I, too, had a jump-seat ride when I (mischievously) asked the hostie if I could "go out on deck" - meaning outside . . .
She returned a few minutes later and I was invited to follow her (through the vehicle deck) and then up a staircase to the 'cockpit'.
The pilot was talkative and described himself as "neither fish nor fowl" and explained the rules and how the machine was operated.
The view from the cockpit was free from the spray that enveloped the rest of the 'craft'.