Deck Crew Accessories That Will Make Deck Life Your Best Life

Must-Have Deck Crew Accessories That Will Make Yacht Life Your Best Life

To many, working on a superyacht as deck crew seems like a winning lottery ticket. Spending day after day at sea, soaking up the sun, caring for a beautiful multi-million dollar superyacht, and playing with its vast collection of yacht toys as you develop a golden tan and watch as your bank account inflates sounds great. But seasoned crew will tell you that life on deck is not all fun and games.

When you work on a yacht as deck crew, you can expect long hours of standing to attention as you guard the passerelle in the blistering sun, a daily washing down of an already spotless boat, polishing the same gleaming yacht parts, bringing in fenders just to put them back out again, setting up and packing down the beach club and water toys, keeping watch from the burning-hot deck as guests frolic in the water having the time of their life.

Yes, life on deck is not always thrills and glamour however much it beats a boring job stuck inside somewhere, so we at FunAir have put together a compilation of must-have deck crew accessories that will make deck life your best life (assuming you already have a good chamois and a bucket).

Smart Sunglasses

Bose smart sunglasses for superyacht deck crew
Image: Bose

Sunglasses may seem like a rather obvious and not at all exciting deck hand accessory, but we’re not talking about regular sunglasses. We’re talking about smart sunglasses. Two stand-out offerings in this category come from Bose and Ray-Ban.

The Bose Frames combine stylish sunglasses with Bose quality built-in audio. The speakers are built into the arm frames and let you enjoy music while remaining fully aware of your surroundings without leaking and disturbing others. So basically, while still hearing everything that’s going on around you, you can listen to music, podcasts, audiobooks, or anything to keep you entertained as you stand for hours on duty.

The Ray-Ban Stories were developed with Facebook and can be used to capture pictures and video whilst doubling as Bluetooth headphones. With privacy worries, we’d definitely recommend speaking to your captain before using them around guests or other crew. But if everyone is in consent, they can be used to capture random, in-the-moment experiences that otherwise would never have been documented.

Floating Sunglasses

Dragon floating and waterproof sunglasses for deck crew on megayachts
Image: Dragon

If you’re prone to dropping your expensive sunglasses and losing them to the ocean, we have the solution. Dragon Alliance’s H20 Floatable collection is constructed from special injection-moulded resin with a density lower than water that allows them to float. Their Hydrophobic and Oleophobic lens coatings make them resistant to water, dirt, oil and other elements while maintaining a crystal-clear view.

Alternatively, attach your favourite sunnies to the Musto Floating Sunglasses Retainer, and if they drop off the deck into the water, they’ll float right back up to the surface. Never lose your sunglasses to the depths of the ocean again.

Reef Safe Sunscreen

Sun Bum reef friendly and ocean safe sunscreen for yachts
Image: Sun Bum

While maybe not the most exciting item on our list, it’s the most essential. We all know the risks and consequences of too much sun exposure, skin cancer and premature ageing in the long term and the short-term embarrassment and the painful sting of sunburn turning your skin lobster red. Sunscreen is the obvious answer, and for deck crew a once-a-day application lotion would be ideal, but unfortunately, reapplication is essential and thus contributes to heaps of sunscreen being consumed each season. Make an effort to choose a product that isn’t harmful to the ocean, doesn’t burn your eyes when sweating and doesn’t stain the uniform to keep your laundry stew happy too.

The ingredients found in most chemical sunscreens are damaging to marine life and contribute to coral bleaching and destroy life-sustaining algae. Avoid sunscreen containing octinoxate, oxybenzone, and octocrylene. Or, look for a physical sunscreen, zinc or Titanium dioxide-based, rather than chemical. Lotions such as Sun Bum, Nivea Sun, and Ultrasun Sports Gel are all sun and sea safe.

Water Tight Phone Case

CaliCase waterproof phone case for luxury yacht diving excursions
Image: CaliCase

When working on deck, dropping your phone into the ocean is an occupational risk. The CaliCase is a waterproof phone pouch that floats in water. It is designed to fit any phone and can be used when dry or wet, allowing you to capture underwater video and photos. It comes with a lanyard so you can secure it to your body and is made with two layers of high-quality PVC, which protects against pressure, puncture and penetration. Never worry about losing your phone to the ocean again.

Superior Comfort & Quick Dry Footwear

Tropicfeel waterproof shoes for superyacht charter crew
Image: Tropicfeel

Wet feet can feel like part of the package when working as superyacht deck crew. Whether it’s setting up the yacht toys from the swim platform, lifeguard duties, wash downs, or tender runs, it’s likely your feet will get a soaking at least once during a shift. Keep your feet feeling fresh with shoes that are quick-drying and breathable. Tropicfeel makes trainers that are made from recycled plastic bottles and are water-friendly, quick-drying, slip-resistant, lightweight, odourless, machine washable, and super comfy. They also come in a range of colours and will look smart enough to suit any yacht day uniform.

Multi-Tool for Deck Crew

Victorinox Skipper multi tool for yacht crew
Image: Victorinox

A quality multi-tool, or penknife, is a deckhand’s best friend. Having one in your pocket can help with a myriad of situations, such as opening packages, tightening screws, assisting with repairs, cutting lines, and maybe most usefully, opening bottles. The best in the game probably include the Leatherman Wave+ and the Victorinox Skipper. Both feature blades, pliers, wire cutters, wire crimpers, screwdrivers, and pretty much everything you could need that can fit in your pocket.

We hope some of our suggestions help with the day-to-day duties in your deck role. We’d love to learn about any must-have accessories that you recommend to other superyacht deck crew. Get in touch with your suggestions by tagging us on social or emailing us at [email protected].

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