Safety & Sea Survival Refresher Course

The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria is Australia’s most popular and well-regarded Safety & Sea Survival Certificate and Refresher Course provider. Our instructors are a vastly experienced group of committed ocean-going sailors. The course content is provided in line with Australian Sailing’s Accredited Course Provider standards. It has been honed and developed over many years to provide the best practical and theoretical examples possible to ensure a sound knowledge of Safety & Sea Survival.

A Safety & Sea Survival Certificate (SSS) is valid for five years. Check your current Safety & Sea Survival (SSS) validity here.

ORCV offers a refresher course designed for active offshore racing and cruising sailors. If your expired SSS is within 2 years, you can revalidate by completing the SSS Refresher course which will provide certification for a further five years.  If your SSS is more than 2 years old, as per Australian Sailing Special Regulation 6.01 you will need to undertake the full SSS course.

To be re-certified by an ORCV instructor, you must:

• Complete the eLearning theory and exam before attending your in-person day
• Attend an in-person day and demonstrate competency in set tasks

The dates below are for your in-person day. Please choose your date carefully knowing that you must complete the theory via the ORCV self-paced eLearning platform prior to attending. You will be enrolled in the theory soon after booking into a practical day. You can start and stop and redo sections as you need, it will take several hours to complete.

The in-person sessions are a mixture of instructor-led classroom discussions and practical exercises. They are conducted at Wesley College (St Kilda Campus) from 9 am to 4 pm. To maximise your learning, we conduct the wet drill practical in a heated swimming pool.

In-Person SSS Refresher Course Dates

Sunday 1 June 2025

Sunday 7 September 2025

Sunday 30 November 2025

Cost

$320 - ORCV Members’ Discount Rate *
$420 - Non-ORCV Members
$150 - Youth (16-25 years old)

*Join ORCV prior to booking your course and immediately take advantage of ORCV Members’ Discount on your SSSC booking. Learn more about ORCV Membership, how to support our great club, and member benefits on courses and races.

Part 1 Theory - Online Study and Exam

ORCV’s experienced instructors have created a comprehensive e-learning package that provides the flexibility of self-paced learning.

Soon after booking your course with us, you will be emailed with details to access the online material and exam. You can set your own timeframe for learning, however, the online exam component must be completed before taking part in the Practical Day.

Part 2 The Practical Day - Wet Drill, Flare Shoot and Incident Review

This day focuses on updates on equipment & regulations and safety information plus revisiting the practical skills in the use of life rafts and lifejackets (PFD), as well as handheld flares. A group discussion will take place where valuable lessons can be learned from recent past incidents offshore. All attendees will receive a pack that includes the latest Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Sea Survival Handbook.

What to bring & Location Details

Click here to find out what you need to bring and more about the location