Dear Editor
I was struck by Dean Kennedy’s thought-provoking article, published on the Boating New Zealand website on 2 October 2026, entitled Is it time we raised the standard? (Boating NZ, September 2026) in which he questions the lack of formal qualifications through regulation to become a marine surveyor – and I share his sentiments entirely.
As the CEO of the International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS) for the past 12 years, it is fair to say I very much have a vested interest in the surveying profession. But Dean’s words resonated with me.
Marine surveying is a technical profession. Most who come into the industry do so as second or even third careers. Knowledge and experience of boats and their structures are critical requirements. Many surveyors will have been mentored by an experienced practitioner to understand what they need to know before putting it into practice. Yet still, the marine surveying profession is unregulated, not only in New Zealand but around the world. Anyone can practice.
It is time for regulators to take this more seriously.
To become a house surveyor in the UK, one generally needs to qualify through the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which is the industry’s gold standard professional body. While anyone can legally call themselves a “surveyor,” reputable employers and home buyers hire only Chartered Surveyors (MRICS). That means three or four years of study time at university. After graduating, the student must join a firm’s graduate scheme and complete the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), which involves 12 to 24 months of structured on-the-job training. As you can see, the process is long.
My question is: why should the marine surveying profession be any different?
My attempts to engage with various regulators over the years on this topic have been met with silence. They have listened intently, but it goes no further. And to highlight Dean’s point, marine surveyors look at vessels that, in some cases, are worth millions of dollars. They are expected to find faults and their causes, akin to being a detective at the scene of a crime hunting for clues. So it is logical that the vessel owner would want some kind of assurance about the competency of the surveyor, surely?
IIMS is the leading worldwide provider of education through its Professional Qualifications, the only professional body of its kind to offer such training; but even this does not mean a surveyor becomes “qualified” or guarantees success. It means they have attained good theoretical knowledge and have met a taxing standard, equivalent to the first year at university. But this needs to be supplemented by hands-on practical experience and guidance from an experienced practitioner to enable the new entrant to grow and develop.
The best advice I can offer is to always select a marine surveyor who is a member of a professional body. Each of the 1,000-plus IIMS members around the world has been subjected to rigorous vetting by the Professional Assessment Committee, which requires objective evidence before being granted membership.
To conclude, marine surveyors are no different from practitioners in many other fields of professional practice, who are required to meet a regulated national or international standard. I support Dean’s message and say it is time for maritime regulators to toughen up the rules so that those who should not be engaged in this demanding and precision work are denied access to the industry.
Mike Schwarz, UK, by email
