Atmospheric Pool for Sea Survival

[st599]

Hi

Does anyone know of a company that runs the RYA Sea Survival course in a atmospheric pool?

I have some friends that fancy the full, freezing, rolling experience.

 

[Sandy]

What weird people!

I've struggled to find a training centre who offers this locally. Personally, I want a warm pool to do this stuff in as it is a learning experience and I want to be able to undertake this activity without bits freezing and falling off.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Hi

Does anyone know of a company that runs the RYA Sea Survival course in a atmospheric pool?

I have some friends that fancy the full, freezing, rolling experience.

Fleetwood Nautical Campus...

https://fleetwoodnautical.blackpool.ac.uk/

 

[Lightwave395]

I did the course in Hamble, the school (can't remember which, sorry) used the Warsash Maritime College pool. It was pretty atmospheric - storms, waves, lightning etc.
Most Hamble schools use (or used to use) either the Warsash college or the the Andark pool in Swanwick

 

[scotty123]

Hi

Does anyone know of a company that runs the RYA Sea Survival course in a atmospheric pool?

I have some friends that fancy the full, freezing, rolling experience.

Andark, they do stcw95 .

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

Definitely Warsash, there must be one at Gravesend, probly S.Shields.

 

[bikedaft]

We used a beach, and an old liferaft. Well worth it, and free. Kids loved it too. A more realistic water temperature

 

[Rosa]

I've done a couple of survival courses there and recommend them.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

A good few years ago the environmental simulation of temperature, waves, wind, rain and lightening was stopped at least in Aberdeen schools. It became apparent that it served no purpose and in fact hindered practical learning. This was for oil and gas offshore sea survival. I don't know if this was nationwide, or if it was optional, but it is not a requirement in the OPITO syllabus anymore; perhaps STCW for mariners it is. It's notable that helicopter gearbox failure and oil and gas explosions and ones reaction to them, is not really weather dependent. Both Piper Alpha and Deep Water Horizon were in benign weather. It would be worth asking the centres directly to verify any recommendations. My last survival was 2017 and the water was cool but not unbearably cold.

 

[scotty123]

Definitely Warsash, there must be one at Gravesend, probly S.Shields.

Warsash use andark.

 

[capnsensible]

There used to be a fun filled day out at one in Horsea Lake in Portsmouth.

After a morning of lectures one would be invited to don a once only suit, climb a high board and jump in to a rather smelly and freezing cold lake. Especially in February. Then swim to the liferaft and if you are an early arrival, help to turn it the right way up before climbing in. Once fully boarded, being towed up and down the lake by a rib can add that extra level of realism by inducing vomiting amongst probably half of the survivors.
Joy. Oh and for the best experience it should be raining.

Only snag really is that you have to join the Navy first.......

 

[prv]

Andark, they do stcw95 .

They don’t have the waves and wind that the OP’s looking for, though. I did my RYA Sea Survival there and the most we got was the instructor rinsing us down with a garden hose

(I have also done the offshore course for work that BoB refers to; as he says, no waves there either although some of the helicopter escapes were required to be in the dark. Makes no difference to me since I can’t open my eyes underwater and do it all by feel either way )

Pete

 

[scotty123]

They don’t have the waves and wind that the OP’s looking for, though. I did my RYA Sea Survival there and the most we got was the instructor rinsing us down with a garden hose

(I have also done the offshore course for work that BoB refers to; as he says, no waves there either although some of the helicopter escapes were required to be in the dark. Makes no difference to me since I can’t open my eyes underwater and do it all by feel either way )

Pete

Yes they do.
The pool is rough, they have flashing lights/klaxons simulating abandon ship, whilst the 'victims' donned with Titanic type Board of Trade life vest, jump from a high board & have to right a very large raft & climb onboard.
It is designed for the marine industry, not yachties.

 

[Ohlin Karcher]

The STCW ones will be more fun for sure. You get to wear a solid lifejacket and boiler suit in the pool,
I have a feeling that nowhere allows people to wear what they would be wearing on a yacht, such as thermals, warm clothing, 2 pairs of sodden rugby socks, a couple of wooly hats, soggy gloves, oilskins containing torch, VHF, knife, multitool, Mars bar, squashed pork pie and crumpled invoice from previous marina, topped off with a life jacket and tether..

 

[capnsensible]

The STCW ones will be more fun for sure. You get to wear a solid lifejacket and boiler suit in the pool,
I have a feeling that nowhere allows people to wear what they would be wearing on a yacht, such as thermals, warm clothing, 2 pairs of sodden rugby socks, a couple of wooly hats, soggy gloves, oilskins containing torch, VHF, knife, multitool, Mars bar, squashed pork pie and crumpled invoice from previous marina, topped off with a life jacket and tether..

Less is more. We just picked up a mooring for lunch. My polo shirt and shorts got a tad damp in the beat up here but sun dried them out. We are about 50 metres off a nudie beach. Not a hat in sight.....

 

[scotty123]

Less is more. We just picked up a mooring for lunch. My polo shirt and shorts got a tad damp in the beat up here but sun dried them out. We are about 50 metres off a nudie beach. Not a hat in sight.....

Plenty of helmets presumably.

 

[Leighb]

I have only once done a Sea Survival course. That was at RAF Mountbatten in Plymouth. A day or two of lectures then the "practical". They took us out into the harbour in a RAF launch on a freezing November morning dressed in winter flying gear with lifejackets. They lobbed an uninflated liferaft in the sea and we all had to jump in after it, get it inflated and then climb in. As it was flat calm they drove the launch round and round us for about 30mins to give us a feeling of being at sea. Very unpleasant it was too!! Not sure how instructive it was other than to make us feel that we would rather not go there in the first place.

 

[pagoda]

Yes they do.
The pool is rough, they have flashing lights/klaxons simulating abandon ship, whilst the 'victims' donned with Titanic type Board of Trade life vest, jump from a high board & have to right a very large raft & climb onboard.
It is designed for the marine industry, not yachties.

That said - I've done many offshore survival courses in the past, the more unpleasant it is simply brings into focus the nature of the marine environment and how you might deal with it as a threatened human being. When the metaphorical SH** his the propelling device, some people are stronger in spirit than others (not drams either). Having done some ugly, scary courses is no bad thing. Being comfortable with water (broadest sense) goes a long way to coping with unplanned immersion. The continued watering down of such courses does nobody any favours.

 

[prv]

Yes they do.
The pool is rough

How do they make waves in this pool without all the water escaping?

Pete

 

[ShinyShoe]

Waves happen in the sea and it's water doesn't escape