Outboard repair schools

metalmantis

Cadet
Joined
Apr 16, 2002
Messages
20
I love working on things, I have been working on turbo prop aircraft for 24 years and would like to break into the marine field. How to accomplish this? Any suggestions?
 

BillP

Captain
Joined
Aug 10, 2002
Messages
3,290
Re: Outboard repair schools

AMI in Orlando, Florida. They have several different ob engine and personal watercraft programs. I see mechanics everywhere down here in Florida that are AMI grads.
 

arboatdr

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Feb 22, 2004
Messages
144
Re: Outboard repair schools

National Park Community College 501-767-9314 hotSprings Ark
 

phatmanmike

Captain
Joined
Oct 24, 2003
Messages
3,869
Re: Outboard repair schools

ptec in pinellas county, florida, great school.. outboards, inboards, i/o's electrical, everything, and only 3500 for thw two years.. and only 10 mins from the gulf of mexico
 

seahorse5

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jan 24, 2002
Messages
4,698
Re: Outboard repair schools

AMI is in Daytona, FL and is expensive and does not teach as much as someone needs to get into the business as a pro. It is great for the hobby minded boater.<br /><br />Marine Mechanics Institute ( MMI ) in Orlando has the factory backing and the factory schools on its premises. go to http://www.uticorp.com/techtraining/marine.html <br />for more info. Graduating from a school like that may get you around $10 per hour to start from a dealer, plus you must furnish your own tools. It takes quite a few year to get good at the business and it really doesn't pay too well until you competent in a lot of fields and with different makes and models of motors. If you are in a busy boating area, you can do well if you want to work long hours during the prime boating months.
 

phatmanmike

Captain
Joined
Oct 24, 2003
Messages
3,869
Re: Outboard repair schools

if you want to make real money, suck up your pride and attend a 4 year colledge and recieve you BSN, thats Bachellors in Science, Nursing... so you can go make 50-60 dollars an hour with full benifits and let somebody else be the fool
 

BillP

Captain
Joined
Aug 10, 2002
Messages
3,290
Re: Outboard repair schools

Seahorse is right. I got the names confused . MMI is the one.
 

P.V.

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 14, 2002
Messages
452
Re: Outboard repair schools

Well, Phat is probably correct,however, don't spend the $$$ on a trade school. (remember, you have to pay them sooner or later!!) With your 24 yrs of experience, go to a marine dealer near you, and tell them you want to be a Marine Mechanic when you grow up. They will hire you and allow you to clean boats, help other techs, learn simple tasks and when you show ambition and the ability to not *#@& stuff up, allow you to do more and more procedures. You'll start then doing water pump jobs and oil changes. U-joints and rigg boats . Then if they like you, send you to school by the manufacturers. I was able to get my dealership, when I first started, to send me to usually two schools a year. Since I also got vacations in the off-season. I usually managed to go to another school also. Schools are free! I didn't have to drive very far, but I would have paid to do so! I made a deal with my employer that if I got a master tech rating, he would give me an additional doller raise automaticly. My point, talk to a local dealership that deals with the kind of product you are inteerested in. Make sure he has a good rep. and treats people like you would treat people. Tell him you want to learn everything and in return you will give him 8 hours of honest hard work a day and will bust your #$$ to do a good job.
 

P.V.

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 14, 2002
Messages
452
Re: Outboard repair schools

PS... Most of the factory schooling now starts with the use of CD/DVD style home computer training. You learn, take a test and earn credits. These credits allow you to go to factory schools for hands on training... But ya gotta be employ'd at a dealership to participate...
 

BillP

Captain
Joined
Aug 10, 2002
Messages
3,290
Re: Outboard repair schools

I talked to MMI corp headquarters yesterday on an unrelated subject but thought I'd pass this along. They are looking for instructors for the Orlando, FL facility. They currently have 92 instructors but need more and are looking hard to find them. They want 4 yrs minimun experience. If anyone wants the human resource contact name and number, post your private email and I will send it to you. No, I'm not affiliated with them in any way.
 
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