Survival course on the high seas
Why this course?
The High Seas Survival
This course prepares you to face emergency situations in the maritime environment. Learn essential techniques to stay safe, from the correct use of lifesaving equipment to administering first aid in extreme conditions. Master survival strategies, including building improvised shelters, obtaining water and food, and emergency communication. This course gives you the skills and confidence needed to act effectively in critical situations.
High Seas Survival
Differentiating Advantages
- Practical Simulations: Experience realistic scenarios in a controlled environment.
- Expert Instructors: Learn from professionals with extensive experience in maritime survival.
- Specialized Equipment: Familiarize yourself with the use of life rafts, immersion suits, and other essential equipment.
- Recognized Certification: Obtain a certificate that validates your knowledge and skills in offshore survival.
- Comprehensive Preparation: Develop the mental and physical resilience necessary to face any challenge at sea.
- Modality: Online
- Level: Cursos
- Hours: 150 H
- Start date: 25-07-2026
Availability: 1 in stock
Who is it aimed at?
- Merchant mariners and fishing vessel crew members seeking to update or certify their knowledge of shipwreck survival techniques.
- Oil platform and offshore wind farm workers needing specialized training to handle emergencies at sea.
- Personnel of recreational craft and yachts wishing to improve their safety and that of their passengers during ocean voyages.
- Members of maritime rescue teams and coast guards seeking to refine their skills in search and rescue operations.
- Adventurers and ocean navigators requiring comprehensive preparation to face the challenges of the environment marine.
Training Flexibility
Adaptable to your schedule: intensive in-person options and online options with simulations, complemented by pool practice and real-life exercises.
Objectives and competencies
Implement rescue and first aid techniques:
“Perform a quick and accurate assessment of the victim, prioritizing the safety of the rescuer and using the PAS protocol (Protect, Alert, Assist) to apply the necessary basic life support and mobilization techniques until the arrival of specialized medical assistance.”
Building and maintaining group morale under extreme conditions:
Encourage open and honest communication, promoting trust and mutual support within the team to face challenges with resilience and optimism.
Efficiently manage available resources in emergency situations:
“Prioritize the safety of human life, the protection of the environment and assets, optimizing the use of equipment, materials and personnel according to established protocols and continuous risk assessment.”
Identify and mitigate specific hazards in the maritime environment:
“Interpret meteorological and oceanographic information, adapting navigation to adverse conditions and planning safe routes.”
Implement emergency communication protocols and effective signage:
Employ standardized procedures (IMO/national), communicating clearly and concisely to authorities (MRCC/coastal) and stakeholders, documenting actions.
Navigating using improvised means and observation of the environment:
Interpreting the environment (wind, current, waves) and adapting navigation to minimize risks and optimize the route.
Curriculum - Modules
- Comprehensive Maritime Incident Management: protocols, roles, and chain of command for coordinated response
- Operational Planning and Execution: briefing, routes, weather windows, and go/no-go criteria
- Rapid Risk Assessment: criticality matrix, scene control, and decision-making under pressure
- Operational Communication: VHF/GMDSS, standardized reports, and inter-agency liaison
- Tactical Mobility and Safe Boarding: RHIB maneuvers, approach, mooring, and recovery
- Equipment and Technologies: PPE, signaling, satellite tracking, and field data logging
- Immediate Care of the Affected: primary assessment, hypothermia, trauma, and stabilization for evacuation
- Adverse Environmental Conditions: swell, Visibility, flows, and operational mitigation
Simulation and training: critical scenarios, use of VR/AR, and exercises with performance metrics
Documentation and continuous improvement: lessons learned, indicators (MTTA/MTTR), and SOP updates
- International legislation and regulations: SOLAS, LSA Code, IMO.
- Types of lifeboats: open, closed, partially closed, self-righting.
- Types of life rafts: inflatable, rigid, capacity and equipment.
- Emergency equipment: rations, water, first aid kit, pyrotechnic signals, EPIRB (Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacon), search and rescue transponder (SART).
- Preparing for abandoning ship: situation assessment, decision-making, communication.
- Abandonment procedures: task assignment, appropriate clothing (immersion suit, life jacket).
- Launching and launching techniques: davits, ramps, free fall, safety considerations.
- Survival at sea: first aid First aid, rationing, basic navigation, morale maintenance.
Operation and maintenance of boats and rafts: inspections, tests, basic repairs.
Rescue: rescue procedures, communication with rescue teams, recovery techniques.
