Australian Sailing Safety and Sea Survival
AS Safety and sea survival and the SSSC Revalidation Course - eLearning with practical.
Your Safety and Sea Survival Certificate will be issued following completion of eLearning and practical drills.
Participants will experience practical wet drills – which include launching and boarding a life raft, setting off flares and deploying an inflatable lifejacket in water.
The SSSC Revalidation Course features case studies and learnings from recent incidents, so you can implement strategies into your own boating to keep everyone safe.
World Sailing amendment
When a revalidation course can be taken for your Safety & Sea Survival Certificate.
Changes were published in the Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) on the 20th of December 2023 which reads as follows:
6.01.05 A refresher/revalidation course may be taken to renew a certificate if the refresher/revalidation course is completed within 2 years of the expiration of the individual’s most recent Offshore Personal Survival Course certificate. If not completed within two years you will need to complete a full course.
SSS Certificate
The certificate awarded meets the eligibility requirements of section 6.01 of the World Sailing Offshore Special Regulations for Category 0, 1 and some Category 2 offshore races.
Course Synopsis
This course assists owners and/or their representatives to understand their responsibilities, and helps skippers and crew develop and practice strategies and procedures to prevent and address emergencies at sea. The course was developed by Australian Sailing (AS) to provide survival training for Offshore Sailors. It is mandatory for 50% of crew in Category 1 Offshore Races and is highly recommended for sailors in Category 2 events. Blue water cruisers will also benefit greatly from the training. If you are considering competing in any Category 1 or 2 yacht races, you should consider this course as a standard component of your on-going skills development.
“The safety of a boat and her crew is the sole and inescapable responsibility of the owner, or owner’s representative who must do their best to ensure that the boat is fully found, thoroughly seaworthy and manned by an experienced crew who are physically fit to face bad weather. He must be satisfied as to the soundness of hull, spars, rigging, sails and all gear. He must ensure that all safety equipment is properly maintained and stowed and that the crew know where it is kept and how it is to be used.”
(World Sailing Approved Offshore Personal Survival Course)
AS Special Regulations, Addendum A.1, Section 1, Regulation 1.02 (a) OWNER’S RESPONSIBILITY.
Australian Sailing Safety and Sea Survival Course
This is delivered as an e-learning course, combined with the practical wet drills and flare demonstrations.
Online e-Learning
This is an online course. After you have enrolled, we will send your login details. The SSSC e-learning course takes around 6 hours to complete. The content is structured so you can review the material as fast or as slow as you feel comfortable.
Get your Sea Safety & Survival Certificate
To achieve an Australian Sailing SSSC accreditation, you will need to complete the eLearning course, the online theory exam, and the practical wet drills.
Theory Exam
Wet Drills
It is a requirement to complete a 25 multiple-choice question exam, included in the eLearning course, with a successful pass mark of 80% (20 correct). We recommend completing this prior to participating in wet drill activities.
The practical wet drills and flare demonstrations must be completed within 12 months of completing the eLearning and exam.
Your AS Safety & Sea Survival Certificate will be issued on the completion date of the practical wet drills by Pacific Sailing School an accredited Australian Sailing Training Centre.
SSSC full course – 6 hours of eLearning and 4 hours of wet drills and flare demonstrations.
SSSC Revalidation – 3-4 hours of eLearning and 4 hours of wet drills and optional flare demonstrations.
What you will learn
- To assist offshore skippers and crews in developing awareness of respective responsibilities.
- To offer and discuss practical strategies for coping with emergencies at sea.
- To familiarize skippers and crews with safety and emergency equipment, its purpose, deployment, and use.
- The course is taught by Pacific Sailing School’s qualified instructors.
Keys dates:
- Course access is for 12 months – during this time, the eLearning and assessment must be completed.
- Once you have completed the assessment, you can review the course material at any point during the 12-month period.
- Once you have completed the assessment, you have 12 months from that date to take part in a practical wet drill session to complete your AS certification.
- The 5-year renewal date is from the date of completing the wet drill.