What you need to perform it
Primary qualification
- Nautical qualification for the personal watercraft's power class (RD 875/2014 PW titles) plus the commercial endorsement the harbour master requires for operation (verify the local regime).
- The system manufacturer's instructor certification (Zapata or equivalent) with recorded supervised sessions.
- Valid aquatic lifesaving and first aid with CPR; liability insurance and activity authorisation.
Basic STCW
- PNB/PER according to the jet ski's power
- STCW A-VI/1 if the activity is dispatched commercial
Specific courses
- Fine power regulation and hand-signal communication with the flying student
- System maintenance: hose, connections, nozzles and post-use flushing
- Fall management: safe approach, recovery and restart
- Zone marking and base coordination (SRC/VHF)
Indicative experience
Indicative: prior mastery as an advanced user + a season assisting a lead instructor before solo sessions; the manufacturer sets supervised-session minimums.
Observations
An activity whose regulation is still maturing: the real framework comes from each harbour master's instructions and the insurance terms — verify before each season. Progression: instructor → activity lead → watersports-base manager.
What this role does
Pilots the personal watercraft feeding the flyboard while instructing the flying user: regulates power —and therefore the student's height—, reads their balance to anticipate falls, keeps the zone clear of bathers and craft and executes immediate recovery after every fall. One person concentrates the system's technical control and the teaching responsibility.
Typical watches
- Sessions according to center reservations
Key responsibilities
- Manage the jet ski that generates the hydraulic pressure that propels the client.
- Regulate the power of the water flow according to the user's ability to avoid falls from height.
- Instruct the client in body position and basic gestures before the session.
- Monitor the safety of the flight area and separation from other vessels.
- Maintain and check equipment (hose, connector, board/shoes) before each session.
Operational scope
- Delimited and marked flight area
- Supervision from jet ski
Profile reviewed by HydroAbyss (2026). Cited rules and timeframes are indicative: the final requirement is set by the flag State, the Administration and each company.