Max Salvador starred as a deckhand in Below Deck Mediterranean season 8, and it's time to give an update on what he's been up to after his appearance on the show. The yachtie made his debut in Genoa, Italy, completing the Mustique crew. The French deckhand ed fellow team Lara Du Preez, Haleigh Gorman, and Bosun Luka Brunton, quickly realizing that this yachting experience was vastly different from his previous ones due to the language barrier.
Despite four years of yachting experience, Max found the transition to using English challenging. His crewmates, particularly Haleigh, encouraged his progress and made him feel appreciated and included in the charter. Before appearing in Below Deck Med, he worked as a captain and officer from 2018 to 2022; he also worked as a community manager and co-director at B.seen.agency, a digital communications agency specializing in real estate marketing. While he may not return to Below Deck Med season 9, there's still interest in the season 8 deckhand.
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Max No Longer Works In Yachting
He Is A Hypnotherapist
Below Deck Med season 8, but he explained his choices on his Instagram. The former deckhand transitioned from working in yachting to hypnotherapy after appearing on the hit Bravo show. While this seems like a wild career shift, Max explained his reasoning in a reel. After the season ended, Max alleged in the video that he went to Bali, where he spent months depressed. However, hypnotherapy is popular in , and Max used the resource to lift himself out of depression.
Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique that uses hypnosis to become focused and increase one's suggestibility as a form of psychological treatment.
Max was so inspired by the treatment he decided to become a hypnotherapist so he could help others who were struggling with mental health. He shared with his followers why he wanted to trade in $6,000 monthly on the yacht to help others with hypnotherapy. While he enjoyed the money, Max didn't like providing 24/7 service for wealthy guests and sought his freedom. Hopefully, Max is finding the inner peace and independence he desires through his hypnotherapy business. Max is currently living in Bali and boasts about his lifestyle there on Instagram.
Max Was Dating Someone
Are They Still Together?
According to his Instagram, Max had been dating someone in 2023. In a reel from November 2023, Max showcased his adventures with a beautiful mystery brunette. While her identity was never revealed, Max was clearly happy with his new romance. "Ma chérie, you don’t need me, I don’t need you," he captioned.
"But we love each other and that’s what makes our couple wonderful,"
He followed his caption with emojis of the Statue of Liberty, dove, and fiery heart emojis. "We back," he concluded.
Fans were happy for Max in the comments, saying, "I’m so happy for you both!" and, "Love this." Max didn't get much genuine romance on the show, aside from serving as a pawn for Jessika Asai in her pursuit of Luka. Natalya Scudder rekindled her flirtation with Luka, which Jessika witnessed. In a play to make Luka jealous, she kissed Max. Luckily, Max's entanglement with Luka's relationship drama didn't go further than Jessika's kiss.
Max's last post with his hard-launch was in June 2024. In 2025, Max's mystery brunette is nowhere to be seen, and he has since deleted the above post about her. Instead, Max seems to be living the single life and enjoying himself. At the end of 2024, Max shared a selfie of himself looking carefree, and the caption was very telling about his current mindset.
"A little bit of party. New chapter for me, where I can finally enjoy professional and fun ! 🤩 No more sacrifices the seasons in on."
Max's Journey On Below Deck Mediterranean
There Were Rocky Moments
Initially, Max's integration into the team was rocky. His heavy French accent made communication difficult, and his slower work pace clashed with the more fast-paced American style of yachting. His struggle to meet the work standards caused issues with his fellow yachties, particularly Lara, who called Max lazy. His work ethic especially came into question when he complained about being tired while preparing lunch at Santa Margherita Ligure Castle.
Despite some professional setbacks, Max was a likable and entertaining cast member on Below Deck Mediterranean season 8.
Despite a difficult transition, Max's situation began to improve after Luka and Lara adjusted their management approach, opting for positive reinforcement rather than criticism. However, the ongoing turmoil among the crew continued to impact Max's mental health. Tensions peaked when Kyle Viljoen confronted Max over a misunderstanding related to the LGBTQIA+ community, which spiraled into a conflict involving Natalya.
Max confided in Captain Sandy Yawn about his desire to quit due to the negative atmosphere affecting his well-being. Captain Sandy refused to let him go, but his departure from the industry after the show wasn't shocking. After such a tumultuous season, it's no wonder Max decided to leave yachting behind.
Will Max Ever Return To Below Deck Mediterranean?
He Left The Yachting Industry Behind
Given his career change, it's highly unlikely that Max will return to Below Deck Med or the yachting world in general. He seemed to prefer the French style of professional yachting, but regardless of where the deckhand found himself, the life of waiting on others no longer served him. Max has found a new career in hypnotherapy and isn't looking back. He is enjoying his freedom, and while he's grateful for his time on Below Deck Mediterranean, Max has moved on.
Max s many Below Deck cast who did one and done seasons. Most of his season 8 cast mates never made it back into the franchise, and Max has followed suit. The yachtie lifestyle, while lucrative, is often complained about by the crew, and Max has found happiness elsewhere and in a profession he's ionate about.
Source: Max Salvador/Instagram, Max Salvador/Instagram
Below Deck Mediterranean
- Release Date
- May 3, 2016
- Network
- Bravo
- Showrunner
- Mark Cronin, Courtland Cox, Nadine Rajabi
Cast
-
Hannah Ferrier
WHERE TO WATCH
Below Deck Mediterranean is a Bravo reality television series that follows a crew that works aboard a gigantic superyacht during the busy season. The show highlights the challenges of the crew as they serve their high-end clientele. Each season tackles new locations, such as Greece, Croatia, Italy, and , with some repeating.
- Franchise(s)
- Below Deck
- Seasons
- 9
- Main Genre
- Reality-TV
- Creator(s)
- Mark Cronin, Doug Henning, Rebecca Taylor Henning
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