RYA VHF Marine Radio (SRC)

Due to the success of the Online VHF Radio course we now only run this for groups by demand.

The RYA VHF Radio Classroom Course is for anyone who owns a fixed or hand-held marine VHF radio.

The Short Range Certificate is the qualification required by law if you operate a VHF radio fitted with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) on any British vessel voluntarily fitted with a radio.

A VHF radio is an important piece of safety equipment on board and it is vital to understand the correct procedures.

The VHF Operator’s Course is taught and examined using real radios with the transmission suppressed. The exam will also include a short written test and is conducted by an independent assessor who is paid by the RYA, not by the training centre.

The course has recently been updated and there are now several options to take the course. We here at Mendez Marine offer the following two:

Book the course as a one-day classroom course with the exam at the end. For this option we will send you the book before the course with a couple of sections highlighted for you to read, this is roughly 2 – 3 hours of home study. You then attend the one-day classroom training and have your exam and practical assessment at the end.

Online theory course via our RYA Interactive web package this takes roughly 5 hours of home study, you need to study the course and pass the online questions, you will also receive the RYA VHF Handbook to help you. Once you have passed and downloaded your certificate, you can take the exam and practical assessment at an RYA Training Centre.

Irrespective of which option you choose, you will receive a pre-course book pack containing the RYA VHF Handbook (G31) and your exam application form. This form is required on the day of your exam showing that you have completed any pre exam courses satisfactorily. Whichever option you choose, on the day of your exam you will need to pay £60 to the RYA for the practical and theory assessment and the issue of the certificate. This can be done by cheques, credit or debit cards.