RYA VHF/SRC Radio
Booking details
Please select your preferred start date below.
Please select your preferred start date below.
Joining Instructions: Please click here for course joining instructions
Recommended Reading: The home learning notes and questions can be found here
Course Prerequisites: No assumed knowledge
VHF Exam Booking: Please use this link direct to the RYA Website to book and pay for your VHF exam
Minimum Age: No minimum but Under 16’s must be accompanied by adult. Persons aged 16+ can be unaccompanied subject to the other pre-requisites having been met
This is a one day classroom based course. The Short Range Certificate (SRC) is the minimum qualification required by law to operate the VHF or VHF Digital Selective Calling (DSC) equipment (radio) on any British flagged vessel carrying a radio.
This includes both fixed and handheld equipment using International channels, and the general operation and etiquette of the radios.
The RYA SRC/VHF Radio Course is designed to help you understand the important legal concepts and maritime SRC/VHF regulations and how they will affect you whilst out on the water.
A VHF radio is a key piece of safety equipment on board and it is vital to understand the correct procedures and operations for its safe use. Unnecessary transmissions could block-out a Mayday distress call or endanger someone’s life.
The RYA SRC/VHF Radio Course includes a wide variety of real-life situations – both routine and distress. Using real VHF radios in our dedicated VHF classroom, making radio calls to your fellow students in the classroom it provides an amazing hands-on experience using equipment you will find on most boats in use today.
You will also look at with other safety equipment which is covered in the course, like SARTs, EPIRBs and PLBs, how they operate and their use in real-life situations.
Courses run in a single format:
The RYA SRC/VHF Radio operator course usually takes approximately 6-8 hours
Please note we do not provide catering on this course. There are plenty of local facilities within a couple of minutes walk of the marina however. We do provide free tea, coffe and hot chocolate on the course.
When you have completed your course you are eligible to attend the SRC/VHF exam. This is normally held after the course. This does make the day very long. Successful completion of the exam will result in you being awarded your VHF/SRC licence (To be applied-for separately).
On our course there is approximately 3-4 hours of pre-course learning that we recommend you undertake. This can be found by clicking on this link here.
The Exam. This 1 hour session needs to legally take place at an RYA Recognised Training School.
You can sit the exam in our dedicated VHF training facility at the end of the course, or you are free to sit the exam at any other Registered RYA Centre that is SRC accredited.
There is an exam fee of £60 which is paid directly to the RYA via this link here. Students must be 16 yrs old in order to be able to sit the operators exam.
This is the perfect course for anyone going afloat.
The ability to clearly and safely call for assistance and communicate with the Coastguard or other boats via VHF radio is a vital tool for anyone onboard, weather you are the skipper, first mate or even a crewmember or passenger.
Being able to properly operate the VHF radio is essential. From calling for assistance, general communications between vessels and of course giving the marina the all important call for a berth for the night.
It’s a long day but incredibly informative and rewarding. The certificate is yours for life if you pass the exam at the end. This will give you a skill that could save lives in the future.
We really recommend this course for anyone operating a vessel as crew or skipper due to the need to be properly licenced.
Booking a charter holiday abroad it is now more commonplace for the holiday company to ask for someone on the boat to be qualified to operate the VHF radio.
Please select your preferred start date below.
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A fantastic weekend of sailing, almost 130 NM in all, with a relaxed, but fully engaging skipper. Great set up and brilliant on the admin. Thanks Stef, Tom et al!
Nick BI did a weeks coastal skipper course getting ready for my yacht master and I have to say it was one of the best training weeks I’ve had - our training instructor was superb, exactly the sort of person that you want. He could inspire, provide discipline and impart knowledge as well as let you learn through your own mistakes. Tom and Steph run an excellent operation there and I highly recommend it. They’re flexible and very helpful when it comes to your journey into being a qualified sailor.
Nigel Frith