THe 3 STEPS TO GETTING YOUR BOAT OR PWC LICENCE
Step 1 - Doing the online training course
The first thing you need to do is go to the online portal and get started on the course.
You need to pay upfront for this course and allow up to 6 hrs to complete the online training course. Many people do the online training in a shorter time. It really depends on your familiarity with this type of training and computer literacy. But don't worry if your a "newby", plenty of complete novices successfully get through the course ok.
You can do it in 1 go if you like, or save your progress at any time and come back to it.
Our online team are only a quick message away at most times to help if you have any issues.
Step 2 Practical training and assessment
After you have completed the online course, (including the assessment exercises in the course), you still need to come to us and have further assessment and some practical training in person.
We will need to organise a time that suits both you and us to do this.
We do appreciate that many people want this process completed "yesterday" and we seek to please you as much as possible. Sometimes the day that suits you, or doesn't suit us, for a variety of reasons. We might have other bookings already, we may be away, or our assessor, Andrew, might be tied up with his current part-time job, which takes him out of town.
Rest assured though, we do place a high priority on YOU, as our customer and so long as we can communicate, as you have some flexibility, we will ALWAYS come up with a solution that suits you.
The actual assessment day will take around 2 to 3 hours. It involves doing a supervised written (multi-choice) exam. This is done despite the fact you have answered similar questions in the online course, because, let's face it (and I'm not suggesting anyone does the wrong thing), but it is conceivable that the online course might be done by a person other than the person who's name is registered.
So we do another exam to ensure the integrity of the process.
After the written exams are done and passed we go out in the boat or jetski and we will train you on what is expected. This will take the length of time that matches your level of experience. Don't worry if you are a complete novice. We will give you all the time you need.
We then go to an "assessment" phase of the practical where you are asked to do certain things that you have been trained on. Similar to a car driving test.
Stage 3 Getting your licence
After successfully completing the practical assessment we issue you with a "Statement of competency."
Its very important to realise that this is not a licence and it is valid for 6 months from the date of issue.
In order to be licenced you must take that statement, your ID documents (Current Drivers licence is enough) and a completed Application for Boat/PWC Licence into a Queensland Transport Customer Service Centre to be actually issued with your licence.
You must pay a fee. Its currently around $120 per licence, but it is a once off fee. Not annual like in other states.
Please remember that until you have done ALL of these 3 steps, you will not be licenced.
Please also know that if you wait longer than 6 months from the date of issue, your statement of competency will have expired and you will be required to be re-trained and assessed. This will incur retraining and re-assessment fees.
WHAT IF I FAIL?
Yes, it is possible to be unsuccessful , either the written part or the practical or both.
We are serious about safety and we want you and your companions to be safe on the water.
Sometimes, for whatever reason, people, are just not quite ready and if this occurs we will tell you and advise you of your options.
Generally this will mean that we will organise another assessment on another day. This will involve a re-assessment fee.
We are most definitely not in the business of failing people to "suck" more money out of you. We don't fail people because we don't like something personal about you. It just means, that in our experienced opinion, you just were not ready.
We like to think we are highly professional and we take our role seriously. We will do everything we can including extra training if required, but once we commence the assessment phase, we need to treat it as such.