Training

Washington Sea Grant offers a range of classes and workshops that help marine professionals improve their skills, while promoting a safer, pollution-free environment. Other classes provide community members with tools for supporting their marine environment.

Sea Safety and Survival (Drill Instructor) and

Fisherman First Aid and Safety Training (FFAST)

Workshops

Washington Sea Grant and the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) co-sponsor workshops throughout Puget Sound and coastal Washington.

Sea Safety and Survival (Drill Instructor) Workshops

The Coast Guard-approved Sea Safety and Survival workshops meet the training requirements of the Commercial Fishing Safety Act to conduct drills. Coursework combines lecture and hands-on experience with the safety and survival equipment now required for commercial fishing vessels. Participants will learn about emergency procedures and be trained to develop appropriate emergency drills for their own vessels. Coursework also covers topics including: putting on an immersion suit in 60 seconds, deploying a life raft, personal flotation devices (PFDs), giving a mayday call, talking the HELP/huddle position, jumping from a vessel in the event of an emergency, extinguishing a fire, putting on a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), starting a dewatering pump, wiring a station bill, and minimizing flooding.

Fishermen First Aid and Safety Training (FFAST)

The Fishermen First Aid and Safety Training was built to help commercial fishermen prevent and treat injuries they may encounter at sea. It takes into account the small crews, common injuries, vessel environments, cold water, rough seas, and delayed emergency response times typical to Pacific Northwest fisheries. Successful completion of this course will fulfill the Coast Guard requirements for CPR and AED basic first aid.

The Drill Instructor and FFAST courses complement each other, and WSG often holds them together. Captains and boat owners are encouraged to bring their whole crew!

Upcoming Workshops and Registration:

Pre-registration is required. Register at the links below, or contact Robert Maw, WSG fisheries specialist, rmaw@uw.edu or (775) 721-3376.

New Fisherman Skills and Drills Workshop

The 2025 Skills and Drills Workshop is full! This course will be offered again in 2026.

Washington Sea Grant is convening a two-day Skills and Drills Course for new or beginning commercial fishermen in South Bend, Washington.

This course is geared towards individuals interested in learning the necessary skills to enter the commercial fishing industry. No experience is required.

The course will cover the following topics:

Basics of welding
Fiberglass repairs
Vessel handling
Navigation
Maintenance of inboard and outboard engines
Fishing gear repair (net mending and knot tying)
Marine hydraulics
Marine electronics
Vessel cleaning and safe product handling

Space is limited to 24 participants.

Pre-registration is required.

For more details, including scholarship information, contact Robert Maw, rmaw@uw.edu.

Who: Anyone ages 18 and up who is interested in gaining basic skills that may be required onboard a West Coast commercial fishing vessel.

Cost: $100.

What to bring:

Working clothes, deck boots and rain jacket (we will be boarding a vessel and may have some outside sessions). Coffee, lunch, and all training materials and equipment will be provided.

WSG Workshops

Clean and Simple Workshops
Coastal Flood Risk Reduction Course
Corrosion Control
Diesel Engine Troubleshooting
Financial Planning and Marketing for Fisherman
U.S. Coast Guard-Approved First Aid at Sea
Fishermen’s Direct Marketing
Oil Spill Prevention Training
Rules of the Road/Practical Navigation

Marine Weather
Marine Wiring
U.S. Coast Guard-Approved Sea Safety
Sea Level Rise Adaption Course
Training for Shoreline and Coastal Planners
Vessel and Boatyard Maintenance
Youth Coldwater Safety