How Teamwork Makes the Best Days On The Water | Adam Moody

The perfect boating day rarely just “happens.” It’s built by people who notice the small things, plan for the big ones, and stay calm when the sky turns fast. We sit down with Marine Operations Manager Adam Moody—who started as a dockhand and worked every frontline role—to unpack the leadership, training, and culture that keep launches smooth and returns safe at a truly full-service marina.

Adam shares the lessons he carried from the National Guard into waterfront operations: patience under uncertainty, teamwork as a default, and flexibility when plans flip at a moment’s notice. We break down the ecosystem of roles—dockhands who set the tone with spotless boats, forklift operators who think one lift at a time, dockmasters who bridge gaps—and how thoughtful hiring keeps the yard both welcoming and composed. From proactive weather checks to real-time route advice, from detailing certifications to captains leveling up with fly fishing courses, this is what operational excellence looks like when member experience comes first.

We also get practical. Why the second forklift changes everything for uptime and safety. How a one-stop shop simplifies service, repairs, and adventures without sending members off property. How sharing your plans with the team unlocks better recommendations for fishing, food, and safer passages when the chop gets lively. And woven through it all is a reminder about wellness that sticks: the moments that matter—sandbars, hotel pools, chasing fiddler crabs—feel simple, but they last. Choose presence over performance now and then, and you’ll build memories worth keeping.

If this conversation made you rethink what “seamless” really takes, tap follow, share it with a friend who loves the water, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

Transcript

Setting The Scene: Waterfront Magic

SPEAKER_02 0:14

Are you ready to live an active lifestyle? Welcome to Behind the Bluff, where we believe every moment of your life is an opportunity to pursue wellness on your terms. I'm Jeff Ford, your host, and I wanted to make the point that most of us experience the waterfront at Palmetto Bluff on our best days. We experience it boat ready, weather right, everything seamless. But behind every smooth departure and safe return is a team making it all happen. Today I'm joined by Adam Moody, our marine operations manager. Adam's been at Palmetto Bluff seven and a half years. He started as a dock hand, moved into the role as a forklift operator, and then became a dock master before taking on the position as operations manager. He leads our entire marine operation alongside Stefan. Today we're going to be talking about leadership, responsibility, boat club culture, and the journey that got him here. Adam, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00 1:20

Hey, thanks, Jeff, for having me. I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_02 1:22

I'm glad you're here. And I feel like this is going to be an episode where we can get behind the scenes of everything the boat club team and yourself uh do on a day-to-day basis.

SPEAKER_00 1:34

Yeah, sounds good.

SPEAKER_02 1:35

Yeah, you ready to rock?

SPEAKER_00 1:36

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:37

So before Palmetto Bluff, I want to get a better understanding of what shaped you and also allow our listeners to get to know you. Um, give us some details on your background.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Perfect. So I was born on Hilton Head, uh, one of the few that have grown up in the area here. Uh and growing up in the area, you always saw the water. Water was always a big portion of growing up. Um, had a couple jobs on water, off water. Um, I was a dock hand at a marina in Hilton Head uh back in high school. I was a kayak tour guide for a summer out of Hilton Head. Um, did some retail stuff, worked at Lowe's, didn't really enjoy that as much. And after leaving that, um did some hiking for a little bit and then came back to uh Bluffton and came to Palmetto Bluff.

SPEAKER_02 2:25

Very cool. Now, when you were hiking, uh, just was that personal or were you a guide?

SPEAKER_00 2:30

Yeah, just a personal trip. Uh was through hiking the Appalachian Trail. Um, made it all the way up to New Jersey, actually.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

Incredible. So you're a true outdoorsman, if you will. You love love the outdoors.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

Yep, love hunting, love fishing, love boating. Uh, just love being outside.

Military Lessons In Patience And Teamwork

SPEAKER_02 2:46

Nice. Well, with the beard, I I commend you. And as someone who I wouldn't consider a real man, it's it's so great to have you in here. Uh walk us through uh the your time in the National Guard. Uh, what did that teach you? That was right before uh becoming part of the team at Pummetal Buff or kind of alongside, is that right?

