IYT in cooperation with PADI are pleased to introduce the new Dive Boat Mate and Coxswain/Captains programs – professionally recognized boating qualifications specifically targeted to meet the needs of the scuba diving industry and to develop PADI professionals maritime knowledge and skills including practical boat driving experience. The Dive Boat Mate courses were introduced due to demand from the diving industry and cover components relating to health, safety, engineering, legal and competency aspects that are required to safely operate such a boat.
These programs incorporate everything that a dive boat operator would be required to know from the moment the boat left the dock until its safe return to port and are an amazing compliment to our PADI Divemaster and Instructor training, and the courses, while dive boat specific, contain the necessary knowledge for operators to obtain various certificates of competency (COCs) issued by IYT Worldwide on behalf of the British Maritime and Coast guard Agency (MCA).
Our IYT/PADI Dive Boat Mate is conducted in conjunction with our PADI Divemaster and MSDT internships, and for already certified PADI Divemaster and Instructors can be offered as a stand alone program. The training is offered all year round, with a start date of the first week of each month and e-learning is completed independently though supported with our Instructors remedial training. The course allows our PADI pro’s to start logging sea time and once an individual has completed 180 days (4 hours = 1 day) of sea time, as dive boat crew, they are eligible to take the IYT Coxswain Boat Captains course, which we also offer at Utila Dive Centre.
Utila Dive Centre is the perfect facility to gain this experience and training, with a fleet of 6 licensed vessels for carrying passengers and dive crew, and with our own on-site docking area, bay and harbour for practice maneuvers, and dive trips scheduled every day to dive sites with mooring posts, and with drift dives, this is the perfect facility and location to gain experience and a maritime certification.
Please see the following links for more specific information on the IYT training and courses offered at Utila Dive Centre;
IYT Coxswains/Boat Captains License (For individuals who can verify 180 days at sea as crew)
The MCA boating qualifications are the most internationally recognized qualifications in the world and have, over the past ten years become the de facto world standards. N. B. These courses are by no means meant to replace any certification or licensing that may be required (by law) in the various flag state maritime jurisdictions worldwide.