Personal Watercraft (or jetskis as
they are more commonly known) are often subject to significant limitations in
respect of their use. In many areas the one day RYA PWC Course is essential if
you want to be able to take your craft afloat.
The RYA’s
Personal Watercraft course is designed for first time and experienced riders
alike. As stated, increasingly the certificate is required for launching in UK
harbours, but is also needed if you want to use your PW abroad.
All new PWs are
sold with a voucher towards the cost of this course and, once passed, you are
issued with a certificate of proficiency.
Most courses
take place over one day and you will be taught by an experienced, qualified
instructor on our Yamaha Waverunner PWC with a maximum of six trainees (3 per
bike). Courses can be taken either on a our craft or your own.
The course
teaches you how to use your PW safely, responsibly and with confidence, ensuring
that you get the best out of it. It covers high and low speed riding skills,
essential safety information, collision avoidance and orientation at sea.
Children aged
between 12 and 16 can take the course. Their certificates will be endorsed to
show that they must use PWs only under the supervision of a responsible adult. We
only accept children onto these courses in the company of their parent/guardian.
Course content/syllabus - Practical
- Launching
- Familiarisation
- Control at slow speed
- Falling off and re-boarding
- Balance & trim
- Stopping distances
- Capsize and righting
- Control at speed
- Following a planned route
- Identifying buoys and marks
- Recognising potential collision situations and taking correct avoiding
action
- Slalom exercise
- Towing a PWC
- Knots
Theory
- Personal equipment
- Launching and landing
- Safety equipment
- Collision avoidance
- Navigation at sea including subjects such as charts, buoys and tides
- Weather forecasts
- Emergency equipment
- Courtesy to other water users
Instructor Courses
Qualifying as a PWC Instructor is
really the same as qualifying as a Powerboat Instructor except there is only one
level of Instructor - PWC Instructor. Furthermore PWC Instructors can only teach
PWC Courses.
Existing Powerboat Instructors
can though take a one day conversion course to become a PWC Instructor assuming
they possess the PWC Certificate of Competence and at least two years of PWC
experience in addition to the experience they needed to become a Powerboat
Instructor. Our PWC Instructor courses are undertaken by highly experienced
Powerboat Trainers who have been endorsed by the RYA as PWC Trainers.