‘
- Abandonment Theory: Causes, mental and physical preparation
- Individual Abandonment Equipment: Immersion suits, life jackets, emergency lights
- Life Rafts: Types, components, operation, and launching
- Abandonment Procedures: Signals, communications, crew roles
- Survival at Sea: Drinking water, food, protection from the weather
- Life Raft Operation: Steering, stabilization, canopy deployment
- Basic First Aid: CPR, hemorrhage control, burn treatment
- Hypothermia and Drowning: Prevention, symptoms, and treatment
- Communications
Emergency Radios: Emergency radios, flares, smoke signals
Search and Rescue Coordination: Procedures and collaboration with rescuers
‘
- Types of Abandonment: Preliminary Considerations, Situation Assessment, and Decision Making.
- Emergency Equipment: Emergency Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), Search and Rescue Arrays (SARTs), Communication Equipment.
- Lifeboats: Types, Construction, Equipment, Provisions, and Water.
- Liferafts: Types, Construction, Equipment, Provisions, and Water.
- Procedures for Launching and Boarding Lifeboats and Liferafts.
- Maneuvering Lifeboats and Liferafts: Rowing, Sailing or Motor Steering, Communications.
- Survival at Sea: First Aid, Weather Protection, Obtaining Water and Food.
- Rescue Techniques: Signals Emergency response, use of pyrotechnics, cooperation with rescue teams.
Maintenance and periodic inspections of lifeboats and life rafts.
International legislation and regulations on lifeboats and life rafts (SOLAS).
‘
- Types of abandonment: preparation, signals, orders, and communications.
- Personal emergency equipment: life jackets, immersion suits, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Lifeboats: types, characteristics, equipment, and supplies.
- Preparing and launching lifeboats: procedures and risks.
- Liferafts: types, characteristics, equipment, and supplies.
- Preparing and launching liferafts: manual and hydrostatic procedures.
- Water survival: flotation techniques, combating hypothermia, and resource gathering.
- Steering and maneuvering boats and rafts: use of oars, sails, and motors.
- Basic first aid in abandonment and survival situations.
- Maintenance and inspection of lifeboats and life rafts: basic inspections and repairs.
‘
- System Architecture and Components: Structural design, materials, and subsystems (mechanical, electrical, electronic, and fluid) with selection and assembly criteria for marine environments
- Fundamentals and Principles of Operation: Physical and engineering foundations (thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, electricity, control, and materials) that explain performance and operating limits
- Safety and Environmental (SHE): Risk analysis, PPE, LOTO, hazardous atmospheres, spill and waste management, and emergency response plans
- Applicable Regulations and Standards: IMO/ISO/IEC requirements and local regulations;
- Conformance criteria, certification, and best practices for operation and maintenance
- Inspection, testing, and diagnostics: Visual/dimensional inspection, functional testing, data analysis, and predictive techniques (vibration, thermography, fluid analysis) to identify root causes
- Preventive and predictive maintenance: Hourly/cycle/seasonal plans, lubrication, adjustments, calibrations, consumable replacement, post-service verification, and operational reliability
- Instrumentation, tools, and metrology: Measuring and testing equipment, diagnostic software, calibration and traceability; selection criteria, safe use, and storage
- Onboard integration and interfaces: Mechanical, electrical, fluid, and data compatibility; Sealing and watertightness, EMC/EMI, corrosion protection, and interoperability testing.
Quality, acceptance testing, and commissioning: process and materials control, FAT/SAT, bench and sea trials, go/no-go criteria, and evidence documentation.
Technical documentation and integrated practice: logs, checklists, reports, and a complete case study (safety → diagnosis → intervention → verification → report) applicable to any system.
Plan de estudio - Módulos
- Comprehensive Maritime Incident Management: protocols, roles, and chain of command for coordinated response
- Operational Planning and Execution: briefing, routes, weather windows, and go/no-go criteria
- Rapid Risk Assessment: criticality matrix, scene control, and decision-making under pressure
- Operational Communication: VHF/GMDSS, standardized reports, and inter-agency liaison
- Tactical Mobility and Safe Boarding: RHIB maneuvers, approach, mooring, and recovery
- Equipment and Technologies: PPE, signaling, satellite tracking, and field data logging
- Immediate Care of the Affected: primary assessment, hypothermia, trauma, and stabilization for evacuation
- Adverse Environmental Conditions: swell, Visibility, flows, and operational mitigation
Simulation and training: critical scenarios, use of VR/AR, and exercises with performance metrics
Documentation and continuous improvement: lessons learned, indicators (MTTA/MTTR), and SOP updates
- International legislation and regulations: SOLAS, LSA Code, IMO.