SPEAKER_00 3:07

Uh right before. So I did the National Guard throughout college and then um a few years after college. Um I was a it was called a Leven Bravo, uh direct fire infantryman. So I like to say went for long walks with heavy backpacks.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

That's kind of the job. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:23

Well, thank you for your service. Were there any skills you picked up during that time that influence how you lead today?

SPEAKER_00 3:31

Yeah, you'll hear anybody from the military talk about uh hurry up and wait. Uh military teaches you a lot of patience, um, a lot of standby, a lot of wait until things happen, um, as well as flexibility, which it sounds like an oxymoron, but you'll wait around preparing for one thing to happen, and then at the drop of a hat, oh, 180, complete opposite thing is happening. So it teaches you to always think on your feet. Um, and then in the military, nothing happens without a team. So everything is team based. Um, you always work closely alongside everybody else.

Roles: Dockhand, Forklift, Dockmaster

SPEAKER_02 4:08

Yeah, yeah. Adaptability, kind of being ready for the unexpected, uh, flexibility uh in our operations is key here at Palmetto Bluff. So you started as a dock hand, you then moved into forklift operator and then a dock master before becoming the manager. This type of progression shows you've mastered the different skill sets of the operations as well. And as someone who led fitness classes and did personal training for years on end, I really love hearing the details of this journey and kind of understanding the different roles because it allows us uh to put ourselves in our teammates' shoes. So tell us a little bit first about each of those positions. What does a Dockhand do?

SPEAKER_00 4:55

Yeah. So uh Dockhand is kind of our number one associate. Um, they're the ones getting the boats ready, they're the ones talking to the members, getting them out on the boats, um, and really making sure that the members have a good experience while they're out there. Um, if you get out and there's trash on the boat or the boat's not clean, it's not as enjoyable as a nice, clean, pretty boat.

SPEAKER_02 5:17

Yeah. Now, forklift operator. Obviously, they drive the forklift to bring the boats from dry storage to the water. Can you add any details to that role?

SPEAKER_00 5:26

Yeah, so the forklift operator, um, it's a tricky role. Uh, it's a satisfying role because it's a lot of fun. Um, if you're of that mindset to drive the forklift, it's enjoyable to do so.

SPEAKER_02 5:40

Adam, I'm super scared. Anytime I'm up like by Wilson uh Marina and I see them, you know, rolling, I'm like, wow, that does look like uh you gotta have confidence with that role.

SPEAKER_00 5:49

Yeah, yeah, for sure. Um, especially when the boats are moving and they're rocking on the forks themselves. And you look at it, and about half of the boat is sticking off of the forks. It's it can be intimidating. Um, what I like to tell new operators when they come in is it's it's just a boat. It's you're gonna do it 20 more times today, 30 more times today. So it's it's just a boat.

SPEAKER_02 6:14

Yeah, yeah. Repetition and uh probably builds a lot of confidence there.

SPEAKER_00 6:18

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:19

Yeah. Now, Dockmaster, what does a dock master do?

SPEAKER_00 6:23

So the dockmaster is uh kind of the manager in charge of the dock hands and the forklift operators, just making sure that they are hitting all of their performance standards, making sure that the boats are clean and boats are getting into the water in a timely fashion.

SPEAKER_02 6:38

Okay. So the dock master oversees the execution uh and is right there with those those teammates as as the day progresses.

SPEAKER_00 6:46

Yeah, they act as a floater. Um, they go where they're needed to help out around the yard. Um, whether it's casting off a freshwater boat or jumping down on the salt water, casting off people there, catching lines, or bouncing over to one of our other docks and making sure that a member has everything they need on that side.

SPEAKER_02 7:04

Now you've served in all three of these roles. What has that taught you in how you approach operating uh from a leadership position now?

SPEAKER_00 7:15

So I like to think of the marina as an ecosystem. Um, no one job can function without all the other support around it. So the operators they need the dock hands in order to get the boats ready. The dock hands need the operators in order to pull the boats down. Dockmaster is there to kind of bridge that gap and make sure that both parties are working well together.

SPEAKER_02 7:38

It's like a football team. You need an offensive line, you need the wide receivers, or else you can't get the ball down the field.

