In-Person
Zoom Course
Self-Paced

Coast Guard Approved OUPV (6-Pack) Captain's License Distance Learning Course

Looking to captain a vessel and take paying customers onto the water? Explore Sea School's instructor-led Distance Learning offerings (via Zoom) to find the best dates to complete our 54-hour OUPV License course.

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Course Details
Course Duration: 54 Hours (Testing held separately)
Weekend Schedule: Two Consecutive Weekends (Friday-Sunday), Weekday Schedule: Two Consecutive Mon-Wed, Consecutive Schedule: 6 Days
USCG-Approved Certificate
A large vessel in the ocean moving
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From -
4/10/2026
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4/19/2026
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,
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$
850
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900
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7/22/2026
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Course Overview
01

Learn the practical aspects of boating, navigation, survival, firefighting, knot-tying and more.

Upon completion of the course and examination, students will be able to captain up to six paying passengers on uninspected vessels up to 100 gross tons and 100 miles offshore. This includes small tour boats, fishing charters, SCUBA diving boats, and other similar vessels. For commercial activities with seven or more passengers on inspected vessels, a Master's License is required.

We ship books and chart before the class has started but students must provide their own tools.

Locations

There are currently no offsite locations for this course. Please see our main locations!
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Course Data

Train from Anywhere with Sea School Courses – Learn at Your Own Pace

Train on your schedule with Sea School’s self-paced online courses. Designed for flexibility and convenience, our online programs allow you to complete key certifications and knowledge-based training from anywhere, at any time.

course type
Zoom Course
schedule
Weekend Schedule: Two Consecutive Weekends (Friday-Sunday), Weekday Schedule: Two Consecutive Mon-Wed, Consecutive Schedule: 6 Days
certification
USCG-Approved Certificate
Course Data

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All classes

Upcoming Zoom Trainings

Join our courses from anywhere with our convenient Zoom sessions. Choose the dates that work best for your schedule and start your journey toward earning your next license or endorsement - without ever leaving home.

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This Course Has Other Options for Learning

who is it for?

The Right Course for Every Seafarer

A middle aged male driving the boat and looking at the ocean
Testimonials

What Our Clients Say

Outstanding staff and comfortable classroom.

One of the best instructors I had with perfect English language. I learned a lot more than I expected.

Ricardo G.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

It’s a great setting with awesome staff.

The instructor is outstanding and the course is informative.

Dean D.

St. Petersburg, FL

Great instructor, strongly recommend!

Jarrad A.

St. Petersburg, FL

Best instructors I’ve had.

Instructor was a great teacher, and made the class fun and enjoyable.

Gavin A.

St. Petersburg, FL

Excellent instructor.

Very adept at answering questions and ensures requirements are met. Great sea stories and experience.

James C.

St. Petersburg, FL

Nice and very sweet office staff, I enjoyed meeting everyone.

Always an awesome time being at Sea School!

David A.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Highly recommend it.

The staff, classroom, instructors and the course is very professional.

Richard G.

St. Petersburg, FL

Course is very informative.

Very experienced instructor, easy to talk to. Overall great experience and enjoyable.

Joseph D.

St. Petersburg, FL

Office staff is always great.

Superb instructor and course has good material.

Kenneth G.

St. Petersburg, FL

I loved the instructor, he is amazing.

The proctor was excellent too.

Kathleen H.

St. Petersburg, FL

Good course and good classroom.

Loved the instructor and his knowledge.

Abigail L.

Charleston, SC

Instructor was so helpful in instructing the rules and safety of boats.

Simple class, easy to understand and loved the pictures so helpful.

Noa A.

Charleston, SC

The course is very informative.

The instructor was incredibly knowledgeable with plenty of examples and stories.

Haley D.

Charleston, SC

Instructor was amazing and very insightful to boating knowledge.

Learned a lot of information in this course.

Griffin K.

Charleston, SC

I have no complaints and I am super satisfied with my class.

Very helpful for the rules of the water. Instructor is super knowledgeable and clearly cares about the art of seamanship.

James H.

Charleston, SC

Good customer service from the staff.

Professional and knowledgeable instructor. Classroom is clean and adequate.

Arturo B.

Jacksonville, FL

Very good instructor.

Excellent communications from the staff.

James H.

Jacksonville, FL

Everything was top notch.

I found the instructor to be very knowledgeable in this course.

Donald D.

Jacksonville, FL

Great staff and clean classroom.

Instructor is great and also the course.

Mark D.

Bayou La Batre, AL

The course is very enjoyable.

The instructor is very nice to everyone and is knowledgeable. Clean and cool classroom and friendly staff.

Joseph G.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Office staff were very nice.

