Classes were well organized. The food was great. The dorm was clean. John, the AB instructor was very knowledgeable, and helpful.

I really enjoy Sea School. I have taken several courses here (STCW Basic Training, Lifeboat, AB, OUPV, and 100-Ton) and all the classes have been very engaging. The instructors have decades of experience in the industry and pepper their lessons with sea stories. If you make an effort to do well in class, the instructors will stay late to help you. I struggled with some of the water survival skills in Basic Training and ropework in AB, and instructors in both classes (Mr. Len and Mr. John) stayed with me after class to make sure I'd pass. Mr. Len also stayed late (7 PM!) to proctor my Marine Radio Operator Permit test, even though it was the final day of class for him. Ms. Jess's OUPV course is fantastic. She really hammers the Rules of the Road into you by having you memorize these diagrams. It's tedious copying them every morning but the rules have stuck with me better than using any other method! I always got the sense SeaSchool instructors believed in me and wanted me to succeed, even when I struggled with basic concepts. The school goes out of their way to accommodate people, especially those who travel far (like I did). Their OUPV (six-pack) class was full and Ms. Marissa and Ms. Shovanna in the office called me the moment a spot opened up last-minute, making it possible for me to book flights to school and get my courses done before their next available class (February 2024). SeaSchool Alabama is also well worth the money, because room and board is included in the course price (one big reason I spend the money on airfare). Mr. Russell, the cook, really goes above and beyond to make sure dietary needs are met, and Ms. Rita does an amazing job keeping the place clean. SeaSchool is starting to feel like a second home to me with all the people. My previous employer recommended SeaSchool (my boss did some of his training there years ago) and I'm so glad he did! The only negatives to SeaSchool is that some of their equipment is pretty old (but all is in working condition) and the courses are pretty fast-paced and could use a little more depth (I think STCW Basic Training would work better as a seven-day class with more survival and fire training included, but I know it can take a lot of time to implement new USCG regulations). SeaSchool Alabama is a very down-to-earth place, which is great for some people, but people wanting a state-of-the-art facility with newer equipment should probably look elsewhere. Also I wouldn't necessarily recommend their online courses. I took my Assistance Towing course with them and barely passed the test (I did much better in their in-person classes). Course material consisted of pretty bare PowerPoint slides without interactive teaching tools (very few videos or audio clips), and I had trouble grasping the concepts. However, all and all a great experience, wonderful people, and highly recommended! I look forward to returning to SeaSchool for more training in the future. read more