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BOAT HANDLER / SKIPPER TRAINING
It is surprising how many people admit that although they regularly go out boating with family and friends they don’t really feel they have the training or skills they need if they had to take over the boat and manage an emergency at sea.
What if someone in your party had a problem out at sea or worse, while they were under the water diving or snorkeling?
For most of us taking a course is awkward to fit into our busy lives and there’s also that uncertainty of what sort of course is best and where and when can it be completed.
Well we have the answer, through our range of flexible courses, which you can complete in your spare time; you can learn the skills to suit your boating needs and become competent and qualified with a recognized qualification.
- Whether you feel you need to learn the basics of launching, driving and navigating a boat
- Or maybe you would like to know what you should do when the rest of your family / party are diving and what you should do in the case of an emergency
- Or you may want to go the whole nine yards and become a “Skipper” possibly earning some extra cash driving small commercial dive boats and of course building up your commercial sea time
Our New Zealand Underwater training course is approved by Maritime New Zealand and allows you to choose which course or courses would suit you best depending on your particular boating activities and enable you to gain a certification with each course.
The first course is ‘BoatWise’ which is a New Zealand Underwater Association (NZUA) certification designed to give an entry level qualification in general boating safety and navigation. It is designed to be a flexible and very affordable course and is based on an 8 hour, 4 module program enabling it to be completed around your existing commitments.
The second course is ‘The Diving Activities Supervisors Program’ (DAS) and is designed to provide specific training for those wishing to gain a certification as a Diving Activities Supervisor for use on vessels either recreationally or occupationally for scuba or diving related activities. This qualification is ideal for those who want the reassurance that they know what to do when they go out on the water with friends or family diving, and they were faced with an emergency.
As most boaties in the Bay of Islands spend some time either under the water themselves or supervising others underwater, this is an invaluable qualification.
For those wanting to gain their qualification for commercial purposes, a Certificate of Competency is issued after successful completion whereas for recreational purposes a Certificate of Completion will be issued.
The third and final course is ‘Master of a Small Commercial Dive Boat’ (MSCDB) which is the pinnacle of the training program and is approved by Maritime New Zealand (MSA) to provide those wanting to operate a commercial vessel of 6 metres* in length or less for hire or reward. This is an industry specific qualification designed to be used for diving or diving related activities. The qualification is ideal for those operating a small dive boat commercially and perfect for accruing sea hours towards other skippering qualifications like Local Launch Operator (LLO) and ultimately Inshore Launch Master (ILM). In addition the MSCDB is ideal for the small operator as once achieved, your license covers you to operate any MSA registered vessel (currently) under 6 metres throughout New Zealand waters (within prescribed limits), unlike the LLO where your license limits you to certain declared areas and vessels.
Bay of Islands Boat Hire is committed to promoting safer boating and as a New Zealand Underwater Approved Trainer offers the above training in a flexible and enjoyable learning environment which will maximise your family and friends safety on the water and ultimately your confidence whilst on the water.
You never need to feel you’re out of your depth on the water again!
Please call us for course schedules, pricing and availability.
*the length of vessel criteria is currently under review by the MSA who had agreed in principle to raise the length of vessel to 7.5m however now feel they may make it any road legal ‘trailerable’ boat of an unspecified length. |
