RYA Personal Watercraft Training: PW Certificate of Proficiency
Course Syllabus:
(The course is taught in the following order, unless local conditions or weather require otherwise.)
Introduction ashore
Layout of a PW, controls. Propulsion and steering system. Fuel and oil. Stowage compartment. Personal equipment: wetsuit/dry suit, personal buoyancy, head and eye protection. Checks on PW prior to launching. Essential safety information: safety lanyard, safe speed and local hazards.
Launching and familiarisation – afloat
Launching from trailer, board in shallow water and start engine. Control at low speed. Balance and trim. Falling off and re-boarding. Capsize and righting. Control at speed. Stopping distances.
Collision avoidance
Rules of the Road applied to PWs, including:
- Lookout
- Safe speed
- Priorities between different classes of vessel
- Overtaking, crossing and end on approach rules
- Local rules, speed limits and prohibited areas
Orientation at sea – ashore
Charts, scales, directions and distance. Representation of land, shallows and deep water Buoys, (lateral and cardinal), avoiding shipping channels, special buoyed areas for water skiing etc. Tides, high and low water and tidal streams.
Orientation afloat
Following a planned route, identifying bouys and marks
Collision avoidance – afloat
Recognising potential collision situations and taking correct avoiding action
PW control at speed – afloat
Slalom exercise
Emergencies – afloat
Towing a disabled PW. Knots: bowline and round turn and two half hitches. On completion of this practical exercise, recover PW from the water and prepare for
trailing and storage.
Weather, safety, courtesy to other users – ashore
Sources and significance of weather forecasts. Lee and weather shores. Safety and emergency equipment. Courtesy to other water users. Avoiding pollution. Avoiding disturbance and damage to wildlife and habitats.
Assessment of candidate
Satisfactory completion of the course is based on continuous assessment by the instructor throughout the day. A 32 page booklet ‘Personal Watercraft Practical Course Notes’ accompanies the course and contains everything the course covers and much more. This is available free of charge from the RYA.
|
