Talking with the 'Zaddy of the Sea' – 'Below Deck Down Under's' Captain Jason Chambers

There's little wonder as to why Captain Jason Chambers became a sexy fan favorite after he joined Bravo's "Below Deck Down Under." But that both women and men were seeking out information about his marital status surprised the bearded, muscular, and green-eyed hunk. He's single and hasn't been dating, choosing to spend his free time with his young daughter. "I have put a pause on dating for quite some time because I haven't had the time to bring someone else into my daughter's [life]," he told The Daily Dish.

He was also surprised by the show's success – why were people so interested in a show about yachting? One reason for his naiveté was that the Aussie native was living in the Philippines and wasn't aware of the appeal of the franchise in the United States. For those equally naive, "Below Deck" first appeared on Bravo in 2013, where it chronicled the day-to-day activities of those who work or travel on a super-yacht. The first season followed a super-yacht charter for five weeks in Saint Maarten under the leadership of captain Lee Rosbach. He became an overnight celebrity, as did numerous staff who worked beneath him, and the show became such a hit that it spawned numerous spinoffs. Audiences, it seemed, can't get enough of the crew "boatmances" that occurred, or the horrible charter guests, or just the day-to-day operations of the vessels.

Chambers joined the "Down Under" crew as captain of a super-yacht that went on six-week cruises off Australia for its first two seasons. But things are getting bigger and more intense for Season Three, which premiered last week on Bravo after its first two seasons on Peacock. To begin with, Chambers helms the biggest super-yacht yet in the franchise – the Motor Yacht Katina; and this season they move halfway across the world to the Seychelles off the coast of Africa. Returning with him are Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph and Deckhand Harry Van Vliet, and he'll have plenty to deal with as a number of new faces – Bosun Wihan Du Toit, Chief Stew Lara Rigby, Deckhands Johnny Arvanitis and Adair Werley, Stews Brianna Duffield and Marina Marcondes de Barros, and Sous-Chef Anthony Bird – join him for the six-week voyage.

Bravo is even marketing Chambers' hot looks in their promotions, which led him to tell TV Insider recently that he found it "a bit of a cringe, but let's just go with it. I try not to watch it. I am flattered." His modesty becomes him – he is so strikingly photogenic it would be easy to imagine him parlaying a career as an actor.

The 52-year-old Chambers, with some 24 years in the yachting industry, made headlines in December when he announced on Instagram that he was diagnosed with melanoma. "For someone that spent their life in the sun, as a child playing sport to working on the ocean, I thought I was resistant to the damaging effects of the sun," Chambers, 52, captioned the video. He added that he was anxiously waiting for the result of the biopsy taken right before Christmas.

Just this week he updated his health status on an episode "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen." "It was an anxious wait for about four weeks. I got the biopsy done in Bali, but really couldn't get seen until Australia," he recalled. But Jason said that the doctor had "good news" in response to the diagnosis. "On Christmas Eve, the doctor rang me up and said, 'Listen, we've just got to do one more cut out, but it should be [a] five percent chance of it not returning.' But it really, well, gee, it shocked the hell out of me," Jason admitted.

When asked how he would sum up the new season, he used three words: "Dramatic, wet, emotional."

EDGE spoke to Jason about how he became part of the franchise, his most memorable charter experience, and how he likes being called "Zaddy of the Sea." 

EDGE: How did the opportunity to join "Below Deck Down Under" happen?

Captain Jason Chambers: I was on my way to Patagonia after many years working in Indonesia for an American family, which was amazing. I was stuck in Australia during COVID and wanted to get out of Australia to see my daughter, whom I hadn't seen for a year and a half. This opportunity popped up in an email through a friend. I started talking to the production company, and I told my crew, and they told me to do it. They said I would be great. The engineer who worked with Captain Lee said I should do it.

After meeting with the producers, production, and everyone behind the scenes, I started really liking the idea, and now many of them are my close friends. At first, I thought I'd do one season, and I never do it again. Honestly, I didn't even know the show was a big deal.

EDGE: Is the reality of chartering a yacht different from what the viewers see on "Below Deck?"

Captain Jason Chambers: That's an easy answer. A great charter season would be eight charters yearly, from May until September. You work a week, have a break, relocate, and prep. The crew has a night out, and then a day to get over their hangover, and prepare for the next charter. You usually do eight in a five-month period, but we do nine charters in six weeks for the show. We don't know the boat, and I don't know the crew. The guests come on for a three-day trip. So, the show's essence is doing what would happen in a two-year period condensed into two months.

