RCA Riviera Crew Academy
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STCW

STCW Refresher

Revalidate your certification, fast. Practical reassessment of fire fighting and sea survival — every five years.

Duration1.5 days LevelExperienced crew TypeCertifying From€495

Keep your certification valid

Since 2017, STCW certificates must be revalidated every five years. The refresher is shorter than the original five-day programme — a focused, practical reassessment of the perishable skills: fire fighting and personal survival techniques.

We run the survival element at sea on a real yacht, so your revalidation reflects genuine conditions rather than a training pool.

What’s included

  • Fire fighting practical reassessment
  • Personal survival techniques (open-water)
  • Updated certificate issued on completion
  • Efficient 1.5-day format for working crew

Renewal reminder

Not sure when yours expires? Ask us about the Renewal Tracker — we log your certificate dates and remind you before they lapse, so you never lose a contract over an expired ticket.

Frequently asked questions

See all questions →
How long is my STCW valid for?
Five years. Three modules stay with you for life; the two perishable ones — fire fighting and sea survival — must be revalidated every five years with an STCW Refresher (1.5 days). Let it lapse and you're not compliant to work. More detail: how long does STCW last.
What difference does training on a real yacht actually make?
Most schools run the practical modules in a classroom and a swimming pool. We run them on a working yacht, at sea: real sea entry, real liferaft in real water, live fires on our fire ground. The gap shows on day one of your first contract — a captain can tell instantly who has only ever done the drill in a pool.
Where do the courses take place?
In Antibes, on the French Riviera — theory at our base, practical sessions from Port Vauban, Europe's largest superyacht marina. Nice airport is 25 minutes away by road or train. Training where the fleet actually is means you're in the right place to hand out CVs the week you qualify.
How do booking and payment work?
You send a registration request through the booking form — no payment is taken online. We reply by email to confirm your place is available, then arrange payment with you directly. Nothing is charged until your place is confirmed and you've had every question answered.

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