Chapter 7 · Lesson 1Talking lesson · about 4 minutes

Have a look before you empty the locker

A common-sense check of the day, the activity and the recovery plan before the toys come out.

Video coming soon

Have a look before you empty the locker

In the video

  • Reading the conditions and where a guest could drift
  • The four parts of the assessment, on a sketch of the area
  • Why a missing recovery resource turns go into wait

From the captain

Before you start

There is always somebody keen to get the toys out. That does not mean you begin by dragging half the lazarette onto the swim platform. Look outside first. Work out what the guests want to do, whether the area suits it and how you would get them back if it went wrong.

By the end of this lesson

Explain a go, wait or stop decision using the activity, people, conditions and actual recovery cover.

See it

See it for yourself

Four controls before the toys come out

Look outside first. With all four in place, the officer or session lead can make the go decision. Tap one to take it away and see what happens.

All four in place. The officer or session lead makes the go decision. Keep reassessing: conditions, traffic and guests all change.

Illustration · not to scale · no wind, distance or limit is shown · your vessel's limits for the exact activity govern

What to look for

  • Look beyond the forecast

    Compare the forecast with what is happening at the platform and in the operating area. Include current, traffic and where a tired guest could drift.

  • The activity changes the answer

    A towable, paddleboard, PWC and e-foil need different equipment and controls. Passing a general assessment does not clear every activity.

  • Recovery must be available

    Name the supervising person, communication method and recovery cover. If the assigned tender leaves for another job, the plan has changed.

The lesson

The lesson

  1. 01

    Start with today's reality

    The forecast is useful. What is happening around the yacht is more useful. Check the wind and sea, the direction a guest could drift, visibility, traffic, swimmers, shallow water and the shoreline. Then compare all of that with the vessel's limits for the exact activity. A paddleboard, a towable and a PWC do not get the same answer simply because they all float.

    • Know the activity the guests actually want.
    • Use the captain's or officer's limits. Do not invent your own.
    • If the picture is unclear, pause and ask before deploying anything.
  2. 02

    Know who is doing what

    Confirm the guest's ability, the crew supervising them and the equipment or PPE required for that activity. A confident guest may be experienced. They may also be confidently wrong. Give the activity-specific briefing and check understanding before they leave the platform.

  3. 03

    Plan the way back

    Before launch, know who controls the session, how you will communicate and what will recover a tired or injured guest. The tender, rescue equipment and competent crew need to be available, not theoretically somewhere aboard. Keep reassessing once the session starts. Conditions, traffic and guests all change.

Where it goes wrong

The wind starts building during a session. Everyone notices, but nobody says anything because the guests are enjoying themselves. By the time the call is made, the tender has a longer, rougher recovery and the crew are reacting instead of managing. The first observation was the moment to speak up.

Your call

What would you do?

Pick one, then read the feedback on all three.

The situation

Conditions remain calm, but the recovery tender is called away to collect guests ashore. Paddleboarders are ready to leave.

Take it aboard

Give a sixty-second assessment

Do this during your induction or first weeks, with the person responsible for your work.

Walk-through aboard

With the officer's permission, assess a proposed activity from the platform without deploying it.

  1. 01Name the exact activity and participants.
  2. 02Point out conditions, drift and area hazards.
  3. 03Identify supervision, communications and available recovery.
  4. 04State what you would report as go, wait or stop and why.

What a useful result looks like

  • The assessment covers more than wind.
  • Recovery resources are available for this session.
  • The learner identifies a change that would trigger reassessment.

Stop: The officer makes or authorises the operating decision. This exercise does not launch an activity.

Deckhand Foundation · Job card

Before the toys come out

From the lesson: Have a look before you empty the locker

  • Activity and participant suitability confirmed.
  • Local restrictions and vessel limits checked.
  • Observed conditions and likely drift assessed.
  • Equipment, PPE and briefing ready.
  • Named supervision, communications and recovery available.
  • Stop triggers and recall agreed.

Activity / area

Session lead / recovery cover

Decision / change to watch

Your vessel's procedures and senior crew come first. Nothing on this card is stored.

Quick check

Four decisions, then move on

This check confirms the principle. Your vessel's own induction still comes first.

QUESTION 01What should happen before watersports equipment is deployed?
QUESTION 02The paddleboards are within their vessel limit. Does that automatically clear a towed inflatable?
QUESTION 03The wind starts building during the session. What is the deckhand's first job?
QUESTION 04Who sets the operating limits used by a deckhand?

0 of 4 answered

Answer all four to check your understanding.