EDGE: Chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph and Deckhand Harry Van Vliet are returning this season. Do you prefer working with a crew that you already know?

Captain Jason Chambers: Compared to your last question, we would actually walk into a charter season knowing precisely who, and everyone would know their roles. That's one of the ingredients. The crew has their issues as we spoke about – not knowing the boat, not knowing each other, and having to do the charter guess from a captain's point of view. It's great and challenging for me, too. I get a new crew and boat, and then have to put all these pieces together. I'm beginning to be proud of myself and what I'm getting from this experience. Every year, I am thinking how I would be in real life and in a real job, and I'm working on the crew's growth throughout because I want to see where they can go and what is going to happen to them. I try to visualize which crew member is going to do what, and I try and work around that the best I can. I'm actually getting really proud of myself for watching how the crew grows. I do love the end result.

EDGE: Tell us about the location for this season.

Captain Jason Chambers: I spent four years working in remote locations in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. I love anything unique. I gave up big jobs in the Mediterranean to do the work I did for 10 years in Papua New Guinea. To be in Seychelles was on my bucket list. There are 115 islands there. The underwater world is amazing. The islands are gorgeous, and it wasn't hard to attract charter guests. I mean, who doesn't want to go to the Seychelles? If you haven't heard of it, Google it. You're like, "Oh, damn, I'm there."

EDGE: What can the viewers expect to see this season?

Captain Jason Chambers: Well, in the last few seasons, we didn't really have much romance going on, so we actually see a little bit of love this season, which I think you'll see in the teaser. A little bit of love is great for the boat. I love the crew that can get along, but don't worry; there's some drama there, too.

We spoke about the Seychelles, the new location. The boat is bigger and has a lot more interior, so when the weather wasn't so good, we could still complete our theme nights. This season's full, and it's constant. I can tell you it doesn't plateau. There's no lull; it just continuously goes.

EDGE: What's been your most memorable charter experience?

Captain Jason Chambers: I wish I could say their name. They're an American family. They're very well known. I worked for them for a few years in Papua, New Guinea. We had to anchor once, and I had to go ashore with the helicopter pilot with a bucket of nails, flour, and a tarp, and find the chief to give him some money to get permission to anchor in his bay. We came across an old hospital that was run down and had no lights there. It was disgusting, and had no running water. We returned and got plumbing, LED lights, and solar power equipment. We cleaned it up. We got the pumps going, the water running, and the lights on. This old, abandoned hospital, which was still used as a labor facility for giving birth, was functioning. The boss saw it, and asked how much it cost. I told him, "It cost me nothing. It cost you about 20 grand." He said, "Triple it and keep doing it." That was one of the most rewarding experiences, and helped me learn always to give back. There's a bit more than caviar on these boats, and many owners also like to give back.

EDGE: Many fans consider you a "Zaddy" and refer to you as "Zaddy of the Sea."

Captain Jason Chambers: If you know me, I cringe a little bit. It's just not me. Look, but I'm going to lean into it. Why not? Let's have fun. Let's have fun! The promo with me coming out of the water was definitely not my idea, but I had so much fun doing it. After working so hard for six weeks on these charters, doing all the promos was a hell of a lot of fun. We were laughing at ourselves the entire time.

EDGE: Can you tell us about your new fragrance coming out?

Captain Jason Chambers: If anyone wants to smell like Zaddy, you can. It's called Captain J, releasing in March on https://www.captainslounge.life. It's being developed in Australia. It's very aquatic. It's got the earth, waterfalls, and the ocean in it. It's actually quite good. It's gender-neutral. A portion of everything sold goes back to the projects and charities I work for in Indonesia.

EDGE: In Season Two you went the extra mile for your guests by wearing a budgie smuggler. Are there any surprises we should look out for this season?

Captain Jason Chambers: Well, I do have a whip, but I won't tell you who I used it on.

EDGE: Which one of these boats would you captain, and why: The riverboat from Willy Wonka, the Love Boat, or Captain Hook's Jolly Roger?

Captain Jason Chambers: I'd have to choose Captain Hook's Jolly Roger. It's all about going as far and beyond as possible and into the unknown. It's very mystical. That's kind of like me. I want to go into the unknown and always explore.

"Below Deck Down Under" Season 3 premieres on Monday, February 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. Stream episodes the next day on Peacock. For more information, visit https://www.bravotv.com/

And check out these pics and video clips from Captain Jason Chambers IG: