Getting a Marine Certification

[realboats]

Just wondering what requirements, prerequisites, and training are required to get a Marine Techinician/Mechanic outboard certification.<br /><br />Are there any "general" outboard certifications available that don't concentrate on one specific brand of motor? Has anyone had experience the American Marine Technician's association? www.am-tech.org<br /><br />How about brand specific certification? What would a company like bombardier or honda require to get started in their certification process. I've searched the web and can't find anything on it.<br /><br />Thanks,<br />Dennis

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Getting a Marine Certification

AMTECH is a wonderful organization. Nobody but nobody works harder in the industry than Joe and Les to get the industry united with professionalism as their goal.<br /><br />Right now they dont have a public forum such as this. Thats something I have been asking for. If you think thats a good idea -- or not -- please post here. Either way Ill pass on your thoughts.<br /><br />Dealerships will send you to specific schools but you must have a work history with them and/or sign a commitment to continue to work for them. That varies from dealer to dealer.<br /><br />Good question.

 

[mcginleyc]

Re: Getting a Marine Certification

Dealers will send you to factory schools, but only after you have committed to them. I attend a general school in florida for marine technicians called Marine Mechanics Institute. It is factory backed and we recieve some factory-specific training on Merc, yamaha, suzuki, and Honda. We after we go out into the field we can get sent to factory schools to achieve higher degrees.

 

[realboats]

Re: Getting a Marine Certification

From looking into this further, I believe the only marine certifications available are for people working for dealerships. <br /><br />Does this mean a guy who wants to open an outboard repair shop has no certifications available to help validate his skills?<br /><br />How about Marine Surveyors? Are they required to be licensed or certified?

 

[P.V.]

Re: Getting a Marine Certification

The only way you are going to get experience in repairing outboards is to work at a dealership!!!! You can go to all the schools you want but it's hands on experience, day in and day out, that gets you to the point where you can do many/most procedures with a minimal amount of confusion and feel confident that your work is more than just "passable"!!! Spending thousands of dollars to learn how to do "basic" mechanical repairs on todays outboards seems foolish to me, in my opinion! Not to start a fight about this but if I wanted to restart my training from the beginning, I'd do what most techs do, Go to a very good, reputable marine dealership, that sells and services the kind of products you are interested in and tell them... "Hey!!, I'm your man!!!" Do you have room for a hard working, "I'll bust my buns for you as long as I get the opprotunity to learn and get my handss dirty!! kind of guy, like me???" You;ll not be rebuilding powerheads in the first month but you'll change gearoil, plugs, props, help rig, install batteries, clean, adjust trailers,lake teat boats, be the third hand for the more season'd techs, maybe do a water pump in short order,u-joints, alignments, gimbal bearings, in the fall do a zillion winterizes, etc.... The better you get, the more they feel like you are an asset, and MAY just MAY be around for more than a summer, they'll send you to a school or two!! And pay you to do so!! If you have ambition to run your own shop, you need about 4 or 5 solid years under your belt. Anyway, you'll need to do years of repeat procedures to learn the product, you can't just go to school, graduate and think you now know what's up with all the proper methods of engine, gearcase and/or all the rest of what it takes to service product! BTW, I will agree, that if you apply to a dealership for a job, with a 2 year "certificate" in your pocket, you'll be ahead of the game, but it certinaly is'nt required. The industry has a great shortage of techs, entry level and season'd vets. If you show the ambition, you'll go far, that is IF you know the difference between a screwdriver and a hammer!!