BoatUS OWT is a program administered by the BoatUS Foundation, to bring safe and responsible powerboat instruction to locations throughout the United States.

BoatUS OWT courses are held at a variety of locations. Boat clubs, boating schools, community events, dealerships, and marinas host our events.

Trainers for the BoatU.S. OWT program are Coast Guard OUPV -6 holders and above, who are drug tested by their employer or are part of a drug testing consortium. If they work for Freedom Boat Club they are trained in their curriculum, and if they are working directly as a contractor to BoatUS they are trained to instruct a number of different curriculums including but not limited to; NSBC, NASBLA, and US Powerboating.

While this can’t be guaranteed, we typically strive to provide center or dual consoles, or bowriders-all with a single outboard or Inboard/Outboard. These boats range from 18’-26’. Occasionally we will offer specialized courses where we will utilize a boat with dual engines.

In order to maximize “helm time” for each student, we only allow a maximum of four students per instructor/session.

No. Currently our courses are for personal enrichment and skill development only. In no way do these courses satisfy any state or other legal requirement for boater safety education. Currently, there is no state requirement for on water training. The Coast Guard, states and other boating safety experts all recommend on-water, hands-on training as follow-up to a NASBLA-approved boating safety course to cement knowledge and improve safety and as well as confidence on the water.

At this time, the BoatUS OWT program is NOT approved by NASBLA or the On-Water Standards Program.

No, you do not need to have a boating safety certificate or license to participate in this program.

After completing the course, you may be emailed a certificate of completion for the specific course you completed. Again, this certificate does not satisfy any state or government requirement for boating safety education.

Our courses are typically offered in modules with a length of 3 hours and can vary slightly depending on the number of students on the vessel.

For courses held at Freedom Boat Club, all students must be 21 or older. For courses at other locations, students must be 18 or older, unless stated otherwise. This is subject to change based on the boat provider’s requirements.

We will make every attempt to conduct your course on the date and time selected. Wind specifically, can impact the type of boat we train on and the effectiveness of the instruction. However, safety is our number one priority and if the forecast calls for conditions that are deemed unsafe or unsuitable for instruction, the course will be cancelled and a refund will be issued.

Please visit www.boatus.org/onwater to see our full schedule of courses.