Instructor did a good job teaching and I love this course.

Mainor C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Very good course.

Top notch instructor and very experienced instructor.

James D.

Comfortable classroom, well set up to exhibit course very well.

Very knowledgeable, helpful and courteous instructor and staff.

Gerorge B.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Instructor is friendly and very knowledgeable.

Excellent sea stories related to the subject.

Mark L.

St. Petersburg, FL

Always helpful and accommodating staff.

Highly recommend it. Instructor is uniquely skilled at teaching. Kudos!

Patrick H.

St. Petersburg, FL

John is very knowledgeable and informative!

Cody C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Nice office staff.

Clean Classroom. Awesome instructor. Great course. Great food.

Cameron G.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Classroom was a great environment!

Instructor was extremely knowledgeable.

Anthony G.

Bayou La Batre, AL

John is the best teacher I’ve personally had at Sea School.

Knowledgeable and didn’t beat around the bush.

Trenton F.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Great office staff and classroom.

Lots of respect for the instructor. Taught very well!

Nicholas H.

Bayou La Batre, AL

I enjoyed John’s teaching.

Very to the point and sharp.

Cade B.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Very helpful office staff.

Great learning environment. Very knowledgeable and great instructor. Tremendous course! Delicious food!

Noah A.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Staff are professional and extremely helpful.

Instructor is extremely knowledgeable and made the painful course easy for us.

Charles G.

Bayou La Batre, AL

The very best staff.

Will return for any future class needs. Instructor is a great man with a wealth of knowledge.

Gabriel C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Thank you.

Great job from everyone involved.

Jacob C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Everyone was nice and very good to help with every problem that I had.

Aaron H.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Classroom is clean.

They provided everything we needed to learn the course. Instructor’s a great guy, super knowledgeable with great stories.

Jacob H.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Friendly office staff.

Instructors were very helpful.

Walter C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Knowledgeable good instructors.

Instructors were good, reassuring and informative.

Kyle K.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Best staff I have ever met.

Classroom was nice and the course was very meaningful. Instructor is very intelligent.

Leland K.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Classroom is comfortable.

Instructor and staff were awesome and amazing.

Patrick C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Excellent knowledge from the instructor.

She will make you learn.

Dustin B.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Instructor did not cut corners in teaching this class.

Very clear and straight to the point. Awesome teacher.

Garrison G.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Office staff is easy to deal with.

Friendly and helpful instructor.

Peter F.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Instructor was awesome.

I look forward to another class.

Dimecio D.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Office staff is a ten.

Informative course and clean classroom.

Sara H.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Amazing office staff.

Fun classroom. Awesome instructor. Fun course. Great food.

Hal E.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Great sea stories.

Excellent instruction.

Christopher M.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Instructor is very knowledgeable and passionate about teaching.

Thank you for all the help and for putting up with me.

Phillip C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Instructor is very helpful and very good at teaching and knowing how to get you to understand.

Jarrett F.

St. Petersburg, FL

Helpful and friendly staff.

Instructor did a good job and also an eye opening course.

Robert F.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Instructor is informative and the course is very detailed.

Helpful staff and clean classroom.

Carlos K.

Jacksonville, FL

Friendly and professional staff.

Instructor is knowledgeable and very willing to assist. I have enjoyed this experience and will be back for upgrades.

Darien H.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Excellent class.

All information was covered and a great instructor.

Jim C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Pat is a great instructor!

John C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Accommodations were perfect.

The cleaning staff do an amazing job.

Robert D.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Awesome office staff.

Awesome classroom. Awesome instructor. Awesome course. Awesome food. Awesome accommodations.

Ryan A.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Great office staff!

Instructor is a funny guy. Knows his stuff!

Austin C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Thank you! I appreciate everything.

Trevan B.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Everything was excellent.

Dylan B.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Nice & helpful office staff.

Very helpful instructor. Excellent accommodations.

Alfonso L.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Well done!

David C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Very good experience.

George J.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Office staff went above & beyond.

Instructor has relevant and real life experiences or storeis told.

Jacob H.

Jacksonville, FL

Amazing!!!

Drake B.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Office staff was great.

Pat did an excellent job and I loved his stories. As always, eggs were fantastic.

John C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Food is delicious and prepared on time!

Pat is the best instructor to walk the earth and sail the 7 seas, he deserves a red porsche for a company vehicle.

David R.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Awesome office staff.

Nice and cool classroom. Awesome food!

Ryan A.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Instructor was helpful & stayed until our questions got answered.

Timothy H.

Bayou La Batre, AL

I enjoyed just about everything.

Instructor was super knowledgeable and I really enjoyed hearing all his sea stories.

