ASA 119, Marine Weather Endorsement

Earn your official ASA 119 certification by completing this online course from Starpath.

Course Materials Included

Instructors & Discussion Groups

ASA Certification

1 Year Access

This course covers all aspects of practical marine weather, starting from the very basics and ending with all you need to plan your voyages — or weekend outings — safely and efficiently taking into account the weather. Using live weather data to illustrate many of the topics it covers, this practical online course will help enhance your decision-making both when planning and underway.

ASA 119, Marine Weather Endorsement - Online Course

Course OVERVIEW

A practical course that will indeed affect your decision-making when planning and underway, the ASA 119, Marine Weather Endorsement Course covers all aspects of practical marine weather and how to observe and forecast weather conditions using traditional maritime skills and modern technology.

During this practical and interactive online course, that can be taken as a prerequisite for the ASA 120, Radar Endorsement Course, learn how the appropriate knowledge of weather information can be beneficial when planning and adapting during short durations or extended voyages. This online class will ensure your navigation planning is safer, more efficient and more accurate with topics covering:

» ROLES OF MARINE WEATHER.
Elements of marine weather and how they relate to each other and to forecasting:

» PRESSURE & WIND.
Understand why the wind blows, apparent vs true wind, wind terminology and more:

» GLOBAL WIND & CURRENT.
Causes and descriptions of global winds and its influence on wind and weather; speed, distances, temperatures, etc:

» STRONG WIND SYSTEMS.
A reminder that, ultimately, we will more often use our knowledge of marine weather to find more wind than to avoid too much wind:

» CLOUDS, FOG, & SEAS.
Clouds and Fog types and their meaning:

» WIND & TERRAIN.
How the presence and topography of land affects wind flow over adjacent waters:

» WEATHER MAPS.
Practice and review of map reading:

» SOURCES OF DATA.
Traditional options and how to use them vs new resources and their availability:

» ONBOARD FORECASTING.
What the swells, waves, and ripples can tell us:

» SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE WEATHER.
Unique features; what is reversed and what isn’t:

‣ Special sources for Southern Hemisphere weather data

COURSE LENGTH & PREREQUISITES

There are no prerequisites for this course. While there are no prerequisites for this course, many students benefit from completing the ASA 105, Coastal Navigation Course before taking this course.

You can reasonably expect to spend approximately 40 to 60 hours on this course, depending on how much optional material you choose to cover. With the ability to start immediately and submit quizzes and discussion topics at any time (day or night), you have the freedom to work at your own pace and on your own time schedule.

ASA 119 ENDORSEMENT

Students who complete the online course and pass the final exam will be awarded an official ASA 119 endorsement and seal for their logbook.

COURSE ACCESSIBILITY

This course can be accessed from any computer (Windows or Mac) with an internet connection. Course registration includes a complete, self-contained home-study course in printed materials as well as a complete electronic version including additional software resources. Work through the lessons, assignments and quizzes in the interactive online classroom and, when you are away from the computer, study with the printed texts, table sections, and work forms.

With the electronic components, you can take the complete course with you as you travel, or use them as a resource to search topics and materials. If you prefer to work on your own without computers, you have a complete syllabus with practice exercises and answers in the printed materials. For added structure to your training, then take part in the online discussions and individual quizzes for each lesson.

COURSE MATERIALS - WHAT'S INCLUDED

COURSE MATERIALS

All necessary materials are provided to complete the online course, including optional eBooks Modern Marine Weather and the Barometer Handbook. Additional electronic components include access to live weather data to illustrate many of the topics covered, as well as the ability to monitor hypothetical coastal or ocean passages to simulate real world scenarios that influence and determine decision making.

INSTRUCTORS & DISCUSSION GROUPS

Each Starpath course includes free access to online resources and discussion groups. Starpath has instructors in three different time zones monitoring these groups so, should any question arise, simply post it in the Student Discussion Forum for a quick answer — or search the forum to see if an answer to your question already exists.

ASA Certification

A certification & seal for your logbook.

1 year access

You have one year to complete the course or request an extension.

Other Starpath Courses

ASA 105

Coastal Navigation

Learn practical navigation on inland and coastal waters, including chart reading, piloting, and more.

ASA 107

Celestial Navigation

Learn practical celestial navigation and other aspects of safe ocean navigation.

ASA 117

Basic Celestial Endorsement

Learn to apply basic celestial navigation theory and to determine latitude and longitude at sea.

ASA 119

Marine Weather Endorsement

Learn to observe and forecast weather conditions using traditional maritime skills and modern technology.

ASA 120

Radar Endorsement

Learn to properly use small-craft radar (or radar simulator) for piloting, navigation, and collision avoidance.