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Team profiles

Meet the Crew

Our team brings together a wealth of knowledge and experience on the water, with backgrounds spanning accredited RYA, PADI, and BSAC SCUBA instruction; marine engineering and naval architecture; frontline emergency services: NHS ambulance, fire and swift water rescue, RNLI, military and coastguard SAR; competition whitewater kayaking, ocean yacht racing, and more…

Steffan

Marine Coordinator
  • RYA Powerboat Instructor
  • RYA Advanced Powerboat
  • RYA Yachtmaster Offshore
  • Whitewater Safety & Rescue
  • Commercial SCUBA
  • RNLI volunteer
  • Riccardo

    Diving lead
  • Commercial Saturation diver
  • PADI Divemaster Instructor
  • Life support technician
  • Dive Medical Technician
  • Offshore Rigger
  • Mike

    Whitewater lead
  • Whitewater coach
  • Advanced WWSR
  • Freestyle kayak Team GB
  • Colin

    Marine Crew
  • Fire Rescue Crew
  • DEFRA SRT
  • UK Rescue Organisation Competitor
  • RYA Advanced Powerboat
  • RNLI volunteer
  • Steve

    Clinical lead
  • Helicopter Paramedic (HCPC)
  • RNLI volunteer
  • DEFRA SRT
  • RYA Advanced Powerboat
  • Winni

    Marine Crew
  • Fire Rescue Crew
  • DEFRA SRT
  • UK Rescue Organisation Competitor
  • RNLI volunteer
  • Tom

    Engineering lead
  • Naval architect
  • RYA Powerboat
  • Pro Yacht skipper and race crew
  • Dima

    Marine Crew
  • Whitewater coach
  • Whitewater Safety & Rescue
  • RYA Powerboat 2
  • Ross

    Marine Crew
  • What People Say About Us

    Client Testimonials

    Due diligence

    When engaging a marine safety team, we recommend undertaking due diligence checks to verify that they are appropriately qualified and experienced, and hold appropriate insurance. 

    For some sheltered environments and inland waterways (canals, ponds, small lakes, etc.), bank-based safety cover may be appropriate.

    Minimum crew: 2

    Qualification level – one of:

    • SLSGB/NVBLQ Lifeguard
    • British Canoeing FSRT
    • DEFRA MOD2

    Minimum equipment:

    • Throwline, perry buoy, or rescue tube
    • Reach pole / aid
    • Med kit inc TPA
    • Personal Floatation Device / Lifejacket
    • Drysuit (if water Tº <15ºC)

    For lining up on cast, positioning props and equipment, and manoeuvring camera platforms/boats, in-water support crew can provide an effective means of quickly resetting between takes.

    In-water support crew should be:

    • Medically fit
    • First aid trained (to FREC3 or higher)
    • Hold HSE SCUBA/NVBLQ/RLSS lifeguard qualifications (if supporting cast in-water)

    (Current exceeding 3 knots in water depth 0.7m+ )

    Minimum crew: 3

    Crew qualification level:

    • DEFRA MOD3
    • DEFRA MOD4 (for powered craft operations)
    • British Canoeing WWSR/AWWSR

    Minimum equipment:

    • Quick-release PFD with chest harness + SS ring
    • Helmet
    • Whistle
    • Throwline (> 15m length, >8mm dia)
    • Wading pole / reach aid
    • Climbers tape/webbing/slings
    • River knife
    • Carabiners (locking HMS pear shaped anodised alloy type)
    • Waterproof med kit inc TPA
    • Waterproof means of communication (UHF/VHF)
    • Drysuit (if water Tº <15ºC)

    Where bank-based rescue is impractical or unlikely to prove effective, a well-equipped safety boat helmed by competent and experienced crew can provide flexible safety cover across a range of scenarios and potential incidents. 

    Minimum crew: 2

    Safety boat helm qualification level:

    • RYA Advanced Powerboat (or RYA PB2 for daylight operations only)
    • First aid training (to FREC3 or higher)

    Safety boat crew requirements:

    • RYA PB2
    • First aid training (to FREC3 or higher)

    All safety boats should be equipped with:

    • An anchor
    • Waterproof first aid kit inc TPA
    • Aux propulsion (paddles/oars for small craft)
    • A torch/searchlight
    • An efficient means of communication (UHF/VHF radio)
    • Sharp knife
    • Engine kill cord + spare

    Certificates of insurance should state that craft are used as commercial safety boats.

    If operating at sea (open water), vessels should be surveyed and coded with the MCA (or licenced locally).

    For use inland, vessels should be compliant with local survey and licencing requirements.

    Artiste/cast training should only be undertaken by competent and experienced instructors who hold accreditation with the relevant national governing body (NGB) for their discipline(s). Copies of comprehensive liability and professional indemnity insurance (specifying cover for instruction/tuition activities) should be sought, along with a list of crew delivering training and copies of qualifications.

    Bespoke training activities (that fall outwith the provision of NGB activities or syllabi) should be comprehensively risk assessed and evidence of training delivery quality assurance sought. In the event of an incident, any related training activities are liable to be scrutinised intensely. Most insurance companies will include specific clauses to exclude training and instruction activities unless they are specifically stated on the schedule of insurance.  

