Frequently Asked Questions

SoS is a consulting and educational platform dedicated to building high-performing, ethically grounded emergency first-response (e.g., search and rescue (SAR)) teams and organisations. It offers services and products in staffing (hire our boat operators and maritime SAR personnel), training (boat-based response), human factors (workplace psychosocial safety, ethical leadership, healthy vs. toxic teamwork), research and innovation, standards development, and advocacy — with a specialty in maritime small-boat operations and SAR. SoS is an initiative of Wavespace LLC, specifically of its maritime industry branch Wavespace Maritime. The SoS name is currently a DBA of the LLC.

SoS stands for The Spirit of Search and Rescue. The lowercase 'o' is deliberate: it makes the name distinguishable while remaining recognisable against the international distress signal SOS. It represents the spirit of answering the call to help people — and the recognition that the call for help can come from outside the team and from within it.

For SoS first-responders are anyone responding to an emergency, not just paid and trained professionals. SoS emphasizes this definition because SAR can and is often performed by unpaid professionals, and untrained bystanders. We can a safer public (local and global) by making everyone rescue-ready.

SoS was founded by a maritime SAR practitioner, consultant, researcher and PhD student with training and operational experience across more than seven aquatic SAR organisations globally, in unpaid volunteer roles. His work spans boat-based SAR, small-boat operations, academia, international standards development, interdisciplinary research, writing, content creation, photography and small-business development.

Compliance means meeting the minimum legal or regulatory requirement. Beyond Compliance is the ethically-based belief that healthy, excellent SAR teams do not stop at box-ticking: they proactively invest in people, psychological and psychosocial safety, ethical leadership, continuous growth, and mission success. It involves the belief that ethical organizations are those that think beyond compliance.

A fear-free team is one where members can speak up respectfully and honestly, raise concerns, ask questions and acknowledge mistakes without fear of punishment, ridicule or retaliation. Fear-based cultures cause communication failures, under-reported errors, reluctance to challenge unsafe decisions, turnover, preventable harm and damage to public trust. The question is part of the Fear-aware Method by SoS.

SoS is an independent professional services and educational provider and platform. It functions as a mission-driven, values-centric enterprise that reinvests time, resources and expertise into positive change in SAR, and accepts donations, sponsorship and investment to sustain its free public resources. SoS is an initiative of Wavespace LLC, specifically of its maritime industry branch Wavespace Maritime. The SoS name is currently a DBA of the LLC.

Yes. Services, products and content are designed to be transferable across national borders and SAR systems. SoS personnel hold current right to work in the EU, US and AU, and are willing to relocate globally.

Staffing (our personnel are available for hire, full-time, part-time or temporary) for small-boat & jetski operations and maritime SAR personnel. Various consulting services. Services in teamwork, organisational culture and ethical leadership; training in small-boat, jetski and maritime SAR; training programme evaluation and development; content creation (manuals, study guides, checklists, procedures, presentations); standards development; research contracting and collaboration; talks and presentations; coaching and tutoring; partnership and project development; and advocacy.

Use the Join / Contact page to describe your need, organisation and timeline, or book and pay for selected services directly on the Store page.

Pricing is bespoke and depends on scope, duration, complexity, deliverables and context. Nonprofit and volunteer organisations are encouraged to inquire about reduced rates.

Yes. SoS works with individuals seeking coaching or training in maritime SAR, small-boat operations, workplace psychosocial hazards, ethical leadership and toxic teamwork — as well as with teams and whole organisations.

Primary expertise is maritime SAR, commercial small-boat operations and research. However, the human factors, team health and ethical leadership services apply to all emergency response — land SAR, mountain rescue, wilderness SAR, K9 SAR and air rescue.

Hands-on training in basic seamanship, boat handling, boating safety, jetski operations, rescue operations, maritime SAR scenario exercises, man-overboard emergencies, towing, on-scene coordinator education, training programme review, and one-to-one coaching.

Both. Boat operations and field exercises are conducted in person at your boat and venue. Coaching, consulting, programme reviews and some scenario-based instruction can be delivered remotely.

None. SoS works with beginners, intermediate operators, experienced coxswains, team leaders and managers.

Yes. SoS can review your training content, observe sessions, conduct interviews, identify gaps and provide specific recommendations for improvement.

Yes. The Water Safety Library is a hand-curated free public service. Some member features — such as the bespoke bibliography builder — are available with a paid membership plan.

Yes. Use the Submit a Document page to suggest a resource. Submissions are reviewed before publication.

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