How/where do I properly learn to drive boats?

[pnyxtr]

I apologise if this is the wrong place to ask, but I would enquire of the people who should be in the know about where it's best to learn how to drive smallish crafts, in the diving context. I mean, there are easy to book courses from PADI and probably all other agencies, but I trust the average of those about as far as I can fart on them.

My previous experience is mostly in sailing, and I love navigating in the proper sense (sure, GPS may be handy, but it's no fun at all).
I'm fairly global, too, so if your recommendation would be halfway across the globe (I'm Swedish), I just need a little more time.
A license as such is not required in any way, I just want to learn to do it right.

 

[DennisS]

In the USA there is

www.chapman.org/


I'm sure other countries have similar organizations

 

[pnyxtr]

While I thank you for the suggestion, this seems actually rather a bit less than what we learn in basic boating school here.
I'm a little more interested in how to drive boats in the diving context, I'm sorry that I didn't stress that enough.

 

[Ana]

I doubt there are specific boating classes that cater to boat-diving or would it be dive-boating... I suppose you become a good boat operator and then you add divers.

Like most things in diving, one size does not fit all. Depending on the boat you need to be alert or super-alert, the presence of propeller(s) being pretty much on the top of the things to keep away for divers. Then you also want to keep other boats away from divers.

Things like that... I suppose a good way to practice would be to throw a floating object and navigate around it, preferably without converting the one object into many objects or changing its shape.

 

[Wookie]

Are you trying to learn how to live boat divers? Hot drops? Divers diving from boats that aren't moored? Is that what you mean?

 

[Superlyte27]

Probably the best education I've seen from a captain's point of view is mates/dm's on dive boats. Watching a capable captain do it in a place like Key Largo, FL is a quick way to learn. If you can be a deckhand on a boat with a decent captain who's willing to let you take the helm, you'll learn quickly.

 

[vladimir]

My dad was a ship's captain, and he made sure we never said rope when we meant line. The first step in learning to drive the boat is to try to sound nautical. Find a class that teaches you to pilot the boat, skipper the boat, or perhaps captain or command the boat. Once you've docked the boat you can drive home—in your car.

 

[Superlyte27]

LOL... yikes.

 

[rambaldi]

Over here (New Zealand) the Underwater Association has a qualification and course specifically for skipping a commercial dive boat (Master of a Small Commercial Dive Boat/MSCDB). I don't know if you have a similar Underwater Association for the area where you live but it may be worth investigating.

 

[manni-yunk]

I guess I'm a little surprised that anyone who can navigate the sea in the proper way...without a GPS, thinks Chapman is basic and not up to par with basic boating school, and considers themself a "global" sailer.....would use a phrase like "drive a boat".