About-2

Off Piste Marine was born from founder James Wakeford’s passion for adventure and exploration. Named after his love for flying helicopters, sailing, skiing, diving, and snowboarding in uncharted territories, Off Piste Marine embodies the spirit of venturing into the unknown. “My love for adventure and the unexplored is my passion. The name Off Piste Marine reflects exactly where I hope our vessels will venture” says James.

The Endurance range is the culmination of James’s extensive experience as a diver, pilot, and captain of large yachts worldwide, where he frequently encountered challenges with tender operations due to over-engineering and reliability issues. His travels to the world’s most remote islands often left guests unable to explore because tenders simply couldn’t navigate to the beach safely.

James’s background in project management of new builds and retrofits highlighted what was lacking in modern explorer chase boats and tenders. His time working with UK maritime Special Forces and in the film industry underscored the critical importance of reliability for a successful operational outcome.

With the Endurance, James has created a vessel that combines the rugged aesthetic elegance of the modern Land Rover Defender with the maritime reliability and redundancy required in a saltwater environment. The Endurance seamlessly crosses over between commercial, military, and leisure sectors, offering owners and operators reliability, modular customization, and choice. The result is the most reliable boat, capable of operating in both the extreme heat of the tropics to the extreme cold of the Arctic, with an emphasis on reliability, redundancy, comfort, and aesthetics.

“My extensive hands-on experience aboard yachts of various sizes, both during their construction and operation, has provided invaluable insights that I have integrated into the creation of the Endurance range” James explains. “With over thirty-five years as a pilot, diver, and captain, I’ve learned the importance of reliability, which is why we adhere to the ‘KIS’ (Keep It Simple) principle – simplicity equals reliability.”.

Key Elements in Product Development:

• Reliability: Ensuring vessels are dependable by keeping systems simple and robust.
• Redundancy: Building in backup systems to guarantee operational continuity.
• Quality: Selecting and specifying the best available materials and components for their intended operations. 
• Feedback: Listening closely to owners, operators, and crews to understand their needs and preferences.
• Accessibility: Designing for easy access to parts and systems for servicing and replacement, streamlining the replacement process.
• Modularity: Offering modular options to create versatile vessels capable of multi-tasking in various operational envelopes.
• Practical Experience: Drawing on hands-on experience in military, commercial, and private sectors to design practical and efficient solutions.