John G.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Super sweet office staff.

Instructor stories keep you entertained and he knows his stuff! Chef is great. More cookies!

Austin C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Excellent office staff. Awesome instructor!

Demetrios D.

St. Petersburg, FL

Amazing across the board!

Shone H.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Great food!

Great stories and very knowledgeable instructor.

Ben C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

People are great!

Awesome classroom. Instructor really inspired me. Food was great.

Justin M.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Learned a lot - thanks guys!!!

Everyone from the Sea School personnel are very nice and knowledgeable. Classroom was very neat and clean.

Allen C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Enjoyed having Capt. John as my instructor. Meals provided were good and enough!

David D.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Excellent instruction from experience.

Jeremy H.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Office staff was friendly and accommodating.

Classroom was clean, in a good state, comfortable. Instructor was experienced, approachable, friendly, and helpful.

Jonathan A.

Jacksonville, FL

Great, knowledgeable instructor, good stories.

Food was wonderful and unexpected!

Charles G.

Bayou La Batre, AL

John is amazing at what he does and I greatly appreciate him being my instructor!

Devin H.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Very helpful office staff.

Classroom was clean and organized. Instructor was a good guy. Overall, the course was good and I learned a lot about ships.

Amar A.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Office staff were very nice & helpful!

The course had good information and was easy to understand. Good instructor. Helps any way he can.

Steven J.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Gave clear instructions and presented the material in a relatable manner.

Ian M.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

All excellent! Thank you!

Ramon H.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Great, very friendly and helpful office staff.

Instructor was very engaged in the course. Overall, great course!

Grant D.

Charleston, SC

Welcoming staff! Great instructor.

Hayes E.

Charleston, SC

Great knowledge & brought real world knowledge to class.

Christopher D.

Jacksonville, FL

Thank you!

Instructor was great and didn’t mind me asking any of my questions. I was nervous, but he made me feel comfortable.

Jayme H.

Jacksonville, FL

Great office staff!

Awesome classroom. Awesome instructor. Very good course.

Jason E.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Great instructor!

Very knowledgeable.

Ryan M.

Bayou La Batre, AL

I highly recommend!

Pat did a fine job.

Michael G.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Very enlightening course.

Great folks! Awesome instructors.

Aaron H.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Amazing people.

Course is straightforward and very informative.

Brendon K.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Informative course and instructor is very good as his experience teaches us knowledge.

Kevin D.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Instructor made the class very understandable.

This is my third time attending this school and the staff are always helpful and nice.

Dave C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Great staff and instructor worked hard to help me in every way possible.

Gorki H.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Great instructors take the time to actually teach and help you learn everything that's needed.

Elijah C.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Thank you!

Office staff went out of their way to help me out.

Jonathan B.

Bayou La Batre, AL

Everything was good and the instructor was excellent.

Jaequavius J.

Bayou La Batre, AL
Mariners Icon

Mariners

Mariners looking to take the first step in their maritime career
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Recreational Boaters

Looking to expand their safety and navigational knowledge
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Captains

Looking to take out up to six paying passengers
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Boaters

Looking to save on insurance premiums
key metrics

Why Thousands of Mariners Choose Sea School?

Each year, over 7,500 students choose Sea School for their maritime training. We offer 30+ USCG-approved courses across in-person, online, and satellite formats, with training available at 6 locations nationwide. Team training is also available on-site or via satellite to meet company needs.

7500
+
Fully educated students per year
30
+
Different courses to choose from
45
+
Years of proven experience
Trusted by Companies Nationwide
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Dawn service logo
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COURSE CURRICULUM

We’ve developed comprehensive, engaging, and practical curriculum to set you up for success on the water

While the curriculum represented on the Sea School website is a general layout of course information, it is not the exact order in which lessons are taught.

Navigation General
  • Primary Areas of Navigation (Piloting, Dead Reckoning, Celestial Navigation, Radio Navigation)
  • Magnetic Compass Use and Information
  • Understanding Nautical Charts
  • Interpreting Publications (Light List, US Coast Pilot, International Code of Signals, etc.)
  • Aids to Navigation
  • Electronic Navigation & Radar Operation
  • Weather
  • Tides & Current
Navigation General
  • Primary Areas of Navigation (Piloting, Dead Reckoning, Celestial Navigation, Radio Navigation)
  • Magnetic Compass Use and Information
  • Understanding Nautical Charts
  • Interpreting Publications (Light List, US Coast Pilot, International Code of Signals, etc.)
  • Aids to Navigation
  • Electronic Navigation & Radar Operation
  • Weather
  • Tides & Current
Plotting
Chart Navigation
  • Plotting & Finding Position
  • Measuring Distance & Direction
  • Plotting a DR track
  • The Nautical Slide Rules
  • Bearings & Ranges
  • Plotting Practice

