Seven Seas University® brings cruisers a complete 12-Seminar Marine Weather Training Series

Seven Seas Cruising Association © Seven Seas Cruising Association

The Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA) is expanding Seven Seas University® with a comprehensive 12-seminar marine weather education series presented in partnership with Marine Weather Center (MWXC) and Chris Parker, Chief Forecaster.

The live series began July 28 and concludes September 8, 2026, moving from basic weather science to practical vessel-specific forecasting and decision-making.

Designed for cruisers, passagemakers, watchstanders, and boat owners, the program is more than a collection of webinars. Seven Seas University organizes the instruction into a progressive course path supported by recordings and course materials for review and self-paced study.

The 12-Seminar Course Path

1. Weather 100 — Energy Transfer and Basic Concepts — Energy, pressure, wind, global circulation, the ITCZ, and trade winds.
2. Weather 101 — Large-Scale Weather Events and Systems — Highs, lows, ridges, troughs, fronts, and surface-weather patterns.
3. Weather 102 — How Upper-Air Weather Influences Surface Weather — 500-mb patterns, upper-air flow, convergence/divergence, troughs, and ridges.
4. Weather 201 — Importance of Lift, Convection, and Thermodynamics — Rising air, instability, clouds, squalls, thunderstorms, and convection.
5. Weather 202 — Smaller-Scale Weather Events and How to Anticipate Them — Meso/microscale weather, sea/land breezes, terrain, funneling, katabatic winds, and coastal effects.
6. Weather 203 — Numerical Weather Forecasts — Part 1 — How computer models work, what they resolve well, and where guidance can mislead.
7. Weather 203 — Numerical Weather Forecasts — Part 2 — Model comparison, uncertainty, forecast evolution, and practical onboard use.
8. Weather 301 — Waves and Seas: Drivers, Behavior, and Vessel Impacts — Wind waves, swell, period, steepness, fetch, current, shoaling, comfort, safety, and route timing.
9. Weather 400 — Weather Routing: What a Router Does and How to Think Like One — Routing decisions, alternatives, vessel considerations, and when professional routing adds value.
10. Weather 401 — Forecast Resources and Communications — Part 1 — Text, graphics, observations, gridded data, model displays, and choosing a practical weather toolkit.
11. Weather 401 — Forecast Resources and Communications — Part 2 — Bandwidth, communications options, delivery methods, backup planning, and onboard weather access.
12. Weather 402 — Creating and Using a Forecast for Your Boat — Capstone: combine observations, official products, models, local effects, vessel limits, and decision points into a usable briefing.

A course package built for continued use

Seven Seas University is developing the seminar recordings into durable course packages rather than one-time event replays. Course support includes recorded instruction, syllabi, participant workbooks, and guided-learning resources. Selected sessions also include timestamped video indexes, cruiser reference guides, and supplemental materials so students can return directly to key topics and use the material as a practical onboard reference.

The progression is deliberate: understand why weather happens; read large-scale and upper-air patterns; recognize convection and local effects; evaluate numerical models and forecast resources; understand waves and routing; then build a forecast and decision brief for your own vessel.

Purchase the package at ssca.org/marineweathertraining

"Seven Seas University is designed to turn expert instruction into practical education that cruisers can return to again and again. This series takes students from the fundamentals all the way to applying weather information to a real boat and a real cruising decision." — Joan Conover, President, Seven Seas Cruising Association

For cruisers at every experience level

Newer cruisers can use the early seminars to build a strong foundation, while experienced sailors can use the later sessions to sharpen forecasting, passage planning, weather-routing, and onboard decision-making. The emphasis throughout is practical: understand the atmosphere, recognize uncertainty, cross-check the forecast, and connect weather information to the vessel and crew.

Course access and package information are available through Seven Seas Cruising Association at www.ssca.org. SSCA members receive access to the organization's growing Seven Seas University educational resources and member benefits.