STCW Security Awareness: PSA vs PDSD, Cost and Who Needs It

4 Nov 2026

What is STCW security awareness training?

STCW security awareness training, officially Proficiency in Security Awareness (PSA), is a short course under STCW Code table A-VI/6-1. It teaches anyone working on a ship covered by the ISPS Code to recognise security threats, follow the ship security plan and report incidents. It takes about four hours and can be done entirely online.

The ISPS Code is the international ship and port security regime brought in under SOLAS chapter XI-2 after 9/11. It applies to passenger ships, and to cargo ships of 500GT and over, on international voyages. Commercial yachts of 500GT and over (roughly 50m and up) fall under it too. That's why the yacht you join may have a Ship Security Officer, a written ship security plan and a gangway log. Since the 2010 Manila amendments to STCW, everyone working on those vessels needs certified security training.

The UK enforces the ISPS Code through the Ship and Port Facility (Security) Regulations 2004, which is why port fences like this one in Southampton carry restricted-area signs. Photo: Rémi Kaupp, CC BY-SA 3.0.

STCW sets out three levels of security training for crew, plus a separate officer qualification:

• Security-related familiarisation: a briefing the Ship Security Officer gives you on board before you're assigned duties. You don't book or pay for it.
• PSA (A-VI/6-1): required for every crew member on an ISPS ship.
• PDSD (A-VI/6-2): required for crew who have duties in the ship security plan.
• Ship Security Officer (SSO, A-VI/5): a longer course for the officer who runs the security plan. It's not something a green crew member needs.

PSA vs PDSD: which STCW security course do yacht crew need?

On an ISPS-compliant yacht, every crew member needs at least PSA. Anyone given a job in the security plan, such as gangway watch, checking visitors or searching deliveries, needs PDSD (Proficiency in Designated Security Duties). On a yacht that usually means all the deck crew and often the whole crew, so most yacht crew go straight to PDSD.

Controlling who comes up the passerelle is a designated security duty, and it's usually the crew member on gangway watch who does it. Photo: Ввласенко, CC BY-SA 3.0.

If you're green and only buying one, buy PDSD. It costs roughly £95 more than PSA online, and you won't need PSA as well: the MCA's own PDSD certificate format states that it incorporates Proficiency in Security Awareness (MIN 480). In port, everyone takes a turn on the gangway, stews included. Captains hiring for deckhand jobs on larger yachts tend to expect PDSD alongside basic training, and if you're working towards bosun you'll be running that gangway rota yourself.

Two points on recognition:

• UK-flagged ships: the MCA accepts PSA certificates from any country on the IMO STCW "white list". It only accepts PDSD from administrations whose officer certificates it already accepts for a UK Certificate of Equivalent Competency (MIN 643, section 4.10).
• US-flagged ships: every crew member with designated security duties on a vessel of 500GT or over that falls under the ISPS Code needs the USCG VPDSD endorsement (46 CFR 15.1113). That requires a Coast Guard approved course, so an MCA online certificate won't count.

How much does an STCW security awareness course cost?

Expect to pay £50–£111 for PSA and £145–£231 for PDSD, depending on whether you study online or in a classroom. These are the providers' own published prices, checked in November 2026.

Bold is the price the provider publishes. Other figures are converted at roughly £1 = $1.33 = €1.17 (autumn 2026 rates). Check VAT at checkout.

Online is the cheapest route and gives you the same MCA certificate. A classroom day makes sense when it fits around a basic training week in Fort Lauderdale or the UK, or when you need a USCG endorsement. If you searched for "STCW security awareness training in London", you don't need a London classroom. An MCA-approved online course issues the same certificate wherever you take it.

Can you do STCW security awareness online?

Yes. The MCA's short course guidance (MIN 643) approves PSA, PDSD and SSO for online delivery. Personal Survival Techniques and firefighting are different: you have to do those in person.

Before you pay, check that the provider shows an MCA approval number. If you're unsure, email the MCA at [email protected] and ask them to confirm. Also check the flag. Most yachts sail under Red Ensign flags such as the UK, Cayman or Marshall Islands, where MCA certificates are routinely accepted, but a US-flagged boat needs the USCG version.

The course covers the theory. The boat-specific part, such as who watches this gangway in Rhodes, comes in the security familiarisation the Ship Security Officer gives every new crew member on board. Photo: Pjotr Mahhonin, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Does STCW security awareness expire?

No. UK PSA and PDSD certificates don't need refreshing. When the MCA introduced the training in MIN 480, it said it "need only be completed once in the seafarer's career", with no refresher or revalidation. The current refresher rules in MIN 643 list only Personal Survival Techniques, firefighting, survival craft and advanced firefighting as needing an update every five years. Security isn't on that list. MIN 643 currently runs to 30 November 2026, so check gov.uk for the notice that replaces it.

That's the opposite of your basic training, where the sea survival and firefighting modules need a refresher every five years.

On a US Merchant Mariner Credential, endorsements are valid until the MMC itself expires (46 CFR 10.205). Ask the National Maritime Center what you need to submit when you renew.

Is STCW security awareness part of basic training?

No. STCW Basic Training is four modules: Personal Survival Techniques (PST), Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting (FPFF), Elementary First Aid (EFA) and Personal Safety and Social Responsibility (PSSR). Security training is a separate STCW standard (A-VI/6), and the USCG confirms you don't need basic training before taking Security Awareness or VPDSD.

Many yacht schools sell basic training and PDSD as a package, which is usually cheaper than booking them separately. Read the course listing carefully, because some packages include PDSD and some don't. Our guides to STCW basic safety training and STCW courses in Antibes cover what the week involves.

Once you have your STCW, ENG1 and CV, you can sign up free as crew on Radius. We verify your ENG1 and STCW and put you on the map captains and crew agents search when they need crew in your port. Add your security awareness or PDSD certificate to your CV so it's visible when they look.

FAQs

Do stewardesses need PDSD?

On an ISPS-compliant yacht, every crew member needs at least PSA. Many captains ask interior crew for PDSD too, because everyone stands gangway watch in port.

Do I need both PSA and PDSD?

No. PDSD includes the PSA content, so a PDSD certificate covers both.

Do private yachts under 500GT need security training?

Strictly, the ISPS Code doesn't apply to them. Many captains still list PDSD in job ads, and at £145–£231 online it's an easy way to tick another box on your CV.

What's the difference between PDSD and a Ship Security Officer course?

PDSD trains you to carry out security tasks. The SSO course is a longer officer qualification for whoever writes and runs the security plan, usually the mate or the captain on yacht captain jobs.

Is the US VPDSD the same as PDSD?

Both meet the same STCW standard (A-VI/6-2). The USCG issues VPDSD as an endorsement on your MMC, and it requires a Coast Guard approved course.