If you’ve got a passion for dinghy sailing, why not train to teach others the incredible activity?
If your love an outdoor office and want the chance to shape and inspire future boaters, find out more about the RYA Instructor pathways and opportunities for developing your skills below.
Not just a job, it’s a lifestyle too. Instructing RYA courses can be a rewarding, challenging and fun career or hobby.
Pre-requisites: One of the Sailing Scheme advanced modules
Pre-entry assessment: Recommendation by Principal of the Recognised Training Centre
Training course: Training should be based on a 20 hour course covering basic teaching principles, centre procedures and specific training in any unfamiliar equipment (see RYA book G14). Students will be assessed on their teaching ability with beginners.
The training and assessment will be conducted by one of our expertly trained Senior Instructors who has been nominated by our Principal, General Manager or Chief Instructor.
The Principal/General Manager/Chief Instructor will authorise and sign the certificate.
Qualified to teach: Up to Sailing Scheme Level 2 or Youth Sailing Scheme Stage 3 under the supervision of a Senior Instructor. As the AI’s training is limited to assisting qualified instructors and does not include first aid or powerboat handling, AIs must never be allowed to work without direct supervision.
Certification: This is a SWAC certificate, awarded by the training centre and valid for five years.
Overview: The RYA Dinghy Instructor course is a widely recognised teaching qualification that will equip you to inspire and teach the next generation.
The standard qualification for anyone wanting to teach dinghy sailing, during your training, you’ll learn how to coach the RYA syllabus, the skills of being a successful instructor, effective communication styles and teaching methods. Training in teaching techniques afloat and ashore is provided during the course.
Run by an RYA Coach/Assessor and moderated on the final day by another RYA Coach/Assessor who has not been involved in the candidate’s training.
Candidates will be required to demonstrate competence in course preparation, delivery and management, as well as customer liaison.
Minimum Age: 16 years
Required Certification: First aid certificate; RYA Powerboat Level 2; RYA Safe and Fun certificate and pre-course work.
Prior experience: Experienced sailor (in a variety of boats) in reasonable wind conditions
Pre-entry assessment: To be completed within one year prior to the instructor course.
Qualified to teach: Sailing Scheme Levels 1, 2 and 3, Day Sailing, Seamanship Skills and Sailing with Spinnakers (if suitably experienced and approved by the Principal or Chief Instructor)
Youth Sailing Scheme Stages 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Instructors are qualified specifically to teach on either dinghies, small keelboats or multihulls, depending on their training course and experience.
Instructors are not assessed as competent in running a training centre, and should always work under the supervision of an RYA Senior instructor.
Validity: Five years from the date of issue, provided that a valid first aid certificate is maintained.
Candidates who complete their instructor course in dinghies, but who want to teach in small keelboats or multihulls should obtain the relevant endorsement. Our Endorsement courses are run over two days by Coach/Assessors with the relevant experience, who have been appointed by the RYA.
During the course, candidates must demonstrate their pre-entry test skills and teaching techniques.
Candidates will be assessed on a continuous basis afloat and on successful completion, we shall will sign their logbook.
The RYA Senior Instructor course is a widely recognised qualification that allows you to organise and control group sailing tuition and to supervise and assist instructors.
As a Senior Instructor you must be confident, a competent leader, capable of organising groups of all ages and directing work to instructors.
Minimum age 18
Dinghy Senior Instructor: At least two years intermittent or one year full time instructing since qualifying as an RYA Dinghy or Multihull Instructor
Keelboat Senior Instructor: At least two years intermittent or one year full time instructing since qualifying as an RYA Keelboat Instructor
RYA Safety Boat certificate
Valid first aid certificate
Signed recommendation from the Principal of an RYA recognised Training Centre (see G14/05 handbook)
Sailing ability to at least the standard of RYA Instructor (an assessment may be necessary if sailing ability cannot be adequately demonstrated during the training course)
This is the course to take to develop your skills from RYA Dinghy Instructor to RYA Senior Instructor.
The 4-day course covers preparation and delivery of sessions, course and centre management, powerboat handling in a teaching environment, RYA Sailing Schemes and the role of a Senior Instructor.
Students will be assessed on a continual basis over the 4 days when running water-based simulated group management sessions.
Prior to attending the course, you must complete the pre-course workbook.
This can be downloaded here.
The workbook will lead you into the course through information and exercises. It has been created in an editable pdf format, enabling you to complete sections straight onto the booklet, without having to print first. This provides the ability to save, re-read and correct should you wish too. The document can then be emailed, printed or saved onto your device and brought to the course.
If you are using the workbook on the PC or Mac, download it and save a copy to your computer first. You can then use a PDF reader such as Adobe to open it and should be able to enter text into the boxes provided. Simply opening it from your web browser will not allow you to enter text.
If you are using the workbook on an iPad/iPhone you should be able to open and edit it using the iBooks app.
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