    We hold accreditation with the RYA as a Recognised Training Centre, and benefit from a roster of national-level coaches and experts amongst our team – with skillsets that span powerboating, dinghy and yacht sailing, kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, and SCUBA diving disciplines.

    We are happy to provide copies of all certification, insurance, and client references upon request. 

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    Water Safety

    Whether you’re shooting on a canal towpath, river embankment, or on the shoreline at a pond, lake, or beach – we can advise, implement, and monitor safety measures to ensure your working environment remains safe and controlled.

    If you’d like to discuss your requirements in detail, please feel free to get in touch: 

    Filming On WATER

    If you’re looking to shoot on/from the water, we can facilitate getting your camera department afloat, coordinate water action and reset between takes in order to get the shots you need.

    From static camera positions to tracking vessels, crane platforms, lighting barges and SFX setups – we can tailor a support package to fit your requirements.

    IN-WATER SUPPORT

    If you’re looking to put cast or camera in the water, we have the capabilities to provide artist training, in-water support, and safety cover you’ll need to keep things running smoothly and safely on the day.
    Amongst our team we have experienced operators and instructors with accreditations/affiliations with the following bodies:

    If you’d like to discuss your requirements in detail, please feel free to get in touch: 

    planning / concepts

    From testing concepts and ideas, to planning and consultancy throughout the production schedule, we can offer a range of services to guide marine filming projects from start to finish. 

    Our planning and consultancy services include: 

    • Risk assessments and Method Statements
    • Location feasibility studies and tidal access reports
    • Advising on technical accuracy of scripted action
    • Arranging artist training 
    • Finding doubles / supporting artists with special skills
    • Sourcing hero/picture boats 

    If you’d like to discuss your requirements in detail, please feel free to get in touch: 

    Licences & Permits

    If you’re looking to film on managed waterways in the UK, you will need to ensure that the correct licences and permits are in place. We’ve included some preliminary information below about some of the most common licencing authorities and their requirements:

    The Port of London Authority manages all commercial activity on the tidal Thames (from Southend to Teddington).

    A filming licence is required for all commercial photography and filming, which is granted subject to the approval of the harbourmaster upon receipt of detailed navigational risk assessments and safety plans.

    As one of Europe’s busiest ports, it comes as no surprise that there are a number of stringent requirements that commercial operations (including media/filming) on the tidal Thames must adhere to, and vessels operating commercially within central London require qualified skippers with Local Knowledge Endorsements due to the density of navigational hazards and boat traffic within this busy tidal port. 

    For the use of picture boats (where these are not already licensed to operate commercially within the Port), there are additional vessel survey and licensing requirements, to ensure craft are fit for purpose and safe for use within the Port.

    We have a proven track record of working closely with the PLA Corporate Affairs, Harbourmasters and Marine Services teams to safely facilitate the filming of boat-to-boat, boat-to-shore, action and stunts sequences within the Port.

    https://www.pla.co.uk/Media-Centre/Filming-and-Promotions-on-the-Thames 

    For filming activities on rivers owned/managed by the Environment Agency (EA), risk assessments, method statements and safety plans must be submitted in advance of an application for a filming licence. Any boats or craft used on EA waterways also require a vessel licence – this can be usually be achieved within 10 working days.

    During/after periods of heavy rain, additional safety measures may be required to ensure that filming operations can proceed safely. In extreme circumstances, boat operations may have to be constrained/suspended where river flow rates exceed safe parameters for the proposed scope of operations.

    Some sections of the river embankments and footpaths are owned by the EA. For filming activities where access is required to/from these areas, a separate locations agreement may be required.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency/about/media-enquiries

    The Canal and River Trust (CRT) manage over 2,000 miles of canals and rivers across England and Wales.

    For filming locations within their managed waterways, risk assessments and works permits may be required, depending on the nature of the production requirements.

    Access and egress can also pose a logistical challenge, and in some locations it may be necessary to utilise the waterways in order to transit large/heavy equipment or props by boat.

    We have worked with CRT on several productions to provide coordination, safety, and specialist logistics solutions to facilitate safe and efficient filming operations in locations with restricted landside access.

    For any activities involving swimming/immersion in stagnant or slow-moving water, we recommend that the water quality is sampled and tested in advance of filming operations to minimise risk of infection or illness. Sample analysis has a lead time of c. 1-2 weeks.

    https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/media-centre/filming-and-photography/filming-location-fees

    Construction activities that anchor or fix items to the seabed or riverbed require a permit from the Marine Management Organisation. Activities with a possible impact to local wildlife or ecosystems may require an Environmental Impact Assessment to be undertaken and submitted to the Environment Agency. In some circumstances, a Flood Risk Activity Permit may also be required.

    These permits, licences, and assessments are primarily required for activities involving construction (including temporary works) and do not apply to most boat- or bank-based filming operations. Where filming activities involve construction, sufficient forward planning is required to ascertain the level of permissions required for the scope of operations. 

    If you’d like to discuss your requirements in detail, please feel free to get in touch with us.

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