Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of a Marine Surveyor

When you are searching for a surveyor and reading through their credentials and experience you may find yourself wondering what CPD is.

CPD is short for Continuing Professional Development and it is a requirement for maintaining membership with many institutions and associations that surveyors affiliate themselves with. You will find qualified and experienced surveyors do this not only due to the fact that the Marine Surveying industry (as a profession) is unregulated, but also as it is good practice with many benefits, including peer review and assistance.

CPD is not only used in the field of Marine Surveying but in many professional fields all around the globe. “Professionals are now considered to be more competent through extending their knowledge by following a program of development, learning and updating” (IIMS).

Membership to the likes of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects (link), Yacht Designers and Surveyors Association (link), International Institute of Marine Surveyors (link), Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors (link) or National Association of Marine Surveyors (link) do not come easily. A surveyor will have to provide evidence of their training as a surveyor, evidence of their practicing of marine surveying in specific specialty areas, as well as pass an exam of some description (oral/written). In order to maintain membership and move up through the differing grades, CPD must be maintained.

CPD is based on an accrued points system. For example if you attend a boat of trade show, you get one or two points, if you complete a week long course on non destructive testing you may get 3 or 4 points. Points are accrued over a 3-year period for many institutes/associations, whereby the member must fulfill their quota or run the risk of losing their membership and subsequent employment. The points attained through the period must be relevant to the development of the surveyor in their professional life.

With the way the marine industry is evolving through greening and new equipment, it is very important for marine surveyors and designers to keep up with the latest technologies. This is where CPD really assists not only the Marine Surveyor, but also their clients.

For us here at Seaworthy Services, our job is never complete at the end of a pre-purchase survey, we are continuing to learn and push ourselves to be the best we can be in our field, particularly when offering pragmatic advice in helping you to make good decisions about boats.

Marine Surveyor Falmouth