Sailing Schools
Sailing schools are housed by organizations and associations that have devoted their time to teaching and certifying sailing enthusiasts. Confidence and competence, these are the two main goals to be achieved by people joining sailing schools; regardless of whether you want to simply expand your horizons or to learn the basics of boating, courses are adapted to all experience levels. Sailing schools are a much faster way to develop skills as compared to empirical learning. Experience does teach you, but it takes time and lots of challenges, but sometimes one doesn't afford to learn from mistakes. Hence, certified learning programs for sailing represent quality education and offer plenty of practice and lots of fun.
Some sailing schools have developed separate curricula for larger and smaller boats; thus the learning programs are divided in more or less stages depending on the complexity and the extent of the training. Before joining a sailing program, it is advisable to read the summaries or the general information on the courses in order to decide which one is best for you. Certification is possible at the end of the course after the required examination according to the standards of the association. Most sailing schools are accredited at the national or international level and they function within standard parameters.
There are the so-called “standards” that define the prerequisites of sailing schools. Some of these characteristics are sometimes adapted or emphasized according to the local climate conditions and the features of the boats used during the training. If you are to stick to the standards of a sailing association, you'll need to follow a complex education routine, becoming proficient in swimming, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid. The necessary knowledge is acquired within training facilities available in your area. What do sailing school standards include in the first place?
For a basic keelboat standard, the graduate of a sailing school should be able to sail a 20ft long vessel in familiar waters and on good weather conditions with moderate winds. The next level is the basic coastal cruising that allows the sailor to operate in coastal or regional waters either as skipper or a crew member. Then, all the following learning stages and standards are based on these two which are considered the ABC of sailing schools. Therefore, it is of paramount importance that the choice of the course be made on the basis of a truthful evaluation of the aspirant's sailing knowledge.