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Paddleboards, kayaks and diving on a charter: what is allowed?
Short answer
Your own paddleboard or snorkel kit is rarely a problem.
Scuba diving and towing anything behind the tender often are.
What is allowed is set by the charter agreement and by the rules of the country,
and it pays to know both before you slip the lines.
A paddleboard at dawn across a still anchorage, snorkelling over the sea grass at lunchtime, a kayak round the headland in the evening: for many crews that is the point of the week. Plenty of bases hire out such kit as an extra, and many accept your own. Inflatable boards and snorkelling gear are usually fine as long as they are stowed properly and do not chafe the deck. Waterskis, towable rings and wakeboards behind the tender are another matter. Many charter agreements rule them out in so many words, because a small outboard is not built for it and swimmers in a busy bay are quickly at risk.
Scuba diving brings local rules into play. In some countries recreational diving with a cylinder needs a permit or may only be done through a registered dive centre, and in marine parks or near archaeological sites it can be banned outright. Ask the local authority or a dive centre in the area before you go, rather than relying on what someone says on the pontoon. When diving from an anchored boat, fly code flag Alpha, stay close, and always leave someone aboard who can handle the tender. Cylinders need securing and keeping out of the sun.
Settle who pays if something goes missing or gets damaged. A hired board that drifts off the bathing platform overnight is normally the charterer's loss and comes out of the deposit. Your own kit is not insured through the charter yacht, so check whether your home contents or travel cover reaches onto the water. If someone in your crew injures another person while paddling, that is a liability question. Ask the base to confirm in writing which kit is allowed, and tie down everything loose before dark.
Worth remembering
Usually fine
Paddleboard, kayak and snorkelling, properly stowed
Often restricted
Scuba, towing behind the tender and marine parks
Get the permitted kit confirmed in writing and tie down everything loose overnight.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
Can I bring my own paddleboard?
Usually yes, but ask first and stow the board so that it cannot chafe the deck. Damage to the yacht caused by your own kit is the charterer's to pay.
Can I tow a ring or waterskier behind the tender?
Many charter agreements forbid it outright. The tender and outboard are rarely designed for it, and it puts swimmers at risk. Read the clause before unpacking the tow line.
Do I need a permit to dive abroad?
That depends on the country and the site. Some require a permit for diving with a cylinder, and marine parks may ban it. Ask the local authority or a dive centre in the area before you go.
Related
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