SPEAKER_01 7:45

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 7:45

And in this case, you can't get the boat out in the water.

SPEAKER_01 7:48

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 7:49

Or back safely.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

Or back safely.

Leading A Full-Service Marina

SPEAKER_02 7:52

Very cool. Well, Adam, for members who may not know you, you've shared a bit of your background. I'd love to help listeners understand what a marine operations manager actually does day to day.

SPEAKER_00 8:07

Yeah. So one thing that is unique about my role and our marina, um, it's very rare to find a marina that does all the things that we do. Um, you might have a dry sack, but they don't have their own boat club. They don't offer their own mechanical services or have captains on staff or the detailing services that we do. So a lot of what I think about on a day-to-day basis is how do we train our team in order to accommodate all those different requests? Um and one way that we do that is we spend a lot of our time doing training, um, whether it's in-house or we send our staff away to a lot of trainings, whether it's the technicians going away to professional schools, we send the dock hands in order to get detailing certifications. Um, Tom and Andrew are our captains. We've sent them the fly fishing courses, um, large expos of fishing products, equipment, everything like that. We send the technicians to the international boat building exposition every year so that they can discover new tools, new ideas, new products coming to the market um to try and be that the forefront of what the marina industry is doing right now.

SPEAKER_02 9:29

Yeah. Yeah, it sounds like your team has a growth mindset, this need to learn and and grow. And it it's being focused on in each of the positions so that the uh not only uh I'm sure a lot of the training is safety related, but secondly, so that with all these moving parts and for the member experience to continue to improve and um crush expectations, this training goes a long way.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:53

Yeah. Well, what's something about your job that would surprise most members?

Training, Safety, And Growth Mindset

SPEAKER_00 10:02

Surprises most members. Um I my favorite part about the job is meeting the members, talking to the members, figuring out what they need from us. Um, I like to say that if the members communicate with us, we can accommodate almost anything that they want to do. So just figuring out what makes the member want to come to the marina and want to go boating, that really helps me figure out what we need to do in order to make that experience even better for them.

SPEAKER_02 10:34

Yeah. Yeah, as someone who's in the operations role, it might sound unexpected that for you a big focus is what we can do, even if it's out of the box, to meet your expectations.

SPEAKER_00 10:48

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, everything's possible on the water, whether it's a bar hopping cruise or going fishing, or even if a member needs a repower on their boat, how do we make that happen for them? Um, is our end goal at the Marina is that if you have anything water or boating related, you don't have to go off site. You don't have to hire other contractors or get reviews and everything sorted to get people on property to work on your boat or assist with your boat or do anything with your boat or on the water. We can do that all in-house for you.

SPEAKER_02 11:24

One-stop shop. Absolutely. For for our boat club members and for listeners who are maybe unfamiliar with Palmetto Bluff, when you become a member here, you have the opportunity to join the boat club. And so we're going to direct this question more towards our boat club club members and how we're able to provide an amazing experience each time they go out. So, what goes into making their day on the water smooth and also stress-free, Adam?

One-Stop Shop Member Experience

SPEAKER_00 11:55

Yeah. So the work that the dock hands do is not always easy. Uh, cleaning a boat can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 45 minutes. It could involve a little bit of soap in a rag, or it could involve three or four chemicals, scrub brushes, buckets of water, hoses, the whole nine yards. Um, so we always encourage our members just communicate with us if you have an ETA. If you know you're not going to make a certain time, just call us, let us know, and we'll be as accommodating as we can.

SPEAKER_02 12:28

Yeah. What does great culture look like on the waterfront?

SPEAKER_00 12:34

Yeah, so I like to think that the work we do is not serious work. Um, there's a lot of things in the world that can drag you down and make you just not as happy. Being on the boat or being out on the water should not be one of those. So I encourage the staff to have fun, have fun with the members. Um, if we're happy, they're happy, they're here to do something fun. So let's make the experience fun for them. Um, no sense in being very serious or rigged on the dock if they're gonna go out to Freeport and have a bunch of scrap irons for the day.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

Yeah, no, makes complete sense. It and you you seem like such a calm gentleman that you know the trust that members develop that everything is is on track for their day is is developed over time.

