The charter guest is a triathlete who wants "proper deep work" on his calves. His wife wants hot stone. Their teenage daughter wants "the head thing". A treatment menu is not a list of names — it is a list of promises, and you can only promise what you are trained and insured to deliver.
The modalities, compared
| Modality | What it is | Training reality |
|---|---|---|
| Swedish / classic | Relaxation-focused, whole-body, the five strokes | Your foundation qualification |
| Deep tissue | Slower, sustained pressure into deeper layers | A further qualification, not just pressing harder |
| Sports massage | Pre-event, post-event and maintenance work for athletes | Separate accredited course; requires more anatomy |
| Remedial / clinical | Assessment-led work on specific dysfunction | Advanced; borders on scope you should not enter |
| Hot stone | Heated basalt stones as tools and as static placements | Short add-on course; burn and equipment risk |
| Reflexology | Pressure to reflex points on feet and hands | Own qualification; evidence supports relaxation only |
| Indian head massage | Seated work on scalp, neck, shoulders, upper back | Popular, quick, no couch needed, low barrier |
Deep tissue is not hard Swedish
Deep tissue means slower and more sustained, not more force. Depth is earned by warming tissue, waiting, and letting the guest release. Muscling in with an elbow causes bruising, soreness and complaints. It is also the fastest way to destroy your own thumbs. If you are not qualified in it, say so and offer firm Swedish instead.
Hot stone, safely
- Use a proper stone heater with a thermometer. Never a kettle, a pan, or the galley hob.
- Working range is around 50–55°C. Always test the stone on your own forearm and against the guest's skin before placing it.
- Never place a stone directly on bare skin without checking; use a sheet layer for static placements.
- Contraindicated for impaired sensation — diabetes with neuropathy, some neurological conditions — and anyone who cannot reliably tell you they are being burned.
- Onboard: heaters draw power, hold water and get hot. Get the engineer's and captain's sign-off.
Reflexology and Indian head, in outline
Both are excellent yacht treatments: short, low-equipment, and easy to fit into a service day. Indian head massage needs only a chair and no oil. Reflexology needs a foot, a towel and twenty minutes. Both have a legitimate evidence base for relaxation — and neither diagnoses, treats or maps disease, whatever the training school poster claimed. Present them as what they are: pleasant, calming, drug-free.
Onboard Notes
- Only list on the menu what you are trained AND insured to do.
- Deep tissue is slow, not brutal — depth comes from patience.
- Hot stone: thermometer, forearm test, and never on numb skin.
- Indian head and reflexology are the highest-value, lowest-hassle yacht treatments you can learn.
- Preparatory study only. Nothing here qualifies you to treat. Massage requires an accredited vocational qualification (for example ITEC, CIBTAC or VTCT) and professional insurance.