What you need to perform it
Primary qualification
- For commercial operation: the professional title or endorsement the harbour master requires for the activity (a PER covers private use only — verify the local regime).
- A mandatory second lookout crew member during towing per the towable-devices rules (verify the province's harbour-master instruction).
- Valid aquatic lifesaving and first aid with CPR; the activity's liability insurance and seasonal authorisation.
Basic STCW
- STCW Basic Training A-VI/1 if the vessel operates with commercial traffic dispatch
- PNB (Basic Navigation Skipper) as the minimum for recreational activities
Specific courses
- Towable handling: paying out, tension, own wake and recovery
- Disciplined kill-cord use and safe restart
- Safety briefing: lifejackets, occupant signals and controlled falls
- SRC/VHF and coordination with the base and the beach's buoyed channel
Indicative experience
Indicative: a season as second crew before skippering the activity; fine throttle control with a human load in tow only comes with hours.
Observations
A seasonal activity governed by each harbour master's instructions (channels, bather distances, lifejackets): verify the current local instruction. Progression: second crew → activity skipper → beach watersports-base manager.
What this role does
Skippers the boat towing recreational inflatables (bananas, sofas, donuts): plans the circuit clear of bathers and traffic, adapts speed and turn radius to occupants' age and number, keeps constant watch on the towable through the second crew member and executes fast recovery of occupants in the water. The client's fun is, technically, a continuous towing manoeuvre.
Typical watches
- Shifts according to tourist demand
Key responsibilities
- Pilot the boat that tows floating artifacts (Banana Boat, Donut, Crazy Sofa, Flyfish).
- Know the dynamics of rotation and tension of the tow line to avoid dangerous overturns.
- Maintain a safe distance from bathers, beacon buoys and other vessels.
- Check the condition of the rope and towing harnesses before each outing.
- Coordinate with the Observer on board to permanently monitor the towed device.
Operational scope
- Designated nautical activity area
- Open water coastal strip
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.