Culture On The Waterfront

SPEAKER_00 13:26

Yeah, absolutely. Um, I think that the members, I hope that they do trust us, um, especially when we're moving their privately owned boats. Um, there's a lot of trust in there, but just knowing that we have their best interests at heart um goes a long way for us.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

Yeah, yeah, I relate to that a lot. I I grew up in uh Massachusetts, and my family and I had a uh uh vacation home up in New Hampshire, and my dad was obsessed with his boat. And it it wasn't uh, you know, a super over-the-top boat by any means, but it was like his third son compared to my brother and I. So I can imagine um, you know, keeping keeping the the boats in good good hands and and developing this level of trust. It goes a long way. And um, you know, we we see that across all the departments here, which is pretty special. So I love to ask other leaders, you know, how they go about hiring. Obviously, there's a service mindset here, you and the team uh serve in these different roles to ensure that the member experience is top-notch. Tell tell us what do you look for in in someone who might become a dock hand or a forklift operator?

SPEAKER_00 14:38

Yeah, um, different roles have different aspects. Uh, for a dock hand, once somebody outgoing, somebody that isn't afraid to talk to the members, um, really get to know them. I encourage them to like pick some members and try and get that deep, meaningful relationship with them. Because I think that's why our we have our members here, and that's really what they seek out from us. Um, for the forklift operators, they just have to remain calm. Um it it can get scary on the lift sometimes if a boat moves the wrong way. But like I said earlier, encourage them to just think just one boat at a time. Just take the work as it's presented to you and don't try and get stressed out about thinking 10 steps ahead of time all the time.

SPEAKER_02 15:25

Take the work as it's presented to you. That's that's powerful. And I can definitely tell you, as someone who's impulsive, don't ever put me on a forklift because I would not be good in the the calm role there. Um what about the second forklift that we're getting? How is that gonna improve the operations?

Hiring For Calm And Connection

SPEAKER_00 15:44

Uh hugely. So it is on site, it is ready to go. Um, it's more headaches, but it's also less headaches at the same time, if that makes sense. Um most marinas operate with two forklifts because they do unfortunately go down um pretty considerably. Uh during the summer, the forklift is run about five to six hours each day nonstop. Um, I like to joke with the operators that their other vehicle is their car that they drive to and from work. They spend more of their time driving the forklift than anything else in their life. Um with that, having a second machine, decreased down times, um just easier operations and flow for us, uh, hopefully less money spent on emergency repairs for the forklifts and more routine maintenance on them.

SPEAKER_02 16:38

Yeah, yeah. And and if I'm understanding correctly, while one forklift is operating one day, the other can be resting.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

Correct.

SPEAKER_02 16:47

Very cool. Yeah, it's fun to think about it like that.

SPEAKER_00 16:50

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

Because I I um I'm kind of thinking in terms of of human and humans and fitness training and how we all need rest days.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:59

So our forklifts are no different. Um, not to, you know, go into any negativity or anything, but can you tell us maybe one of the most scariest moments, you know, in in your role here over the seven and a half years of of operating?

Second Forklift And Operations Flow

SPEAKER_00 17:14

Yeah, so uh we kind of dread it every year, but it seems like in April and March, even into May, we get a lot of those afternoon thunderstorms. Um and there have been times where we get a essentially 911 call of members stuck out on sandbar, they might have small children with them. Um they ran the boat aground and there's a thunderstorm rolling in. Yikes. Um, and we don't want them on the water at that point. So getting a boat in the water, getting out to them, trying to beat those storms back that just kind of pop up on us. Um, during that time, we spend a lot of time looking at the weather, checking radar, looking at everything that's happening out on the water. Um, I like to think we're pretty good at predicting the weather too. Yeah. So if you ever have questions, just call them right and we'll be happy to tell you what the weather's gonna do for the day.

SPEAKER_02 18:08

Yeah, and that's gotta be so comforting because if you say just drive your boat up to a public dock somewhere, you don't necessarily have the backing of a team like you do with the boat club. So I'm sure there's this high level of communication with even if there is a chance of a thunderstorm, you guys are right there making sure members are safe.

