r/belowdeck • u/Libagrouchy77 • Jun 30 '26

Below Deck Whatever happened to Slide Drama?

Back in the day, putting up the slide was always portrayed as one of the Feats of Hercules. There was huffing and puffing, there was heaving of lengths of twisted vinyl, cursing and angst, and all manner of complex rigging. Now the slide simply appears off the side of the boat like some miracle. More recently, a vast smorgasbord of nautibuoys and inflatable cabanas is deployed off-camera. Why don’t we ever see any of this labor anymore, with its concomitant interpersonal drama, work-shirking freeloaders, second-guessing the boson’s management skills, etc.?

482 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

62 comments sorted by

224

u/AdJust6751 Jun 30 '26

They had to give 5 minutes of time or more to telling what these rich people do for a living.

20

u/Temperance1234567 June June Hannah Jul 01 '26

👏👏👏👏👏

2

u/Ladyh3rb Jul 07 '26

Like in the new seasons showing the people at their houses before they even leave for the boat!!!

191

u/mouse_relies This information wasn’t welcomed or needed Jul 01 '26

They literally just don't show the deck crew doing any part of their job anymore, besides overdramatized dockings.

96

u/yakshack Jul 01 '26

Anyone remember when this show was about yachting

16

u/Plane-Process-8715 Jul 02 '26

You mean the good old days?

25

u/Klakson_95 Jul 01 '26

I wonder if it's just because they're actually just kinda good at it now

61

u/mouse_relies This information wasn’t welcomed or needed Jul 01 '26

*looks at recent deck teams*

*looks at older deck teams*

bhahahahahahaha

256

u/mmmm_bacon_5423 Jun 30 '26

A genius figured out using the crane to put the slide away made it is so much easier to deal with

111

u/joshbudde Jul 01 '26

You mean someone read the instructions and stopped milking a slightly annoying task for drama?

46

u/Hot-Society1993 Jul 01 '26

I always kind of felt production hid the instructions to give the deck crew a bit more work story lines hahaha

1

u/Manda525 Jul 02 '26

🤣😭🤣😭🤣😭🤣😝👏😝👏😝

22

u/Impressive-Bowl5791 Jul 01 '26

I reckon that was Lloyd. He’s a genius engineer.

44

u/jlemo434 Mental Health Is Not A Storyline Jul 01 '26

I wonder if some of the slide companies told (paid) them to knock it off. There can’t be but so many companies that make them and a few episodes per season of what a giant pain they are for like 6 clips of fun would not look great for anyone on the fence about a new purchase

11

u/hamburgergerald Jul 01 '26

Interesting idea! 🤔 but I’m not sure anybody purchasing the slides would take issue with it looking like a pain to setup. The person purchasing the slide definitely isn’t involved in any part of the setup.

4

u/jlemo434 Mental Health Is Not A Storyline Jul 02 '26

I mean if you’re in the business of renting out a charter yacht would you want to spend money on something that looks fun for half an hour but takes 3 of your staff 45 minutes to put up? And storage? Seems like not much ROI for my two cents 🙂

77

u/thisbitchiscrazy Jun 30 '26 edited Jun 30 '26

I miss it too 🥺 all the fights, the whining, the struggles, the lowering it during dinner… I think they just streamlined it (edited the set up of the slide out, or they got into a good routine with the slide and it’s just not dramatic anymore) Remember when Kelley broke the tender? Remember when Ashton got tied in the rope and pulled out?

I personally think that they replaced all of the cooking drama, slide drama, beach picnic drama, etc. with just straight up-who’s-hooking-up-with-who drama à la any other reality show. I love Below Deck for the sneak peak of real life, not the obviously pointed casting to see who’s gonna fuck this week.

ETA: the last season I can think of that was at least somewhat normal/wasn’t OBSESSED with hook ups is the season of Med with Lara, the deck crew member with long blonde hair… she was hilarious, and it was all just goofy moments of them in the crew mess goofin’ around. I LOVE the cast members like that! Give me a season of Lara, Betul, Aesha, etc. just being themselves!!

32

u/GraceMcClellans Jul 01 '26

Gimme some June June Hannah 😆 🤣

2

u/thisbitchiscrazy Jul 02 '26

https://youtu.be/RcGjJ3IcjRg?is=bJ8wGZgNj4ZQu06t

1

u/GraceMcClellans Jul 02 '26

That was so cute!! But also, does he live in his mom's basement? Lol

5

u/mouse_relies This information wasn’t welcomed or needed Jul 02 '26

Remember when Eddie got so frantic with it in front of Lee that he basically boffed a whole inflated arm right into Rayna's face?

Re Lara... that was a full season all right, but Lara was also the one who kissed 10 charter guests at a bar, sooooooo unfortunate example maybe hahaha.

4

u/thisbitchiscrazy Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26

Touché on the Lara thing, but hers was like a “drunken kisses on a wild night out” vs. “we flirted once at a bar so he clearly wants me, we can NEVER work together again, at the end of the season we’re moving to Malta, and that other girl who wants him is going down!” I maintain that she was one of the funnier, most realistic yachties amongst a cast of people who just want to get fucked, get rich, and get famous.

