Water Toys Specialist
The water toys specialist looks after everything guests ride, tow, inflate or dive with. On a large yacht that can be twenty or more machines, worth well over a million dollars between them. You keep them running, launch them safely, teach nervous guests to use them, and get everything back aboard and rinsed before dinner.
The jobWhat fills the day
Guests see the fun part. Most of the job happens out of sight. Electric toys such as Seabobs, eFoils and Fliteboards need battery care, charging logs and software updates. Lithium batteries carry a real fire risk, so storage and charging routines matter. Jet skis need servicing on the manufacturer schedule, plus fuel management and freshwater flushing. Inflatable slides, platforms and towables need patching and careful stowage. You keep the toy inventory, order spares, track engine hours and take anything unsafe out of use. When guests want to play, you brief them, fit buoyancy aids and stay close in a spotting tender.
With guests aboard, the days are long and their appetite sets the hours. A family charter in the Bahamas can mean eight hours of towing, foil lessons and Seabob tours, then washing salt off every machine at dusk. Between trips and in the yard, the focus moves to servicing, warranty claims and buying next season's kit. On 50 to 60m yachts the toys are usually one deckhand's side responsibility. Dedicated posts appear mostly on 70m and above, and on explorer yachts with big toy garages and remote cruising plans.
Captains want a competent deckhand first. You still stand watches, handle lines, wash down and drive tenders. The edge comes from instructor ratings and mechanical ability. Common backgrounds are resort watersports instructor, PWC mechanic or dive professional. An RYA Personal Watercraft Proficiency certificate and RYA Powerboat Level 2 are the minimum for driving guests. Kitesurf, wing foil or eFoil instructor ratings, and factory training from Seabob or Sea-Doo, set a CV apart. A calm, patient manner with children and first-timers counts for as much as the certificates.
Many specialists do two or three seasons and then move onto the deck officer track, using their sea time towards Yachtmaster Offshore and OOW 3000gt. Others stay specialist and move to bigger yachts with larger fleets, or into tender captain roles. Some go ashore to toy suppliers, service centres or charter companies in Antibes, Palma and Fort Lauderdale. Knowledge of electric drives and battery systems is worth more each year as yachts add electric tenders and toys.
Skills captains look for
- PWC servicing and repair
- Lithium battery care
- Guest instruction and briefing
- Tender driving and spotting
- Inventory and spares control
- Water safety and rescue
- Kite and foil coaching
A day aboardCharter day, 85m motor yacht, Exuma Cays, Bahamas
Check overnight charging on the Seabobs and eFoil batteries and log the readings. Crane the jet skis out of the garage with the deck team.
Breakfast in the crew mess.
Rig the inflatable dock, slide and swim ladder off the beach club. Run a short safety brief with the deckhands covering the water today.
eFoil lessons for two teenage guests from the chase tender, on the radio to the bridge throughout. One is up and flying by the third run.
Quick lunch while a deckhand watches the swim area.
Lead a jet ski convoy to a sandbank on a nearby cay, with a tender carrying drinks and a first aid kit following behind.
Recover all toys, flush the jet ski engines with fresh water, rinse everything and plug the batteries into the fire-safe charging station.
Log engine hours, record a faulty Seabob throttle sensor and order the part through the agent in Nassau.
Off watch. Dinner and an early night before another full toy day.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Charter tips, usually 10 to 20 percent of the charter fee split among the crew, can add several thousand dollars a month in season. Specialists with instructor ratings on 80m+ yachts often negotiate above standard deckhand rates. See the Bosun & Deckhand salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- STCW PDSD
- RYA Powerboat Level 2
- RYA Personal Watercraft Proficiency
Gets you hired
- Kitesurf, wing foil or eFoil instructor rating
- PADI Divemaster
- Seabob or Sea-Doo factory training
- RYA Yachtmaster Offshore
- Outboard or PWC engine maintenance course
Visas
- US B1/B2
- Schengen visa (if not EU)
Where it leadsA typical career path
Bosun & Deckhand jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
Do I need yacht experience before applying?
On most yachts, yes. Captains hire a deckhand who knows toys, so a season or two on deck helps a lot. A strong instructor background from a resort can get you aboard as a deckhand with toy duties, and that is the usual way in.
Which certificates matter most?
RYA Powerboat Level 2 and the RYA Personal Watercraft certificate are the baseline for driving guests. After that, instructor ratings in kitesurfing, wing foiling or eFoiling and manufacturer training on Seabobs or jet skis carry the most weight.
How mechanical do I need to be?
You should be able to service a jet ski, diagnose common faults and manage battery systems without calling a technician. The engineers will help with major jobs, but day-to-day upkeep is yours.
Is the role seasonal?
Some posts run for a single Mediterranean or Caribbean season, especially on charter yachts. Permanent roles are common on large private yachts, where you also handle winter servicing and buying new kit.