SPEAKER_00 18:29

Absolutely. We check the weather daily. We have a slideshow out front that we put the weather forecast on there, what the high is gonna be, what the low is gonna be. If I know that we got thunderstorms at three o'clock this afternoon, I'm telling everybody I see that day, hey, watch the weather. Like there might be thunderstorms at three o'clock. Where are you heading to today? Like, are you going to Defusky? Are you going to Harbor Town? Calaboge Sound is three to five foot waves right now. I wouldn't go that way.

Weather, Rescues, And Risk Management

SPEAKER_02 18:57

Yeah, yeah. Love the precautions there and and just making sure uh that that individuals going out in the water know what that experience could be like for that day. Well, I I love different stories, and I I think when you've been in a role as long as you have or been recreation-minded uh with your life the way that you have, you you've got some stories. So, what's a story from the water that you'll probably still be telling 20 years from now?

SPEAKER_00 19:27

One of the biggest things for me is I love taking my family out on the water. I have a three-year-old daughter that loves playing in the water, loves playing on the sandbar. Um, I have a three-year-old nephew that we go out with them, and they're just so much fun to have out in the water. Um, they love being on the boat, they love being on the sandbar, uh, chasing the fiddler crabs, splashing in the water, all that stuff. And it's it's great to see that side of it because it helps remind me of why we do the work that we do of getting the members out on the water. I take it for granted more than I should because I was born in the area, but some people that have worked their whole lives in the northwest or out west coast somewhere, they come to this area and it's truly a gem.

SPEAKER_02 20:17

Yeah. Yeah, it sounds like it allows you to step back and have that childlike feeling again of of being out in the water, and and that's the same feeling that we want to create for for our members.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 20:28

Yeah, well, Adam, um, this has been a lot of fun. Just have a few more questions to kind of dig into here. As someone who's clearly passionate about what you do, have you ever had a moment where you stepped back and said to yourself, This is why I love what I do?

Family Stories That Shape Purpose

SPEAKER_00 20:49

Yeah. Um, you'll see me do it sometimes throughout the week if I get a little stressed out or if I need to contemplate something. I'll just go down to the dock when no one's down there and I'll take five minutes and just look at the water, look at our area. And it helps recenter me and figure out all right, things might be bad at the office, or I might have an upcoming project that I'm stressed out about. But what is it that I'm here to do? And that's to make sure that people have the best experience when they get out on the water, and this is what they're doing. And looking at the water, watching boats cruise out there makes me a little jealous. I want to jump on a boat myself and get out there. Yeah, but it really helps me remind me myself what we're here to do.

SPEAKER_02 21:36

That's so practical. Just taking five minutes, going by the water, and uh that can be applied to any anything we have going on in life. Taking a little inhale, exhale, and just looking out at the scene of of what we're blessed with here at Pulmetal Bluff.

SPEAKER_00 21:53

Yeah, absolutely. I mean most of life's problems you think about a little bit and they don't Seem so bad anymore.

Simple Rituals To Recenter

SPEAKER_02 22:02

That's well said. Now, um, I'd love to get a little practical. And as uh someone who's the behind-the-scenes operator, making sure the the smoothness of the day is um happening for each of our members. What are a couple of tips and tricks for members going out in the water? One or two things you'd you'd recommend so that they can have the best experience possible.

SPEAKER_00 22:25

Yeah. Um share your plans with us. Let us know where you want a boat. Um, like I said, we're always tracking the weather. We always know what's going on. If you want to get out there and say, Hey, I really would love to catch a red fish today, talk to Tom and Andrew. They'll tell you where they've been fishing, where they've been catching them. Or if you say, Hey, I'm really craving this type of food, we have a whole list of restaurants on the water that we'll be happy to share with you. And say you want to get fried fish, we'll tell you where the best fried fish is out there.

SPEAKER_02 22:54

Because there's a lot of it. You got to know where the good stuff is.