- Types of lifeboats: open, closed, partially closed, self-righting.
- Types of life rafts: inflatable, rigid, capacity and equipment.
- Emergency equipment: rations, water, first aid kit, pyrotechnic signals, EPIRB (Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacon), search and rescue transponder (SART).
- Preparing for abandoning ship: situation assessment, decision-making, communication.
- Abandonment procedures: task assignment, appropriate clothing (immersion suit, life jacket).
- Launching and launching techniques: davits, ramps, free fall, safety considerations.
- Survival at sea: first aid First aid, rationing, basic navigation, morale maintenance.
Operation and maintenance of boats and rafts: inspections, tests, basic repairs.
Rescue: rescue procedures, communication with rescue teams, recovery techniques.
‘
- Abandonment Theory: Causes, mental and physical preparation
- Individual Abandonment Equipment: Immersion suits, life jackets, emergency lights
- Life Rafts: Types, components, operation, and launching
- Abandonment Procedures: Signals, communications, crew roles
- Survival at Sea: Drinking water, food, protection from the weather
- Life Raft Operation: Steering, stabilization, canopy deployment
- Basic First Aid: CPR, hemorrhage control, burn treatment
- Hypothermia and Drowning: Prevention, symptoms, and treatment
- Communications
Emergency Radios: Emergency radios, flares, smoke signals
Search and Rescue Coordination: Procedures and collaboration with rescuers
‘
- Types of Abandonment: Preliminary Considerations, Situation Assessment, and Decision Making.
- Emergency Equipment: Emergency Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), Search and Rescue Arrays (SARTs), Communication Equipment.
- Lifeboats: Types, Construction, Equipment, Provisions, and Water.
- Liferafts: Types, Construction, Equipment, Provisions, and Water.
- Procedures for Launching and Boarding Lifeboats and Liferafts.
- Maneuvering Lifeboats and Liferafts: Rowing, Sailing or Motor Steering, Communications.
- Survival at Sea: First Aid, Weather Protection, Obtaining Water and Food.
- Rescue Techniques: Signals Emergency response, use of pyrotechnics, cooperation with rescue teams.
Maintenance and periodic inspections of lifeboats and life rafts.
International legislation and regulations on lifeboats and life rafts (SOLAS).
‘
- Types of abandonment: preparation, signals, orders, and communications.
- Personal emergency equipment: life jackets, immersion suits, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Lifeboats: types, characteristics, equipment, and supplies.
- Preparing and launching lifeboats: procedures and risks.
- Liferafts: types, characteristics, equipment, and supplies.
- Preparing and launching liferafts: manual and hydrostatic procedures.
- Water survival: flotation techniques, combating hypothermia, and resource gathering.
- Steering and maneuvering boats and rafts: use of oars, sails, and motors.
- Basic first aid in abandonment and survival situations.
- Maintenance and inspection of lifeboats and life rafts: basic inspections and repairs.
‘
- System Architecture and Components: Structural design, materials, and subsystems (mechanical, electrical, electronic, and fluid) with selection and assembly criteria for marine environments
- Fundamentals and Principles of Operation: Physical and engineering foundations (thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, electricity, control, and materials) that explain performance and operating limits
- Safety and Environmental (SHE): Risk analysis, PPE, LOTO, hazardous atmospheres, spill and waste management, and emergency response plans
- Applicable Regulations and Standards: IMO/ISO/IEC requirements and local regulations;
- Conformance criteria, certification, and best practices for operation and maintenance
- Inspection, testing, and diagnostics: Visual/dimensional inspection, functional testing, data analysis, and predictive techniques (vibration, thermography, fluid analysis) to identify root causes
- Preventive and predictive maintenance: Hourly/cycle/seasonal plans, lubrication, adjustments, calibrations, consumable replacement, post-service verification, and operational reliability
- Instrumentation, tools, and metrology: Measuring and testing equipment, diagnostic software, calibration and traceability; selection criteria, safe use, and storage
- Onboard integration and interfaces: Mechanical, electrical, fluid, and data compatibility; Sealing and watertightness, EMC/EMI, corrosion protection, and interoperability testing.
Quality, acceptance testing, and commissioning: process and materials control, FAT/SAT, bench and sea trials, go/no-go criteria, and evidence documentation.
