New figures show the pass rate for those sitting NSW boat licence has increased significantly since the introduction in October last year of the Compulsory Boating Safety Course.

It has now been more than two years since NSW Maritime introduced the revamped, more rigorous boat licence testing, following an independent survey of recreational boat users which revealed 98 per cent supported better boating safety education and a tougher licence test.

In October 2005, people sitting for their NSW boat driving licence were faced with a more thorough testing of their boating knowledge with tougher questions and more of them. The pass rate dropped significantly – to 50 per cent.

The following October, in 2006, it became compulsory for all people wishing to sit their boat licence test to first take part in a Compulsory Boating Safety Course. This has seen an improvement in the demonstration of boating safety knowledge, with the pass rate rising to 77 per cent – which incidentally is similar to the RTA pass rate for motor vehicle licensing.

Those wishing to undertake the course have a number of options to learn about boating safety – by attending face-to-face presentations, by on-line delivery or by DVD, or a combination of these methods. This range of methods provides flexibility for applicants as well as making the safety course accessible to people in more remote areas.

One of the major advantages of this system is that the Boating Safety Course material can be viewed more than once, giving licence applicants the opportunity to refresh what they have studied.

The course covers water traffic rules, preparing for a safe boating trip, safety equipment, navigation at night and how to avoid emergencies.

Since 1992, the number of recreational boat licences in NSW has increased by about 65 per cent and vessel registrations have nearly doubled. There are now more than 445,000 people who hold a licence to drive a recreational power boat, and almost 215,000 people who own a registered vessel.