1. Queensland PWC licence course
Terry Priest
Maritime Skills Centre Tel :

2. Table of Contents Slide 3 - General Operation Slide 4 - Propulsion
Slide Maintenance
Slide Trip Planning
Slide Minimum starting depth
Slide Fuelling
Slide Steering
Slide Capsize
Slide 12 – Reboarding
Slide Licensing and safety equipment
Slide Registration
Slide 17, Safety Equipment
Slide Speed limits
Slide 20, 21, 22, 23, Rules
Slide Water Skiing
Slide 26, 27 - How it all works

3. General Operation Be mindful that your noise might annoy others
Be mindful of the environment
Allow plenty of room to stop
Be aware of the wake from your pwc
If you are training a new driver, you must wear the safety lanyard to yourself
Practice reversing, low and high speed turns

4. Propulsion
The pwc engine drives a pump which sucks up water from underneath the craft through the jet pump intake grate.
This water passes through an impellor which pressurises the water and forces it out a jet nozzle at the stern of the craft.

5. Controls
Most craft have a lever throttle with a start and stop button. The safety lanyard usually fit’s under one of these buttons and once pulled it will stop the engine.
Some of the newer craft have brakes and reverse

6. Maintenance
Always consult with the owners manual and your local dealer.
Preventative maintenance is the preferred option, always.

7. Trip Planning Always check the weather and tides before you start out.
Be aware of all local speed limits and rules.
Always keep clear of the jet nozzle and do not allow swimmers around the nozzle.
Always attach a bow line to the craft when launching from a trailer.

8. Minimum starting depth
Ensure that you always have a minimum of 600 mm under the craft when starting.
You do not want sand, grit, rocks and shell sucked up.

9. Fuelling Always fuel up on land to avoid spillage.
Ensure you have absorbent material to soak up and spillage.
Never place these materials in the craft or in the water.

10. Steering
Most craft have a steerable nozzle at the stern through which water is forced, propelling the craft.
This nozzle is controlled by the handle bars.
The engine must be running to have steering control.
Maintain at least 30% power into corners.

11. Capsize
Most manufacturers have a decal at the back or underneath the craft to indicate the direction to roll the craft over, usually anti clockwise.
Water can enter the motor if you right the craft the wrong way.
When running water through the engine with your garden hose, always have the motor running before the hose is turned on and keep it running after you turn the hose off.

12. Re - Boarding
Always board the craft from the rear, most seats have a strap at the back to pull yourself up with.
Most new craft have a drop down ladder at the back deck.
Remember to re-connect the lanyard to restart the engine.

13. Licensing, Registration & Safety Equipment Regulations
PWC operators must hold a Qld pwc licence as a separate additional licence to their Qld Recreational Marine Drivers Licence.
The minimum age to obtain the licence is 16 years.
An unlicensed person may operate the pwc only if accompanied by a pwc licensed person who is able to take immediate control.
The licensed person must wear the safety lanyard.
Unlicensed operators are not permitted to carry additional passengers other than the licensed operator.

14. Qld Licensing
The statement of competency issued at the end of the course is not a licence and must be presented to Qld Transport within 6 months from date of issue. The Statement of Competency becomes void after 6 months and a complete re-assessment is required. Fees apply.
The PWC is a lifetime licence, a separate fee is payable to Qld Transport to obtain the licence.

15. Alcohol The person in charge and whoever is driving must be under 0.05
Severe penalties apply with the likelihood of all licences being suspended.
Remember, if you are under 18 years you cannot drink alcohol at all.

16. Registration All PWC’s must be registered
Registration symbols must be displayed both sides towards the bow at least 100mm high, clearly visible and in contrasting colours to the craft.
Registration label must be displayed on the PORT side, adjacent to the registration symbols.
A Carrying Capacity label and a Ride Smart Sticker are no longer required to be shown.

17. PWC Safety Equipment
PWC operators and passengers must wear an approved PFD at all times.
In smooth waters a PFD 2 or PFD 3.
In partially smooth and offshore waters a PFD Type 2 only.

18. Other Safety Equipment
Partially Smooth and Offshore Waters:
V Sheet, flares, anchor with line, GPS, drinking water, chart / compass (smart phone with appropriate apps.) An EPIRB when outside of 2 miles off land in open waters. Signalling device and navigation lights after sunset, including an all round white light.
The same as the boat.

19. PWC speed limits
All vessels must travel at a safe speed at all times. A safe speed is when your vessel can stop in time to avoid an accident.
When judging a safe speed you must consider visibility, other vessels, hazards and wind and waves.
Unless signed or designated, maximum speed limits on all smooth waters is 40 knots which is (74 klms per hour)

20. Distance off Regulations
The following distances must be maintained or you must reduce your speed to 6 knots.
60 meters from people in the water
60 meters from anchored or moored vessels
60 meters from boat ramps, jetties, or pontoons
60 meters from shore
60 meters from a boundary or bathing reserve
30 meters from other moving boats when the pwc is travelling at 10 knots or more

21. Exceptions to the 6 knot 60m rule
If the waterway is less than 120 m wide, and
The pwc operator is operating the pwc as close as practical to a straight line to transit the area
The pwc operator stays as close to the centre of the waterway or channel as practical
The pwc is being used for water skiing/ towing

22. Coastal Waters
Free styling or wave jumping is not permitted within 200 meters of the shore if there is a house or dwelling within a 100 meters of the shore, and are visible to the operator.

23. Free Styling
Free styling is erratic and wake jumping, donuts and figure 8’s must be carried out in areas that are permitted.
Those areas can be found in both the or

24. Water Traffic Rules
The operator must always keep a good lookout and travel at a safe speed.
Give way to all vessels on your right
Veer right if you are on a collision course
Give way to all sail boats or any vessel without a motor, remember the 60 meter rule

25. Water Skiing Normal water ski rules apply
The driver must have a licence
The pwc must have an observer facing backwards, minimum age of 13 years
One person out the back only

26. How it all works
Here's a very simplified cutaway of what's going on inside a typical PWC:
Water is sucked in through a large intake grate on the bottom of the craft.
Power is provided by a medium-sized petrol engine fired by electric ignition (you switch on by turning a key). A large PWC might have a 1500cc, four-stroke, four-cylinder engine, which is roughly as big as you'd get in a subcompact car (a small hatchback) or a large motorbike. It has a large 75 litre (20 gallon) fuel tank—to reduce the risk of running out of fuel in the middle of the ocean!
In a car or a motorbike, the engine drives the wheels. In a PWC, the engine's job is to power the impeller (water pump). An impeller is like a propeller fitted completely within a pipe so it sucks water in at one end of the pipe and blows it out of the other end as a high-speed, high-pressure jet. In a PWC, the impeller has three blades made of stainless steel and it's about 15cm (~5inches) in diameter. Some of the water sucked in is also used to cool the engine.

27. How it works

28. Various PWC’s