Technical documentation and integrated practice: logs, checklists, reports, and a complete case study (safety → diagnosis → intervention → verification → report) applicable to any system.
- International legislation and regulations on abandonment and rescue
- Emergency equipment: EPIRB, SART, portable VHF radio, flares
- Life rafts: types, deployment, stowage, maintenance
- Preparing for abandonment: assembly, clothing, personal equipment
- Abandonment procedures: abandonment order, roles, communication
- Survival on the raft: rationing, water, first aid, signals
- Rescue techniques: helicopters, boats, distress signals
- First aid in emergency and rescue situations
- Psychology of survival: maintaining morale and hope
- Abandonment drills and post-exercise evaluation
‘
- International and national maritime legislation on abandonment and lifeboats.
- Types of lifeboats: characteristics, capacities, and equipment.
- Emergency equipment: life rafts, EPIRBs, SARTs, EPIRBs.
- Preparing for abandonment: situation assessment, decision-making, and communication.
- Abandonment procedures: role assignment, orderly evacuation, and personal safety.
- Survival techniques at sea: flotation, protection against the cold, and first aid.
- Handling lifeboats: launching, maneuvering, navigation, and communications.
- Maintenance and overhauling: periodic inspections, repairs, and documentation.
- Drills of Abandonment: planning, execution, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
Human factors in emergency situations: stress management, leadership, and teamwork.
‘
- Types of abandonment: Preparation, signals, communication, and roles.
- Personal protective equipment: immersion suits, life jackets, and accessories.
- Lifeboats: Types, characteristics, stowage, launching, and recovery.
- Life rafts: Types, characteristics, manual and automatic deployment.
- Floating procedures: Release systems, risks, and best practices.
- Survival at sea: Basic first aid, distress signals, search and rescue.
- Handling boats and rafts: propulsion, steering, basic navigation, and maintenance.
- Food and water in emergency situations: Rationing, obtaining, and purifying.
- Legislation and regulations: SOLAS Convention, training requirements and certifications.
- Drills and exercises: planning, execution, evaluation and continuous improvement.
‘
- Abandonment Theory: Common causes of abandonment, psychological preparation.
- Abandonment Equipment: Life jackets (types, proper use), survival suits, life rafts (types, deployment, equipment).
- Abandonment Procedures: Alarm signals, evacuation routes, role assignment, communication.
- Lifeboats: Types (motorized, non-motorized), operation, maintenance, launching.
- Lifeboat Maneuvers: Launching, steering, search and rescue, emergency procedures.
- Survival at Sea: Floating techniques, protection from cold/heat, obtaining water and food.
- Distress Signals: Use of Flares, smoke signals, emergency position-indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs), SARTs.
- Basic First Aid at Sea: Initial assessment, CPR, hemorrhage control, treatment of burns, hypothermia, and heatstroke.
- Assistance to Shipwrecked Persons: Rescue of people in the water, safe transport, post-rescue care.
- Legislation and Regulations: International conventions (SOLAS), national regulations, inspections, and certifications.
‘
Career opportunities
- Seafarer Crew Member: Covering roles on merchant ships, cruise ships, and offshore platforms.
- Oil Platform and Offshore Wind Farm Personnel: Ensuring safety and survival in offshore environments.
- Maritime Rescue Teams: Participating in search and rescue operations on the high seas.
- Recreational Craft Personnel: Ensuring the safety of passengers and crew on yachts and recreational boats.
- Fishing Industry: Working on fishing vessels and ensuring compliance with safety protocols.
- Offshore Survival Instructor: Training other professionals in survival and safety techniques.
- Maritime Safety Consultant: Advising companies and organizations on safety procedures and plans emergency response.
- Member of emergency response teams: Acting in crisis situations in maritime environments.
“`
Admission requirements
Academic/professional profile:
Degree/Bachelor's degree in Nautical Science/Maritime Transport, Naval/Marine Engineering, or a related field; or proven professional experience in bridge/operations.
Language proficiency:
Recommended functional maritime English (SMCP) for simulations and technical materials.
5. Induction
Updated resume, copy of degree or seaman's book, ID card/passport, letter of motivation.
Technical requirements (for online):
Equipment with camera/microphone, stable connection, ≥ 24” monitor recommended for ECDIS/Radar-ARPA.
Admission process and dates
1. Online
application
(form + documents).
2. Academic review and interview
(profile/objectives/schedule compatibility).
3. Admission decision
(+ scholarship proposal if applicable).
4. Reservation of place
(deposit) and registration.