SPEAKER_00 22:57

You gotta know where the good stuff is. Um, I like to think we get paid to know where the good stuff is out on the water. Um, yeah, just just let us know what you want to do and we'll be more than happy to assist and make sure it happens for you.

unknown 23:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:11

Well, Adam, uh, I think we're at that time. Final question: what does wellness mean to you?

Practical Tips For Better Boating Days

SPEAKER_00 23:17

For me, I take a lot of my wellness from my job satisfaction. I really love what I do here. Um I my wife thinks I work a little bit too much, but when you work at such a beautiful place and you have such a caring group of members that really want the best for us, it makes coming to work a lot easier. And it really makes it a satisfying job here.

unknown 23:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:44

Well, appreciate the time, Adam. Yeah, thank you for having me, Just. You're so welcome. I've enjoyed understanding the different roles a little bit better and and um just getting your take on being out in the water and everything that is involved in uh what you do.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. Yeah, you're welcome.

Defining Wellness Through Meaningful Work

Closing Reflections On Childlike Presence

SPEAKER_02 24:02

Listeners, feel free to hang out with me for a few more minutes and get some healthy momentum for the rest of your week. As we close out today's conversation with Adam Moody, something he said really stuck with me. I asked him about his favorite moment out on the water, and he said it was taking his three-year-old daughter out on the boat to the sandbar, watching her chase fiddle crabs, and watching her run and play in the water off that sandbar and even jumping off the boat. These moments are simple, they're ordinary, and he said it's easy to take those moments for granted. That hit me, y'all, and I hope it hit you because when you watch a three-year-old chase a crab, they're not thinking about emails, they're not thinking about performance or how they look, they're not thinking about what's next on their list for their day. They're fully in it. And I had my own reminder of that last weekend. My wife Lindsay and I took our six-year-old Mia up to Clemson for a quick trip. We do this every year, and we watched a college basketball game. Can't say it went well. The Tigers are on a losing streak. But what we also did was multiple days very early in the morning before we went into activities, is we swam in the hotel indoor pool together. After that, we went to a trampoline park called Big Air and and just started jumping together. And finally, Mia Mia chose me. Sometimes she chooses mom to jump with her. And what was so fun about this time together is there wasn't an agenda. We weren't optimizing anything, just jumping, laughing, trying some things we probably shouldn't have tried at the trampoline park. Y'all, there was a warp ramp, like you see in Ninja Warrior. So almost like a half pipe, and I had to run up it. There were two different heights, too, and there were bars at the top of the ramp, and it kind of like a yeah, like just a an angled ramp as if you were gonna take a skateboard up it. So you have to sprint up it, grab the bar, and pull yourself up, and then you go down a slide. I was showing up all the 10 and 12-year-olds, let me tell you, I was in it. And uh that that was just one of those things that I I probably shouldn't have tried, but it was so much fun, and it was just being a child there with her, watching her have fun with all the different obstacles, and it makes you think, you know, even as we ate breakfast together at Cracker Barrel and sat there introducing Mia to uh the the game that was sitting on the restaurant table, and we had a night at the classic Outback steakhouse. Mia ordered her own little steak, like she was 10 years older, and she was so proud of it. Steak and broccoli, dad. And in these moments, I was I wasn't thinking about work, I wasn't thinking about Monday, I was just there, and that's not childish, that's childlike. Somewhere along the way, we trade childlike for responsibilities. We try to get efficient, productive, structured, and those things matter, but healthy momentum isn't just about discipline and drive, it's about aliveness. Childlike moments are where your shoulders drop, where time stretches, and where you're not performing, you're just participating. And these moments they don't just happen, you create them. You can intentionally leave your phone in your pocket. You jump in the pool, you stay ten minutes longer, you chase the crab, you jump on the trampoline, you can choose presence over productivity just for a moment. Because here's the truth: we won't remember the perfectly managed weeks. We'll remember the sandbar, the trampoline park, the hotel pool, and the little stake at Outback. You can build a strong body, you can build a strong career, and you can even build a strong reputation. But don't forget to build strong memories because momentum without meaning is just movement, and that's not the life that we're after. That message brings us to the end of our time together this week. I want to thank you so much for joining the conversation with Adam and I. And as always, remember to actively participate in life on your terms.