No luxury yacht charter is complete without a huge array of water toys! Today, charter yachts are better equipped than ever before, some still have the old school wooden water skis, but only as memorabilia. The skis for guest use are usually the latest state of the art models and in all sizes so everyone gets to ski on the flat early morning sea!
It’s not just water skiing that’s popular on a superyacht charter, maybe you prefer wakeboarding? Onboard a luxury yacht charter guests can practice their spins and grabs to their heart’s content – why wait until the ski season to get some perfect air!
For guests young and old, all charter yachts have the usual choice of towable inflatable toys and nothing brings a smile to the face of any guest more than being towed around at full speed in a donut or onboard the “flying fish” – hold on tight as your personal tender driver does their best to make sure only the very best stay on! For younger children and yacht charter guests who prefer a more sedate pace, a far safer, but equally fun way to enjoy the donuts and such like is to have them tied to the back of the swim platform and just enjoy floating around.
Kayaks are becoming more and more popular and are a great way to explore a little further afield. Most are made for two, but can easily be taken out by one if you fancy a bit of competition! Kayaks are also great for an old fashioned “gladiator” battle where both parties stand up in the kayak trying to knock the other into the water – I’ve enjoyed hours of fun this way, just make sure you’re in a calm bay or your kayak will wander off on its own before you’ve climbed back in!
Another water pastime that is ever-increasing in popularity is the stand-up paddleboard. Tricky to master at first but once you’ve got the hang of it, equally hard to leave behind as you paddle around in total tranquillity discovering gorgeous scenery whilst getting an amazing suntan!!!
Snorkelling is a great tradition for all the family and a fabulous way to enjoy the marine life beneath you. When chartering a yacht in more exotic locations, don’t forget the sea holds an abundance of treasure and the most amazing fish can be viewed this way. Many a magical underwater cave can be discovered whilst snorkelling too! A quick dive under the water and emerge into the splendour of what seems like a million sparkling diamonds as the sunlight hits the water droplets falling from the rocks. Amazing memory for any child and I know for sure many “big children” love to return to these special spots with the next generation to pass on a little bit of magic, which will stay with them forever.
Back in the proximity of the yacht, water trampolines are another popular pastime, jumping off the swim platform to bounce around with your friends is a fantastic way to work up an appetite. As are water slides! Tremendous fun for all onboard, particularly on large superyachts which have enormous slides, taking that step off the sundeck onto the slide before plunging into the water seconds later, keeps young spirited guests entertained for hours!
All of these simple toys so often give the most pleasure and certainly owners of superyachts are often to be found out with their children enjoying a bit of good old fashioned fun!! But more sophisticated toys are onboard more and more yachts as each one strives to be the best of the best. Not yet found on all charter yachts but on several of the larger yachts and at all good beaches, charter guests can enjoy the Flyboard! Operated by the yacht’s jet ski, these amazing jet packs give yacht charterers the opportunity to fly like a bird and dive and jump like dolphins as they are propelled through the air and water. Amazing fun and the coolest thing around at the moment!
Of course, the mention of jet skis brings us to our next and perhaps most frequently asked for toys on any luxury yacht charter. Jet skis are super popular with almost all yacht charter guests and many yachts are now able to offer onboard training in order for guests to obtain the license necessary to use them alone (laws vary from country to country but it is usual in most to have a jet ski license). Charter yachts offer large sit-down jet skis and smaller stand-up versions. Both are incredibly good fun, and boy, some of the tricks one sees gives the wakeboarding guys a good run for their money! Nothing is quite as exciting as having four or five jet skis following like dolphins in the wake of a fast open yacht cruising at 25 knots! Jumping and doing tricks in the wake is such great fun, often coming a bit too close for comfort to the guests relaxing on the aft deck as they make their way their way home from St Tropez!
Seabobs are sometimes wrongly confused with jet skis. These incredible machines are for towing you along under the surface of the water. Manufactured in several power ranges, most charter yachts are able to carry onboard the smallest ones which are great for children. The larger ones take up quite a bit of space and need time to charge up overnight so far better suited to larger vessels. Not for the faint-hearted, these machines can tow you along at some pretty impressive speeds as well as diving beneath the water. I first saw these large versions quite a few years ago when a client brought his own onboard a Wally sailing yacht I chartered to him. The crew were (eventually) incredibly grateful that he did and guests and all the crew enjoyed them together every day of the charter!!
Finally, the ultimate superyacht toy has to be the mini-submarine! Only onboard the very largest charter yachts, these submarines give charter guests the opportunity to explore the sea more than any snorkeler ever could. What could be better than arriving home from the holiday of a lifetime feeling like you’ve just stepped out of a James Bond movie? One man submarines, jet packs, high-speed jet skis chase before a single vodka martini has been served, “shaken, not stirred!”
This article was written by Rachel Coles, charter broker at Bespoke Yacht Charter.
To find out which charter yachts have the best selection of toys, please contact Rachel Coles at Bespoke Yacht Charter:
Rachel Coles