5. Induction
(access to campus, calendars, simulator guides).
Scholarships and grants
- Survival Techniques: Master the essential procedures to stay safe in emergency situations at sea.
- Safety Equipment: Learn how to properly use life rafts, immersion suits, and other crucial devices.
- First Aid at Sea: Acquire vital skills to treat the injured and manage medical emergencies in extreme conditions.
- Psychological Survival: Develop the mental fortitude needed to cope with isolation, stress, and uncertainty at sea.
- Search and Rescue: Understand search and rescue protocols and how to maximize your chances of being located.
Testimonials
I managed to stay calm and apply the techniques learned during training, including effective signaling to rescue boats, rationing water and food, and first aid to an injured comrade, which allowed us to survive five days in a life raft until we were rescued.
I successfully completed the Maritime Safety and Survival course, gaining essential knowledge and practical skills for safe navigation. I am confident in my ability to respond to maritime emergencies and contribute to the safety of the crew and vessel.
I managed to stay calm and apply the techniques I had learned to ration water and food, signal my position, and build an improvised raft that kept me afloat until I was rescued, overcoming the initial panic and hopelessness.
I managed to stay calm and apply the techniques I had learned to ration water and food, signal rescuers, and build an improvised raft that kept me afloat until I was rescued after three days.
Frequently asked questions
Try to get back on board the ship as soon as possible, if feasible and safe.
Yes. The itinerary includes ECDIS/Radar-ARPA/BRM with harbor, ocean, fog, storm, and SAR scenarios.
Online with live sessions; hybrid option for simulator/practical placements through agreements.
Flotation, signaling and drinking water.
Recommended functional SMCP. We offer support materials for standard phraseology.
Yes, with a relevant degree or experience in maritime/port operations. The admissions interview will confirm suitability.
Optional (3–6 months) through Companies & Collaborations and the Alumni Network.
Simulator practice (rubrics), defeat plans, SOPs, checklists, micro-tests and applied TFM.
A degree from Navalis Magna University + operational portfolio (tracks, SOPs, reports and KPIs) useful for audits and employment.
- Abandonment Theory: Common causes of abandonment, psychological preparation.
- Abandonment Equipment: Life jackets (types, proper use), survival suits, life rafts (types, deployment, equipment).
- Abandonment Procedures: Alarm signals, evacuation routes, role assignment, communication.
- Lifeboats: Types (motorized, non-motorized), operation, maintenance, launching.
- Lifeboat Maneuvers: Launching, steering, search and rescue, emergency procedures.
- Survival at Sea: Floating techniques, protection from cold/heat, obtaining water and food.
- Distress Signals: Use of Flares, smoke signals, emergency position-indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs), SARTs.
- Basic First Aid at Sea: Initial assessment, CPR, hemorrhage control, treatment of burns, hypothermia, and heatstroke.
- Assistance to Shipwrecked Persons: Rescue of people in the water, safe transport, post-rescue care.
- Legislation and Regulations: International conventions (SOLAS), national regulations, inspections, and certifications.
‘
Request information
- Complete the Application Form
- Attach your CV/Qualifications (if you have them to hand).
- Indicate your preferred cohort (January/May/September) and whether you want the hybrid option with simulator sessions.
Teachers
Eng. Tomás Riera
Full Professor
Eng. Tomás Riera
Full Professor
Naval engineer specializing in the selection, integration, and optimization of propulsion systems for yachts, high-speed craft, and service vessels.
Eng. Sofía Marquina
Full Professor
Eng. Sofía Marquina
Full Professor
Materials engineer specializing in marine composites and corrosion protection systems for ships, yachts, and port structures.
Eng. Javier Bañuls
Full Professor
Eng. Javier Bañuls
Full Professor
Naval electrical engineer with over fifteen years of experience in the design, integration, and operation of power and automation systems.
Dr. Nuria Llobregat
Full Professor
Dr. Nuria Llobregat
Full Professor
Specialist in meteorological and operational decision-making for coastal and offshore navigation, integrating wind, wave, and current models.
Dr. Pau Ferrer
Full Professor
Dr. Pau Ferrer
Full Professor
Naval engineer with a PhD in applied hydrodynamics and over a decade of experience designing high-performance hulls and marine structures.
Cap. Javier Abaroa (MCA)
Full Professor
Cap. Javier Abaroa (MCA)
Full Professor
MCA-certified captain with command of ocean-going vessels, specializing in advanced maneuvering, navigation management, and bridge safety.