licence, then do some daywork in Antibes or Palma before applying.
Where are surf instructor jobs advertised?
Mostly on yachts heading to the Maldives, Indonesia, the South Pacific or Central America, often with Indian Ocean or Pacific itineraries over the northern winter. Some charter yachts in the Caribbean hire for a season. Expect most adverts to be listed as a deckhand or watersports role with surf coaching as the main extra skill.
Will I surf every day?
Only when guests want to and the conditions allow it. On a Med summer itinerary you may barely surf at all and spend the season on deck work. Your own free surfs depend on the captain and the schedule.
Is wakesurfing and foiling part of the job?
Increasingly, yes. Many owners want wakesurf behind the tender and electric foils in calm bays, so captains look for instructors who can teach all three. Learning eFoil and wing foil coaching makes you much easier to hire.