Upon successful completion of the course and written exam, you will be presented a “certificate of completion” from the SBSA. The certificate of completion is recognized by SBSA member institutions as well as USF&WS, USGS, and NOAA PIFSC as proof of training, and is valid for five years. Your host institution may have further training for you to complete before you may operate institutional watercraft.

Typically, the course starts at 8 AM and ends at 5 PM for each of the three days. The first day typically covers all the lectures and pool demonstration and day 2-3 is mostly hands-on demonstrations and boat handling.

The course is rigorously designed around a 24 hour minimum standard, you should wait and take the course when you can commit to the full schedule.

This depends on time of year, but be prepared for a mix of conditions that range from hot and dry to cold and wet. Typically, the boats used for training are unprotected small craft and you can expect to be wet some of the time. Non-cotton, breathable, water-shedding fabric is preferred. For Spring & Summer courses bring plenty of sunscreen. For Fall & Winter courses bring foul weather gear.

A limited number of PFDs are available. If you don’t have a personal PFD, check with your home institution first. If your home institution cannot provide an appropriate PFD, notify your course instructor that you will need a PFD prior to the start of the course. All participants must have a fitted PFD to operate the watercraft and for survival training in a pool or confined water setting.

No, the course is specifically designed to teach the fundamental skills of boating safety to the novice operator.

No, the MOTC covers the basic skills you will need to safely trailer, launch and retrieve a boat. We do recommend that you practice this skill after the course, as it is very useful.

Both students and instructors will benefit from your experience. While the MOTC is an introductory course, many maritime professionals have been surprised by the breadth of information that is presented in three days.

The in-water exercise consist of treading water for short durations and are conducted in a pool or confined water where PFD’s are used. Notify your instructor that you prefer to have a PFD for the in-water exercises.

The MOTC does not cover operation of specific hardware but does a good job covering the basics of safe boat handling and navigation. Ask your instructor or your peers about the equipment you are learning and they may be able to assist outside the regular course curricula.