Sea Survival Course

[Laurin]

Does anybody have any experience of a really good sea survival course. As I understand it many places do the one day course, but some have a special swimming pool with wave machines and sound effects.... anybody know which these are?

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[tcm]

Re: stormy swimming pool

ooh, let me know if you find the swimmig pool with sound effects and waves. It sounds ace! Do they have massive wind machine and blast water in your face too? and a sort of floaty cockpit thing at one end where you can all crouch in and see if you can hang on? Much cheaper than those Challenger boats and you just have an hour or so to get it completely out of your system.

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[snowleopard]

contact the rya who will send you a list of schools doing the course.

there are two types, both of which are accepted for the commercial endorsement: the yachties one which is pretty tame and the commercial which is the serious stuff (i opted for the former as i didn't want swmbo to be too freaked).

if you're near the south coast, the one at warsash is the one you want.

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[Magic_Sailor]

I did mine at Southampton Water Activities Centre via Southern Sailing. No Spielberg effects but very good nevertheless.

Southern Sailing 01489 575511

Magic



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[wayneA]

Hi Kas

The course you want is at The Fleetwood Naval College. They have 'The' special sea survival centre there - Yes with 2 metre waves, smoke, pyrotechnics and simulated helicopter winch out. They do a lot of MCA, merchant navy and pilot survival training there.

My Wife and I did the course earlier this year and found it excellent. The only thing they didn't simulate was cold shock - as the pool had been heated to 30 deg for the actors of 'Coronation Street' who were filming there at the time?

1 day course, first half of the day theory - second half in the pool. Great fun and well worth doing.

I haven't got the contact details with me at the moment - but will find out and post later.

Hope this helps

Cheers

Wayne


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[wayneA]

Fleetwood Nautical Campus

The course runs at; Fleetwood Nautical Campus, Broadwater, Fleetwood, Fy78JZ
Tel: 01253 779123

Cost approx £110 per person.

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[Escapeii]

Working offshore occasionally back in the 80s & 90s I was always sent to the school in Aberdeen, then known as RGIT and now as RGU. A bit far from Essex, but the courses were excellent. As to whether they do a one day course I do not know. I'm sure they'll have a web site to tell you more.

The courses always left me thinking 'god I hope this never happens to me for real.'

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[jimd]

Did mine at the Nutec centre at middlesborough,they also do the oil rig courses including helicopter crashes. Good Fun.

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[Heckler]

yeah i went there the robert gordon something something, exciting, real, turned you upside down in a heli mockup and made you swim out, put you in a swimming pool with wind sound and lack of light and some ahole with a fire hose who took great delight in squirting it in your face until you remembered to put your hand over your mouth and nose so that you could breath. then put you in the smoke house with real smoke and made you get out, v realistic and gave much confidence

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[Dyflin]

I also did the course in Fleetwood. I can highly reccommend it. The pool was cold enough and they turned the cold water showers on us too! Plus, they're a lovely bunch of lads there.



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[Laurin]

Thanks everyone..... sounds better than Alton Towers!

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[stephenh]

If you are nearer the south try Warsash , nr Southampton 01489 576 161, they use Andark Divings special pool with all the bells and whistles. Not only bangs noise, rain and wave effects but in the dark...
And your liferaft is always upside down and at the wrong end of the pool....

have fun

Stephen

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[BrianJ]

For the Syd/Hbt, Mel/Hbt and Mel/Dvp races you now have to have pased the SeaSurvival Course. Ours was run over 3 weekends and startd in a wave pool , where you had to inflate the raft, climb in, help others in etc. All this had to b done in your full wet weather gear , plus the life jacket. Now that was a lesson in itself.. never use those cumbersome life jackets stuffed eith either foam or old rags or whatever they use. Its very difficult to get that hugh "hump" over the edge of the raft.
THen you had to right the raft by yourself , while these " waves " were doing all sorts of things to you....

Its an essential course to do . Go for it.

Brian J

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