ISAF Offshore Personal Sea Survival Course

[Zanshin]

Has anyone here taken this course or a similar one and how would they rate it for those who go offshore (but don't need or want an ISAF certification)?

[dana-tenacity]

I've done it recently, If you were a newbie it might be a good idea. The best thing it does is get you to think about certain situations and what you would do.
But as with anything that is legislated they teach the mainstream thought, no room for those who want to move outside the square.
EG, there are plenty of long term cruisers who are happy without a raft. I don't like radios, There was a thread here recently asking whether others prefer another solution to inflqatable PFD's, some of us do.

[Zanshin]

I see the boarding-liferaft-while-in-full-gear exercise as a good one, but the rest of the curriculum that I read from the ISAF pages do cover things that cruisers normally already have awareness of. But I haven't found the course that I really want (offshore first aid) so was looking at alternative course to fill in the time between now and the end of the hurricane season when I can get back aboard.

[dana-tenacity]

Years ago I wanted a first aid course before going cruising, the best I could find was aimed at hikers/mountain climbers. For every situation encountered they said"make the patient comfortable till help arrives" - bloody useless!

[dana-tenacity]

Sorry if I'm ranting - the course was aimed at how to get rescued, nowhere near enough on how to avoid needing to be rescueed.