Eric David, Vice President and Director of Operations at NBSS
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Eric David at a Glance:
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For Eric David, safety on the water comes down to the quality of training received before ever getting behind the wheel. That belief guides every decision he makes as Vice President and Director of Operations of the National Boating Safety School (NBSS), an online boating safety school accredited by Transport Canada. Through the platform he leads, Canadian boaters complete every step toward their Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC), commonly known as a "boating license," entirely online.
Since he took the helm in 2020, many Canadian boaters have earned their boating license through the school, now recognized as one of the leading providers of PCOC training and exams in the country. That result comes down to one deliberate choice: build a fully digital training path where nothing is left to chance. Every module keeps pace with current federal requirements, with a single goal in mind : making boating incident prevention reach as many boaters as possible.
What He Oversees Day to Day at NBSS
With more than five years in the boating safety industry, Eric David manages three core parts of NBSS's mission:
- Curriculum oversight: he shapes the educational content from the ground up. Training modules, the exam question bank, the boating safety manual,… all of it runs through his direct supervision, from first draft to the updates required as the regulatory framework evolves.
- Official exam integrity: he oversees the testing process, built around 50 questions and a 75% passing grade, in line with Transport Canada's requirements.
- Regulatory monitoring: he keeps continuous watch over the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, the Small Vessel Regulations, and the Competency of Operators of Pleasure Craft Regulations, so training stays aligned with the legal framework in force.
From a Business Degree to the Vice Presidency: His Path
Eric David's career sits at the intersection of two worlds: business management and boating safety. His command of the regulatory framework, both Canadian and American, has earned him recognition from the industry's leading authorities.
- Education: Degree in Business Administration and Economics, Elmira College (New York)
- Career progression: a fast climb into leadership roles, culminating in the vice presidency of an organization offering certified boating training
- Transport Canada accreditation
- NASBLA accreditation (National Association of State Boating Law Administrators), recognized in the United States
The Partners Behind His Work
NBSS's standing in the Canadian boating industry owes a lot to the collaborations Eric David has built over time:
- Business partnerships: agreements with Princecraft and Mercury Marine, two well-established names in recreational boating
- Editorial visibility: ongoing collaboration with Power Boating Canada magazine
- Industry affiliation: member of the Outdoor Council of Canada
- Institutional reach: certification services delivered to school boards and organizations across the country
The Day Everything Changed: The Story Behind His Commitment
For Eric David, boating training can't stop at the basics. That firm stance traces back to a defining moment in his own life.
In 2019, while on vacation, he spotted a swimmer struggling in rough seas just off the shore. He didn't think twice, he dove in to help. The current pulled him under too, and he fought the waves for 45 minutes before being rescued. At the time, he didn't know a single basic move for handling a situation like that.
A year later, the chance came up to build a boating safety course, and he took it without hesitation, going so far as to name one of the course chapters "What to Do in an Emergency." That experience still shapes how he approaches the work today.
Issuing a card is never a small thing to him: it's first an obligation to Transport Canada, and even more, a responsibility to whoever will take the wheel next. His work philosophy rests on three pillars:
- Regulatory rigor : staying strictly aligned with the legal framework in force
- Real accessibility : offering training that reaches as many boaters as possible
- A demanding balance between meeting federal requirements and maintaining teaching quality
That same conviction that rigorous training genuinely changes the outcome of a day on the water, both for the operator and for everyone else sharing the waterway, has guided his decisions since 2020.
Find Eric David Online
Eric David shares his professional insights on LinkedIn and gives a glimpse of his day-to-day as an entrepreneur on Instagram.
