About Us
About Super Yachting South Africa Deckhand Division
Super Yachting South Africa’s Deckhand Training Division was created in 2008 by experienced Captain and SYSA co-founder, Jason Hunter and has grown to become one of the global leaders in superyacht training and the Academy holds Royal Yachting Association (RYA) accreditation.
The experience amongst SYSA’s current team of instructors has never been at a higher and more dedicated level. Our team of instructors emanate from global experience and nationalities, with the highest-ranking maritime qualifications.
The intent to prepare our students for their career ahead as well as mentor them over the next few years is both well established and at the very centre of SYSA’s operation and founding principles.
We never compromise on the equipment, boats, jet-skis and motor yachts used for training. SYSA guarantees a commitment to excellence in training, mentorship and the necessary resources required to begin your journey into the world of super yachting.
Our Deck Team
The SYSA crew are all former yachting professionals with a combined experience of over 50 years. We each take great pride in empowering our students with the knowledge we have gained from working in the super yachting industry and mentor them through every part of the process.
Jason Hunter
Founder
Jason, founder of Super yachting South Africa, started the company in 2008 after a successful career spanning 9 years on Superyachts, ending his time on board as a first officer. Jason has extensive experience in the world of super yachting and is incredibly passionate about the skills-development and growth of the students that join the academy. “I started this company with the goal of providing the best possible experience based training geared at turning out productive, professional and hardworking crew for our industry”. Jason resides in Cape Town and is planning on the expansion of SYSA into international waters during the course of 2021.
RYA Powerboat trainer
RYA PW/jet ski trainer
RYA Advanced powerboat instructor
RYA Vhf radio instructor and assessor
RYA Radar instructor
RYA Shore-based theory instructor
Developed and implemented the first deckhand training course worldwide
Georgina Grimstead
Course Coordinator
Georgina is from South Africa and has an extensive background in hospitality. After spending 4 years studying hospitality management, she found her dream job as a lodge manager at Londolzi game reserve. After spending several exciting years working in the Sabi Sands reserve, the travel bug bit d and she discovered the fabulous world of yachting. After selling everything she owned, she made her way to the south of France where she got her first job as a stewardess and after a lot of HARD work, 7 years later, one husband in the bag and a baby on the way, she headed back to Cape Town, where she settled down and is now part of the SYSA team. “Two children, one cat and a three-legged dog in, I am happily living in Fish Hoek, with a grumpy Englishman.”
Matti Buys
Watersports Instructor
Matti’s notable accolades throughout his career include 8x South African National Wakeskate Champion and 3rd place at 2014 IWWF World Championships. “I have been fortunate to let my passion for the water run my life and career in every way possible for the past 16 years”.
At the age of 14, Matti was introduced to the sport of wakeskating and due to the surroundings of a team of supportive people and spending endless hours on the water, he was able to pursue a career in the sport. For a period of time, Matti was given the opportunity to run all the watersports activities at the Wild Coast Sun and Umtamvuna River Lodge on the South Coast of Kwazulu Natal. While doing this, still pursuing his career in wakeskating and projects with brands such as Red Bull and O’Neill, he also created independent projects that allowed him to travel to 26 States within the USA.
In 2019, Matti joined the SYSA family where he is a key asset for us, sharing his watersports and boating knowledge accumulated over the past few years.
RYA PW/jet ski instructor
Daniel Olckers
Instructor
Moving on from a successful career in the software development industry, Daniel initially started doing yacht deliveries across the high seas to various international destinations. For the past 5 years, when he’s not in Cape Town instructing, he can usually be found around the Mediterranean as a captain on vessels 200t or less.
RYA Yachtmaster Shorebased instructor
RYA Cruising Instructor (Sail)
RYA Advanced Powerboat Instructor
RYA SRC Instructor / Assessor
RYA Diesel Instructor
RYA Personal Water Craft Instructor
James Grimstead
Instructor
James joined the world of yachting at the age of 29 after leaving a job as a photographer, selling his cameras to pay for his yachting courses. He went on to enjoy a 5 year career working on a variety of yachts from 26m to 92m, cruising in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. After the birth of his first child, he left yachting to work in the offshore wind-farm industry where he worked up to the position of Master, responsible for running a crew transfer vessel operating in the North and Irish seas. 5 years later and the birth of my second child saw him transition ashore once again where he began my instructing career at SYSA.
“When I am not teaching, or being dad, you will find me in the surf somewhere…”
MCA MASTER 200gt