British Water Ski & Wakeboard aims to improve the standard of ski boat driving in the absence of any legislation or licencing system in the UK.  In many parts of Europe a licence is mandatory but not in the UK.  We offer two tiers of award as proof of your boat handling skills - the Ski Boat Driver Award (SBDA) and the Club Driver Award (CDA).  The SBDA is now recognised as the benchmark standard of driving skills at clubs throughout the UK and is supported by a network of over 100 test centres.

Where can I take the SBDA?
If you are already a member of an affiliated club that is a designated SBDA centre speak to your club representative about test availability and cost.

If you are not a member of a club and wish to locate a test centre that accepts external candidates there are many open centres around the UK.   Please note that the cost of the test and the availability of the test varies from centre to centre.  Some centres will offer powerboat courses while other centres only offer the test itself - contact a local centre for further details.

 Find a test centre in your area ...

Where can I take the Club Driver Award?
Please note that the test has limited availability at present nationwide.  Please contact us for further advice on locating a test centre and arranging a course ...

Why should I qualify if it is not necessary in the UK?
our awards are formal proof of your boat handling experience and skills.
if you take our SBDA we are able to issue you with the mandatory European counterpart - the ICC or International Certificate of Competence.
the majority of clubs in the UK require our SBDA for you to drive on their water.
if you wish to take a British Water Ski & Wakeboard Instructor qualification holding the SBDA is a minimum requirement before you take a course.
as an SBDA holder you automatically receive a discount on our Approved Boat Insurance Scheme operated by RA Carter Ltd.
take the SBDA and you can move up to the next level of Club Driver Award.

What do I need to know to take the test?
first of all you must be a member of British Water Ski & Wakeboard.
you must also be at least 16 years of age at the time of taking the test.
you must have a level of driving roughly equivalent to RYA Powerboat Level 3.
you must have read and be familiar with the content of our SBDA manual.

Our manual contains all the information required for the written test and includes a comprehensive full colour guide to flags and other signage.  It is available as a free download on our web site in the resources section for members.

What do I need to do in the test and how long does it take?

Practical Test
complete a 10 minute driving test.
demonstrate to the examiner basic boat handling skills and simple manouvres.

Written Test - Coastal Waters (mandatory)
complete a multiple choice question paper of 22 questions (approx 30 minutes).
correctly answer a minimum of 18 questions correctly.

Written Test - Inland Waters
complete a multiple choice question paper of 14 questions (approx 20 minutes).
correctly answer a minimum of 11 questions correctly.

How do I maintain my qualification?
you must remain a British Water Ski & Wakeboard member.
you must renew your ICC every 5 years for the licence to be valid.

How long does it take until I receive my licence?
generally licences are processed on the day they are received but allow 2 to 3 days for processing during peak times.
you must be a member for your licence to be issued - if your club has not renewed your membership or if you have not submitted a membership this will cause a delay.

If you have any questions that are not answered here please feel free to call.