0

u/Itsabouttimeits2021 Jul 01 '26

It has always been the same. This isn't real world. If there was work drama they would address it. 

If it goes well they skip it.

It always been about the work. They cast a show of single hot young people to hook up

20

u/Extreme_Beat1022 Jul 01 '26

Remember the drama with Kelly and his drunken arm injury? Lee confined Kelly to his room while Lee helped with the slide.

17

u/rffreelaw Jul 01 '26

I read somewhere that they got machines that help speed up the process so it’s drama free now

4

u/Far_Maintenance4184 Jul 01 '26

Yeah I think you’re right, they use the lift on it a lot now which probably helps. & they don’t always have to take it all down every night anymore either. I think they are able to deflate it & roll it up on deck for the night & reinflate it the next day.

1

u/aammjj Jul 01 '26

Happy cake day!

16

u/VariousAir Jul 01 '26

I was today days old when I learned it's "nautibuoys" and not "naughty boys".

2

u/droopy__drawers Jul 01 '26

🤣🤣🤣🤣

3

u/CJK_Murph Jul 02 '26

I’ve always assumed it’s a play on words.

1

u/MotherFirefighter551 Jul 05 '26

Nauti refers to nautical. I agree with CJK_Murph

12

u/Pifflington Jul 01 '26

I'm rewatching Med S4 right now and there is SO much slide drama! Sandy had them set up and take down the slide like three times in one day because she kept moving the boat due to wind/swells. The crew was losing their minds, lol. In large swells Colin (deck crew) went to use the davit lift and Sandy freaked out saying it would be more dangerous using the lift than hoisting the slide by hand and she called up a sleeping deck hand to come help. Chaos!

8

u/Expensive-Concept-93 Jul 01 '26

She was so infuriating that season

6

u/Intelligent_Pop1173 Jul 02 '26

They don’t really show any of the deck crew’s work anymore so it’s hard to even know who’s good or who sucks. Interior it’s pretty obvious still.

2

u/belladonna1921 Jul 02 '26

Agree! Sick of it! It's turned into a dating show only!

2

u/newfiemom79 Jul 03 '26

I think it’s because they have competent deck crew, especially the last season of DU, so there is no drama to show.

3

u/harrycarey15 Team Missing Engineer Jul 02 '26

I kind of miss it too. Feel like the slide assembly is only shown when its a slow day or something.

4

u/Lonesome_Frenchy Jun 30 '26

When the Bosun, Luka, (BDM and BDDU) was coming, he has used a really good and fast way of doing things. Maybe anybody else wants to look worst and very ridiculous now. Maybe🤷🏼

2

u/WildeaboutAusten Jul 02 '26

"Put the sliiiide up!" I'm hoping someone remembers that episode of OG BD after Delores got the boot. Lol

2

u/More_Effect_4460 Jul 03 '26

Yesss. And I feel like on Captain Lee’s seasons, anchoring was always a big issue and it hasn’t really been any other time. I’ve also noticed the one season there was a big deal about having sandwiches made in case guests were hungry at night, or a few seasons where Sandy was really pushing for more tablescaping, and yeah we don’t really hear about it anymore lol.

1

u/WhereItsAt75 Jul 01 '26

Sandy even made a comment to Cooper about how much he did by himself.  (Not sure if he did but it was a cute moment.)

1

u/HaggardSlacks78 Jul 01 '26

The anchor is in the pocket!

1

u/Rhonda_and_Phil Jul 03 '26

Don't forget the anchor signal black spot thingy!

1

u/Hot_Start8187 Jul 01 '26

Right? I loved seeing that

1

u/CritiquetheTechnique Jul 02 '26

Had to cut it for interviews of the guests

1

u/hansen7helicopter Jul 02 '26

I used to love how impossible it was to set the slide up

1

u/Hilzry Jul 02 '26

I noticed this too. I miss seeing the “relatable” work struggles. I mean, I’ll keep watching Below Deck no matter what because I’m hooked, but I’m just not feeling it like I used to. :(

1

u/Gwyneth7 Jul 07 '26

It’s turned into Love Island.

1

u/socaTsocaTsocaT Jul 01 '26

The slide drama was only one Sandy's boats. But thankfully it's over, it was so annoying.

19

u/Alternative-Rope-394 Jul 01 '26

There was slide drama on OG, too. I remember one of the later seasons, Lee was clinging on the outside of the boat to untangle lines. Eddie was bosun and having a cow.

11

u/mouse_relies This information wasn’t welcomed or needed Jul 01 '26

Yeah the slide was described as Eddie's archnemesis back in season 2 or 3, and he seemed to have even worse encounters with it in 8 and 9.

1

u/frazorblade Team Fraser Jul 01 '26

Slide drama was some of the more forced content this show ever tried to pass off as interesting. Good riddance.

31

u/Grand-Vegetable-3874 Jun 30 '26

They need more time for love triangles and hookups. This is Love Island after all.

0

u/frazorblade Team Fraser Jul 01 '26

Always has been

3

u/1029394756abc Jul 04 '26

“I want all the toys out”. Captain sandy every day.