Career Suggestion

Sailing instructor

Sailing instructors teach people to sail yachts and boats.

Average salary (a year)

£16000.0 to £28000.0 (starter to experienced)

Typical hours (a week)

36.0 to 38.0 seasonal

You could work

freelance / self-employed as customers demand

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • specialist courses run by professional bodies

College

You could work towards this job by doing a relevant college course, for example:

  • Level 3 Diploma in Sport and Outdoor Activities

You'll need to check that your chosen course includes the professional qualifications to become a sailing instructor.

Entry requirements

You may need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

More Information

  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
  • search for courses|/find-a-course

Apprenticeship

You could start by doing an outdoor activities instructor advanced apprenticeship.

This usually takes around 12 months to complete as a mix of learning on the job and study.

Entry requirements

There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

More Information

  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide

Other Routes

You can do Royal Yachting Association (RYA) courses . The RYA is the national governing body for sailing, and sets standards for training instructors.

You'll need to be:

  • over 16 years old
  • physically fit and able to swim
  • a competent, experienced sailor

You'll also need to pass a sailing assessment and do further study before you can start training as a sailing instructor with the RYA.

Courses are done at local sailing clubs or with private training companies.

More Information

Career Tips

You'll need to requalify as a sailing instructor every 5 years, and must have a valid first aid certificate.

Further Information

You can find out more about becoming a sailing instructor from the Royal Yachting Association .

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
  • the ability to teach pupils how to do something
  • leadership skills
  • the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
  • thinking and reasoning skills
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

  • be over 16 years of age

You'll need to be a member of the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) to qualify or revalidate as an RYA instructor.

Day-to-day tasks

In your day-to-day duties you could:

  • prepare and present lessons
  • teach safety on dry land and drills on water
  • demonstrate boat handling and sailing techniques
  • assess your students' abilities
  • keep attendance records
  • record and report accidents or boat damage
  • inform students of changes to lessons due to bad weather
  • help to maintain the boats

Working environment

You could work in a sailing club or at a marina.

Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers and physically active.

You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.

You could move into a supervisory or management job within a sailing club.

You could also become an instructor for other types of sailing vessels, like yachts and powerboats.

Sailing instructors can work on a contract or freelance basis.

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