[azwarian]

hi all,

im currently in australia about to move to the cayman islands on a 6-12 month contract for work as a dive instructor, after which I would like to join the super yacht industry and climb the ranks to a first mate / bosun role.

now what im trying to decide is whether it would be better for me to do my stcw95 and 5 day deckie course here in aus (some reputable and good courses available) or wait until after my work contract is up and I'm ready to jump into the industry as everything would still be fresh.

that being said, does anyone know of any decent and reputable places around the Caribbean area that won't break the bank and give me the training needed to break into the industry eg deckie training with tender driving, radio use, navigation etc and with these qualifications on top of my instructor rating what are the chances of me securing a position on a yacht with an opportunity to get more qualifications and climb the ranks?

any tips or advice would be much appreciated

many thanks in advance

[Capt J]

To answer your question, I don't know anything about schools in the Carribbean.

That being said, the aspects you want to learn are best learned in real life and not during a 1-2 week class. You have a good start by working as a dive instructer in the Caymens. Make friends with the local Captain's and the Captain's on the dive boats you will be on and see if they'll let you practice and do those activities. I'm sure if you hang out at enough marina's down there, you'll get invites to go out on small boats and this and that. Also, I've found that many people are more than willing to help people without experience if you just ask and are a nice person. Just keep in mind that you want to learn from someone that is going to teach you properly.

[azwarian]

awesome, thanks for the quick reply and info

I agree it's better to learn "on the job" so you can be trained the way a captain wants you to be, but having no experience or traininv as a deckie makes it a little difficult to know if your being taught things properly or not...

STCW95 is a must-have and I'm sure there would be somewhere around there that offers it considering the high number of super yachts etc located there.

thanks again mate!!

[tirekicker11]

Originally Posted by azwarian

now what im trying to decide is whether it would be better for me to do my stcw95 and 5 day deckie course here in aus (some reputable and good courses available) or wait until after my work contract is up and I'm ready to jump into the industry as everything would still be fresh.

Having the 5 day deckie course done before you go to work as a dive instructor will improve your chances of getting and keeping work in the dive industry. Teaching DSD and OW courses all day long over an extended time can become quite mind numbing so it would be nice if you could do a bit of boat driving as well. Apart from that you don't know what your financial situation will be like after your diving contract...

[CaptPKilbride]

Originally Posted by azwarian

awesome, thanks for the quick reply and info

I agree it's better to learn "on the job" so you can be trained the way a captain wants you to be, but having no experience or traininv as a deckie makes it a little difficult to know if your being taught things properly or not...

STCW95 is a must-have and I'm sure there would be somewhere around there that offers it considering the high number of super yachts etc located there.

thanks again mate!!

Really the only way to know if you are being taught things properly or not is after you have a bit of experience under your own belt. Work for several different captains and learn what you can from each one. As you develop your own skill set, reinforce what you thought each captain did that was good, and discard what you thought was bad.

If I was in your shoes I would wait til my contract was up, then head to Lauderdale and take the week long basic safety for STCW there, and if the timing is right you could get on a yacht there in an entry level position.

[azwarian]

definitely, i think the stcw95 and a good attitude with willingness to work hard should be enough to get an entry level position doing a bit of day work etc and absorb as much as i can in hopes of securng something long term. cheers guys cant wait !!