BSAC Boat Handling Course

Most diving on Koh Tao is done from converted fishing boats. Goodtime runs a custom-built speedboat, which changes what’s possible in training. You’re learning on a boat that actually performs — one you’ll handle at speed, in real sea conditions, with real consequences if you get the manoeuvre wrong.

The BSAC Boat Handling course is designed for people with little or no previous experience behind the helm. Over two days you’ll cover small boat handling techniques, safety checks, voyage planning, emergency procedures, and the specific skills that matter for dive boat operations — diver drop-offs, pickups, man-overboard recovery. When you’re not at the helm, you’re working as crew, which is a different and equally useful education.

There are a maximum of three students per instructor. That ratio means you spend a lot of time actually driving, not watching someone else drive. By the end of day two you’ll have genuine feel for how the boat responds — in turns, at speed, approaching a mooring, in a recovery situation.

The qualification itself is approved by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency and recognised internationally. It’s the equivalent of RYA Powerboat Level 2 and is accepted by dive operators and maritime authorities worldwide. It’s a useful addition to a dive professional’s CV, and a standalone qualification worth having if you spend time on the water for any reason.

Goodtime is the only center on Koh Tao offering this course. Training runs with Matthew Bartlett, Goodtime’s Fleet Manager and BSAC-certified Boat Handling Instructor.