SACE points - boat licence & water safety/rescue skills.

We believe the following list of skills training and qualifications should carry SACE points at each skills progression level.

STAGE 1

1. Safely operate a powerboat (Boat Licence)
2. Provide First Aid
3. Provide Oxygen resuscitation
4. Provide water rescue using a spinal board
5. Coxswain grade 3 Near Coastal and recreational safety boat operator

STAGE 2

1. Fleet-master safety boat operator and Supervising Master for Large group sail/kayak/canoe fleet with several rescue boat escort operators attending the fleet. 

Two disaster examples I know of, where their teen friends saved their life with CPR. All the kids in this class had been trained in boat skills and first aid.

1. A junior sailing dinghy fleet knockdown in a sudden strong wind disaster event. 

• Two kids required CPR and lived. 
• It was their friends who did CPR on top of the capsized dinghy and saved them.

2. A dispersed Kayak fleet coming out of Goolwa heading for mundoo channel. 

• Two front kayaks (Out beyond instructor recall distance) capsized in a sudden strong wind causing lake waves situation. 
• This Instructor was not skilled enough to hold the group together.

Lower Murray lakes deaths like this have occurred in the past. Adequate experience training at SACE level for all teens would be appropriate. 

Teens do not die from lack of Maths or English skills etc.  SACE Essentials ?????

BUT....... THEY CAN DIE FROM LACK OF COMPETENCY IN WATER AND BOAT SKILLS - PRIORITY EDUCATION?   SACE Essentials ?????

SA government requirements:

• Special permit, available for age 12-16. Requires theory test AND practical test. It allows skills training under close adult supervision and maximum speed 10 knots.
• Boat Licence requires theory test only after age16 no practical skills test requirement. WE CONSIDER LACK OF PRAACTICAL IS A GREAT DANGER.

We believe the Government Unrestricted SA boat Licence THEORY ONLY TEST IS UNSAFE

• We teacher the practical boating skills listed below as adequate to skipper a power boat in near coastal waters and rivers. 

BEYOND THE 2NM LIMIT = UNSAFE?

We also believe offshore boating operations beyond, 2NM from shore (when the beach cannot be seen), or at night, is a greater danger and requires higher skill level than SA Boat licence.

• Coastal navigation should be a requirement for boating in offshore waters.
• SACE Stage 2 (Coastal navigation)

Prelearning "Recreational Boating safety Handbook"

1. Class fees are negotiable and include our travel costs.
2. Any student age 12+ can be granted a Special permit - learner certificate
3. Any student 16+ can be granted the full boat licence certificate

We like to work practical boat skills training with 5 in the boat. We ask the school to arrange a fleet of properly equipped, local power boat with their skilled skippers for practical skills training. Our instructor works the training fleet as fleet master directing the whole power boat process, launch, operate, man overboard, recover boat at ramp.