Forums > Kitesurfing General

IKO instructor course, boat license prerequisite?

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Created by curls > 9 months ago, 24 Nov 2015
curls
WA, 74 posts
24 Nov 2015 1:27PM
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Hi guys,

I'm looking at doing the IKO ITC course overseas I think or here in NSW. It seems like you need to "Have a powerboat license, a boat safety course certificate." as a prerequisite to do the course. (e.g. www.kiteboardingasia.com/instructors/training-courses/instructor-level-1-course/)

I have neither and a full powerboat license seems a bit advanced, so I was thinking of getting the boat safety course certificate.
Here in NSW it seems like it's governed by the RMS. They do an online course, found here: www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/licence/boat-pwc/boating-safety-course/index.html

Would you guys reckon that this course is sufficient for the ITC prerequisite? It's only $14 and you do it online, so it seems fairly straight forward (it even seems a bit too easy to be honest).

Has any of you guys done the ITC recently and had any experience with the boat safety course certificate? (in NSW or other state)

Cheers

Mrknownothing
QLD, 147 posts
24 Nov 2015 4:06PM
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Last year they changed it to not being a requirement. Do check though as they're a bunch of retards and likely to have changed back again.

jackforbes
WA, 530 posts
24 Nov 2015 8:05PM
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KA is accepting the WA Recreational Skippers Ticket for their course, which is reciprocally recognised by BKSA. so you'd think any logical equivalent of that should be ok... Different organisations I know, but gives you an idea/options...

KiteBud
WA, 1599 posts
24 Nov 2015 8:08PM
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that's correct, you no longer need the boat license to sign up for the IKO course or get certified as an IKO instructor.

This is a bit silly as during your course you will have to show that you are able (with the help of others) to rescue a kitesurfer from a boat. This will be done as in this video:



Most schools operate without a rescue boat, but if you ever plan to work in a school that operates in deep water and has a rescue boat they may ask you for a license and you will have to be competent at rescuing kiters from the boat, sometimes all by yourself.

Christian

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
24 Nov 2015 8:53PM
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Pilot Pete is worth asking,
Apparently does regular training days with local sea rescue

ActionSportsWA
WA, 999 posts
24 Nov 2015 9:23PM
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Hi Guys,

IKO may or may not need the license, but KA and BKSA do. This will all come down to a few things.

Duty of care: You have a duty to your customers to be suitably licensed to operate a vessel either as part of a lesson or a rescue. This could form a loop hole for an insurer to back out of a payment if an accident ocurred. To take it o the letter of the law. If you teach from a boat and carry the student out into the sea, you most likely need a coxwains certificate and a surveyed vessel. This is part of carrying "fare paying passengers" Technically it could be argued you are carrying passengers like this and theoretically land you in serious hot water if an accident happened..

School or local Authority requirements : It would be mandatory in most 1st world countries to be accredited or licensed in line with that countries/states legal requirements. Most states of Australia except NT (I think), demand you have a skippers "ticket" or license. Working on the waters using boats would just make plain sense to have your arse covered by being licensed.

As a former IKO Examiner teaching more than 200 instructors worldwide over dozens of ITC's, I can tell you, the course you are about to do contains practical assessments involving the use of a boat. In NSW, without the license, you cannot legally operate the boat and therefore will not be certified competent unless you can do this part of the course. I wouldn't think the competency certificate will cut it as you have to drive the boat! Whether IKO deem it necessary or not, to operate the boat legally, you need the ticket.

The KA system is currently about to be rolled out nationally so you are going to need to get the license anyways. Just go and do the license, it's part of your new professions necessities, just like the first aid cert.

DM

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
24 Nov 2015 9:23PM
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Not picking holes in Christians video, but a lifted motor turned off was an approach method we used in the forces, ( parachute rescue) there has been a couple of fatalities I'm aware of involving instructors and students using boats, all involved wrapped lines

curls
WA, 74 posts
25 Nov 2015 5:17AM
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Hi guys,

Thanks for pointing out recent the change of IKO rules. On the IKO website they don't mention anything about boat certificate so maybe the kiteasia and such are using old information. Anyway, I'll double check with the school where I'll do the course.

Phoney
NSW, 608 posts
25 Nov 2015 10:44AM
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Getting your boat license is a piece of p1ss. Just find a mate that already has a license so that they can fill out your logbook, otherwise you have to pay to go on a course. Then its just reading the book and sitting the knowledge test.

TurtleHunter
WA, 1675 posts
25 Nov 2015 8:19PM
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Select to expand quote
ActionSportsWA said..
Hi Guys,

IKO may or may not need the license, but KA and BKSA do. This will all come down to a few things.

Duty of care: You have a duty to your customers to be suitably licensed to operate a vessel either as part of a lesson or a rescue. This could form a loop hole for an insurer to back out of a payment if an accident ocurred. To take it o the letter of the law. If you teach from a boat and carry the student out into the sea, you most likely need a coxwains certificate and a surveyed vessel. This is part of carrying "fare paying passengers" Technically it could be argued you are carrying passengers like this and theoretically land you in serious hot water if an accident happened..




So you might have to get a charter license then too . I think if the boat is used as a rescue vessel only then none of this is needed but that may depend on your specific insurance agreement.

cauncy
WA, 8407 posts
25 Nov 2015 9:00PM
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Too much bs, must get frustrating if trying to run an operation as a kite school, viscous circle IMO, too much red tape and costs forcing respected schools that comply to put up costs or pack it in, leaving joe blogs to teach and release a dangerouse and incompetent kiter amongst the crowd, shidtz me to tears watching some of the stuff going on, regular see kiters who arnt up to beginner standard giving mates lessons

curls
WA, 74 posts
26 Nov 2015 5:57AM
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Cauncy: Lots of red tape for sure. That's why I thought I'd try to keep this one (the boat thing) to a minimum, as there's already a zillion other steps and paperwork to fill in and I don't know if I'll ever work for a school that even owns a boat. Anyway, rules are rules so I'll have to go with whatever is needed. However it seems like the boat license thing is more of a local (i.e. national) rule, rather than an IKO one, so it seems mandatory in some countries and not in other.



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