Watersports Jobs at Summer Camps
Watersports jobs at summer camps cover a wide range of fun and active waterfront roles. From traditional sleepaway camps with daily swim, paddling, and tubing to specialty waterfront residential camps running serious wake sports and competitive swim teams, watersports staff power the energy of every summer at camp’s waterfront. If you love being on the water, this is a perfect summer role.
As a watersports staffer at an overnight camp, you’ll teach swim, run paddling sessions, coach wake sports, support tubing, and partner with motorized waterfront staff on integrated programs. You’ll work closely with lifeguards and waterfront directors to ensure safety and smooth program flow. Many co-ed residential camps treat watersports as a central program area, giving multi-discipline instructors a packed and varied summer.
What does a watersports staffer at summer camp do?You’ll teach swim, run paddling, coach wake sports, and support tubing while partnering with waterfront staff. Most sleepaway camps include watersports in daily rotations throughout the summer camp season.
What certifications help when applying for these jobs?Current ARC Lifeguard with waterfront or deep water endorsements, WSI, sport-specific certs (USA Water Ski, ACA, US Sailing), and CPR/First Aid are all valued at residential camps with active watersports programs.
Is watersports a good fit for first-time camp staff?Yes, if you have core lifeguard and sport certifications. Most overnight camps run robust orientation and pair newer instructors with experienced waterfront leads at the start of the summer at the sleepaway camp.
What does the pay look like for watersports jobs at summer camps?Pay is competitive and commensurate with experience and certifications. Overnight camps include room, board, and laundry alongside salary, which adds meaningful value to the overall summer camp package beyond the base figure.
Can international staff work in watersports roles?Yes — many residential camps hire international watersports staff through J-1 programs like Camp America, CCUSA, and Camp Leaders. International lifeguarding and sport certifications are often accepted at sleepaway camps.
Browse Summer Camp Watersports Jobs for 2026
| Salary | Job Type | Setting |
|---|
| USD Starts at $2300/summer | Full-Time Seasonal | Overnight Camp |
Start Date: June 1, 2026
End Date: August 31, 2026
Come spend your summer on beautiful Lake Ashmere in The Berkshires!
Camp Danbee is currently hiring female and male waterski and wakeboard instructors to spend their summer instructing our campers in Waterski, Wakeboarding and Kneeboarding. We also do tubing for our campers with our four Malibu ski boats. You will specialize in this activity, so you must have extensive knowledge of the sport. We hire 6-8 boat drivers/instructors and 3-4 exclusive instructors. We’re looking for passionate, skilled individuals to be great roles models for our campers!
The Role:
You will serve a dual role as a counselor at Camp Danbee. Those roles include being cabin counselor and program instructor in Waterski. As a cabin counselor, you and one to three other co-counselors will live in a cabin with 10-12 campers, whom you will supervise for the summer. As a program instructor, you will help prepare and lead instructional lessons in your dedicated program area.
Male instructors do not live in cabins with campers, and will have additional duties outside of program instructional time – you’re a valuable part of the camp family!
Working at camp is an opportunity to develop skills that can be used in a career outside of camp. You will enhance your leadership, collaboration, problem-solving, and communication skills. Camp Danbee has a large leadership team to learn from, from multiple college Head Coaches to experienced professionals across the education, outdoor recreation, and sports industries.
We will work with your college/university to earn paid internship credits.
The Perks:
- Salary starts at $2300 for a Freshman in college and increases from there
- Travel allowance in addition to salary
- Room, board, and staff t-shirts
- Internship credit*
- Experience The Berkshires, meet people from all over the US and the world, and have the summer of a lifetime!
*Some educational institutions require prior approval before the start of an internship. It is the responsibility of the student to check with their institution to be sure they meet any requirements before they accept a position
| Salary | Job Type | Setting |
|---|
| USD Starts at $2300/summer | Full-Time Seasonal | Overnight Camp |
Start Date: June 1, 2026
End Date: August 31, 2026
Camp Danbee is currently hiring passionate and skilled instructors to spend their summer instructing our campers in Sailing. You will specialize in this activity, so you must have deep knowledge of the sport. You will arrive early to camp to get additional training on our boats, waterfront procedures, and lifeguarding. We’re looking for passionate, skilled individuals to be great roles models for our campers!
The Role:
You will serve a dual role as a counselor at Camp Danbee. Those roles include being cabin counselor and program instructor. As a cabin counselor, you and one to three other co-counselors will live in a cabin with 10-12 campers, whom you will supervise for the summer. As a program instructor, you will help prepare and lead instructional lessons in your dedicated program area.
Male instructors do not live in cabins with campers, and will have additional duties outside of program instructional time – you’re a valuable part of the camp family!
Working at camp is an opportunity to develop skills that can be used in a career outside of camp. You will enhance your leadership, collaboration, problem-solving, and communication skills. Camp Danbee has a large leadership team to learn from, from multiple college Head Coaches to experienced professionals across the education, outdoor recreation, and sports industries.
We will work with your college/university to earn paid internship credits.
The Perks:
- Salary starts at $2300 for a Freshman in college and increases from there
- Travel allowance in addition to salary
- Room, board, and staff t-shirts
- Internship credit*
- Experience The Berkshires, meet people from all over the US and the world, and have the summer of a lifetime!
*Some educational institutions require prior approval before the start of an internship. It is the responsibility of the student to check with their institution to be sure they meet any requirements before they accept a position
| Job Type | Setting |
|---|
| Full-Time Seasonal | Overnight Camp |
Start Date: June 1, 2026
End Date: August 31, 2026
Our Waterfront program is a core element of the Birchmont experience, with our campers taking part in activities both on and in our beautiful, private lake twice a day. Our waterfront team is led by two Directors with over 80 years of combined experience in leadership at Birchmont – and under their guidance our team of 18 lifeguards deliver a varied and engaging program of instructional swim and watersports, including waterskiing, wakeboarding, sailing, tubing, kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding. All of our lifeguards will be supported through their New Hampshire Boat License test, and will have opportunities to lead and instruct across our activity areas. Experience and confidence with open-water swimming, lifeguarding and at least one of our extended activity areas is preferred. When not at the waterfront, our lifeguards also serve as General Counselors with their assigned group.