Plotting
Chart Navigation
  • Plotting & Finding Position
  • Measuring Distance & Direction
  • Plotting a DR track
  • The Nautical Slide Rules
  • Bearings & Ranges
  • Plotting Practice

Deck General
  • Marlinspike Seamanship
  • Boat Handling Basics
  • Anchoring
  • Heavy Weather Boat Handling
  • Power Plant
  • Classes & Chemistry of Fire
  • Basic Firefighting & Prevention
  • Passenger & Crew Safety in Emergencies
  • Certification & Documentation of Vessels
  • Rules & Regulations for Uninspected Passenger Vessels
  • Pollution Prevention
  • Radio Communications
  • Signals
Deck General
  • Marlinspike Seamanship
  • Boat Handling Basics
  • Anchoring
  • Heavy Weather Boat Handling
  • Power Plant
  • Classes & Chemistry of Fire
  • Basic Firefighting & Prevention
  • Passenger & Crew Safety in Emergencies
  • Certification & Documentation of Vessels
  • Rules & Regulations for Uninspected Passenger Vessels
  • Pollution Prevention
  • Radio Communications
  • Signals
Rules of the Road
  • Navigation Rules - International
  • Navigation Rules - Inland
  • Navigation Rules - Review
Rules of the Road
  • Navigation Rules - International
  • Navigation Rules - Inland
  • Navigation Rules - Review
Our Process
Your Path to Becoming a Licensed Captain:

A Simple 3-Step Process to Get Certified and Start Your Maritime Career

01

Choose Your Course

Pick the course that fits your experience level and sea time and select the available format that works for you (in-person, Zoom, or online).

02

Enroll & Prepare

Register online or at a Sea School location. Ensure you meet eligibility requirements and start reviewing the provided study materials.

03

Get Certified

After finishing the course, you will need to submit your application to the Coast Guard to receive your Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC).

Large boat cruising the water
Course comparison

Course Comparison

features
OUPV (6-Pack) License
Master License
Passenger Limit
Up to 6 passengers
More than 6 passengers
Vessel Type
Uninspected vessels only
Inspected & Uninspected vessels
Area of Operation
U.S. Waters
U.S. & International Waters
Sea Service Requirement
360 days (90 in last 3 years)
720+ days (varies by tonnage)
Required for
Fishing guides, small boat charters
Ferries, tour boats, larger charters
Course requirements

OUPV License Requirements: Everything You Need to Get Certified

Education & Testing Requirements

  • Must complete Sea School’s approved course and exam.
  • Option to take the exam at a USCG Regional Exam Center (REC) (not all locations offer testing).
  • Prep courses are strongly recommended.

Eligibility Requirements

Minimum Age

  • Must be 18 years old.
  • 17-year-olds may take the class if they turn 18 within one year of course completion.

Boating Experience (Sea Time):

  • Total Required: 360 days of boating experience.
  • Recent Experience: 90 days within the last 3 years.
  • 1 Day Defined: 4 consecutive hours underway in a 24-hour period.
  • Near Coastal: Time past the jetty (line of demarcation).
  • Inland: Time inside the jetty.
  • Grace Period: Students without 360 days have one year from class completion to log their time.

Medical & Drug Testing Requirements

Minimum Age

  • A USCG-approved physical is required.
  • Sea School offers in-house physicals at most brick-and-mortar locations.
  • Form CG-719K

Drug Test / Consortium Membership:

  • Required for licensing.
  • Sea School offers drug testing through its in-house consortium, APCA.
  • Sign up at: apcadrugtesting.com or call (727) 522-2727.

Check All Drug Testing Requirements on Our Website!

View Website
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Sea School course photo with people

Safety & Security Certifications

CPR / First Aid Certification:

  • Certification Age: Must be less than one year old.
  • USCG Approval: Certification must be USCG-approved.
  • You can take the CPR/First Aid Training: Sea School Courses at All Locations
  • Other recommended providers are: Emergency University, American Heart Association and the Red Cross

TWIC Card (Security Clearance):

  • Required for U.S. government security clearance.

Application & Licensing Process

Students have one year from the first day of class to:

  • Pass all exams
  • Complete sea time requirements
  • Fulfill all required steps
  • Submit their application to the U.S. Coast Guard

It’s Time to Start Your Maritime Career!

Helping thousands of mariners every year, Sea School is a leader in the maritime education space. Whether you are new to the industry or looking to add onto your Merchant Mariner Credential, find the courses right for you at Sea School.

A boat in the water, cruising