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Osvdpa Board News

08 Nov 2018

OSVDPA Announces 2019 Membership Enrollment

Aaron Smith, Executive Director, OSVDPA

Announcement also includes new membership policies and enrollment procedures.The Offshore Service Vessel Dynamic Positioning Authority (OSVDPA) is now accepting Individual and Corporate Membership Applications for the 2019 calendar year.Membership provides individuals and companies involved in the dynamic positioning industry the ability to advise the OSVDPA on the content and requirements of the OSVDPA DPO Certification Scheme. Specifically, members elect two representatives to the OSVDPA Technical Advisory Council (TAC).

02 Nov 2018

OP/ED: Mariner Credentialing Evolves – for the Better

Steve Mason (CREDIT: OSVDPA)

As the Offshore Service Vessel Dynamic Positioning Authority’s new dynamic positioning operator (DPO) certification body evolves, its pathway to training and certification gives mariners options, and a seat at the table.The other day I was thinking about what makes me a captain. What I came up with as the relevant points were the ability to handle the vessel and read the environmental conditions, leadership abilities, risk detection and mitigation, managing peers, and mentoring my crew.

28 Aug 2018

OSVDPA Accredits Texas A&M Maritime Academy

A&M becomes first U.S. Maritime Academy to teach accredited DP courses.The Offshore Service Vessel Dynamic Positioning Authority (OSVDPA) has announced that Texas A&M Maritime Academy (TAMMA) is accredited to provide OSVDPA courses to its cadets. TAMMA, in Galveston, Texas, is the first Maritime Academy in the United States to be accredited by a dynamic positioning operator (DPO) certification body.In announcing the accreditation, OSVDPA Executive Director, Aaron Smith, said, “The OSVDPA Board of Directors and our staff are very excited to issue this accreditation. Going in to the accreditation process we obviously knew of A&M’s reputation as a great maritime training institution, but they surpassed even those lofty expectations.

03 Oct 2017

OP/Ed: Why I Became a Member of the OSVDPA

Capt. Robert "Bobby" Moyer

A new voice for today’s workboat professional emerges. As the captain of an OSV, I’ve spent a great deal of my life waiting. Waiting at the dock, at anchor, at the 500. Wherever one could wait, I have waited there. I can wait with the best of them. Now, just out of habit, I’ll wait when doing so is not required or helpful. Because of this waiting I, like most mariners, can gripe with the best of them. I also excel at grumbling, grousing, and my bellyaching is hard to beat. I guess mariners develop this skill while we wait (or maybe because we wait).

30 Sep 2016

Interview: Aaron Smith Zeroes in on the Offshore Sector

Aaron Smith

As the Executive Director for the Offshore Supply Vessel Dynamic Positioning Authority (OSVDPA), Aaron Smith is charged with managing the day-to-day operation of the Authority. Along with the OSVDPA Board of Directors and Technical Advisory Council (TAC), Aaron has helped to craft the Authority’s dynamic positioning operator (DPO) certification program. This includes ensuring that the program is ultimately accepted by the offshore energy industry, and its many international and domestic counterparts.

27 May 2014

Talking DP with Aaron C. Smith, Executive Director OSVDPA

Aaron C. Smith

When the Offshore Supply Vessel Dynamic Positioning Authority (OSVDPA) held its first board meeting in March, it began charting the course toward a new dynamic positioning operator (DPO) certificate especially designed for the offshore service vessel industry. As the Executive Director for the newly created Offshore Supply Vessel Dynamic Positioning Authority (OSVDPA), Aaron Smith is charged with managing the day-to-day operation of the Authority. Along with the OSVDPA Board of Directors and Technical Advisory Council (TAC)…

21 Apr 2014

If You Have DPS Questions ... OSVDPA Has Answers

Aaron C. Smith

Over the past two years, the only constant in the dynamic positioning industry has been uncertainty. A new certification scheme, a long-awaited revision of the industry standard and threats of regulation continue to cause oscillating senses of hope and fear. As a result, the DP industry has a collective case of whiplash. However, even today few answers exist as to what direction the industry should take toward a worthwhile system of DPO certification. To some, the answer is a return to a one-size-fits-all DPO certification system.

08 Apr 2014

The Offshore Service Vessel Dynamic Positioning Authority

In a recent study, two groups were shown the same painting; one group was told it was painted in 1905, the other was told 2005. Not surprisingly, the first group reported liking the painting more than the second, proving the human brain almost automatically equates longevity with quality. But does longevity always equal quality? Of course not, but our natural inclination is to respect that which has been around and to be uncomfortable with change. I admit it; I fear change as much as the next person. However, in certain circumstances we must take a breath and recognize the status quo can no longer be our only option. Nowhere in the maritime community is the need for well-crafted options more evident than the certification of dynamic positioning operators (DPOs).