• The US SAILING Small Boat Sailing Level 1 Instructor Course, approved by the U.S. Coast Guard,  is designed to teach sailing instructors on-the-water group management and instruction techniques for dinghies, multihull and small daysailing keelboats.  This is a 40 hour course conducted in four days.

• Topics covered  include: sports psychology, sports physiology, lesson planning, safety issues, risk management, classroom and on-the-water teaching techniques.

• The goal is to produce highly qualified, certified instructors for; sailing schools; community boating programs; camps; park recreation programs; military programs; yacht clubs, colleges; American Red Cross;  YWCA's; YMCA's; Scouts; and other organizations offering sail training.

Prerequisites

• Experience and expertise in sailing small boats such as prams, dinghies, multi-hulls, and day sailing keelboats. These skills will NOT be taught and are mandatory for satisfactory completion.

• Experience in operating a safety boat. This skill will NOT be taught.  Instructor Candidates lacking adequate skills should either seek opportunities for practice or attend a US SAILING Safe Powerboat Handling Course. Required powerboat skills include both high speed and slow speed maneuvering including the maneuvers displayed at this link.

• All Candidates need a NASBLA approved safe boating certification regardless of any state boating laws. Visit http://www.nasbla.net/courseListing.php for a list of approved providers. Candidates holding a current USCG full or limited Master's or OUPV license are exempt from this requirement. THIS IS A NEW REQUIREMENT   Please bring your certificate to the course, you will not be allowed to participate without it!

• Irrespective of the US SAILING prerequisite, the candidate must meet the requirements to operate a powerboat in the state where the course is being held.  This may be met by being certified in the host state or fall under that state's reciprocity agreement.  You can find out your state or the host state's requirements here or here.

• Current American Red Cross, American Heart assoc. or any USCG approved CPR and First aid certification. Here is a link to the approved courses. CPR and First Aid certification are not required to take the course but are required for certification as an instructor. A state licensed EMT or physician whose CPR certification is renewed annually is also accepted. Please bring copies of your cards to the course.

• Successful completion of a swim check. The accepted swim strokes are: front crawl, breaststroke, side stroke, elementary backstroke, back crawl and butterfly, as defined by the American Red Cross. Floating and treading water are not considered to be swimming strokes, and sculling or finning as a way of moving through the water while floating or treading is not considered to be a swimming stroke. 

• Current US SAILING individual or family membership.  Only one certification per family membership is permitted. Youth memberships do not meet this requirement due to insurance considerations

• Completed application form accompanied by appropriate course fee (and any late charges).

• Completed Medical Form (provided with course materials; bring to course). 

• Minor candidates must bring the waiver form to the course (provided with course materials).

• Completed Safety Boat Skills Self Assessment Form (provided with course materials; bring to course). 

• Ability to exhibit appropriate personal and interpersonal skills.

Note:
- REGISTRATION FOR ALL US SAILING TRAINING COURSES ARE ON A FIRST PAY BASIS!
- ATTENDANCE AT ALL COURSE SESSIONS IS MANDATORY. ABSENCE FROM ANY PORTION OF THE COURSE EXCLUDES THE INSTRUCTOR CANDIDATE FROM  EVALUATION.

Successful Completion of the Course includes passing the following practical and written tests administered at the course; a positive evaluation also must be attained in certain areas. The practical and written tests each stand on their own, and each must be passed in order to pass the course. The determination as to whether a candidate passes or fails rests with the Instructor Trainer. In addition to Pass or Fail, a third option is a Plan of Improvement. Re-testing for Plans of Improvement carries a $50 re-testing fee; re-tests are scheduled with specific representatives of US SAILING and must be performed within a specific time frame. 

• Sailing Skills Practical Test: Execute, with comfort and confidence: Rigging, leaving a dock/beach, starting, stopping and speed control, safety position, getting out of irons, sailing backward, tacking, jibing, steering with sails and weight, proper sail trim, judging laylines, capsize and overboard recovery, returning to dock/beach, unrigging.

• Safety Boat Operation Skills Practical Test: Execute, with comfort and confidence: system, equipment and starting checks, leaving and returning to a  dock, high and low speed maneuvering, holding position upwind/up-current, backing, pivot turn (180 degree turn within a confined area), anchoring and /or making fast to a mooring, crew overboard recovery.  For stop motion animations displaying some of the required skills see Safety Boat Skills Test.

• Swim/PFD Check: Swim 50 yards in instructing clothing both with and without a PFD, tread water two minutes while performing a minor task (such as tying a knot). The accepted swim strokes are: front crawl, breaststroke, side stroke, elementary backstroke, back crawl and butterfly, as defined by the American Red Cross. Floating and treading water are not considered to be swimming strokes, and sculling or finning as a way of moving through the water while floating or treading is not considered to be a swimming stroke. 

• Marlinespike/Seamanship Practical Test: Demonstrate ability to tie the following knots and hitches: Figure 8, bowline, square knot, sheet bend, clove hitch, two half hitches, rolling hitch, cleat hitch. Also coil and throw a line.  Think you know your knots?  Try these on line knots.  

• Personal and Interpersonal Practical Skills: Demonstrate professional conduct, an open-minded, positive and enthusiastic attitude, appropriate appearance (clothing, footwear and tidiness), participation in discussions, collaboration skills/team player, confidence and ease of manner.

• Classroom Presentation Practical Skills: Demonstrate lesson preparation, with clear, logical and accurate content, good voice enunciation/clarity/volume/pace/pitch, good non-verbal communication (gestures and body language), effective visual aids, good timed presentations with introduction, conclusion, demonstration, clarity and use of notes, use of multiple pathways techniques, and ease in handling questions.

• Land Drill and Water Drill Teaching Practical Skills: Demonstrate good class positioning, control and positioning of safety boat, demonstration skills, effective on-the-water communication, evaluation, and feedback technique.

• Sailing Theory (Written Test): A closed-book exam on general sailing knowledge. Contains 50 questions similar to those in the Review Questions. The exam is based on Start Sailing Right and the Small Boat Sailing Instructor Manual.  Passing grade is 80%.

• Teaching & Coaching Fundamentals (Written Test): A closed-book exam on the contents of the TCF book. Contains 50 questions similar to those in the Review Questions. Passing grade is 80%.

• Basic Powerboating, Safety and Rescue (Written Test):  A 30 question test based on the Basic Powerboating Safety and Rescue Manual.

• Attendance at all portions of the course.

• Evaluation: The Instructor Trainer's Overall Evaluation.

Training Materials - Materials will be sent directly to the instructor candidate or to the course contact for distribution to pre-registered instructor candidates. There are approximately 600 pages to read, so plan on studying prior to and each night of the course. Instructor candidates will receive the following:

• Small Boat Sailing Level 1 Instructor Manual

• Start Sailing Right! student handbook.

• Teaching & Coaching Fundamentals book

• Basic Powerboating, Safety and Rescue Manual

• Review questions for the Instructor Manual and general Sailing knowledge tests, TCF,  and Basic Powerboating, Safety and Rescue.  

• Medical Form and Safety Boat Self Assessment Form.

• Statement of understanding and waiver.  Must be signed by a parent for applicants under 18.

• Other handouts and course information as applicable.

Validation of Small Boat Sailing Instructors - Validation will be for three years providing First Aid, CPR, and US SAILING membership are kept current. Instructor validation is renewable.

Minimum Age Limit For Small Boat Sailing Qualification

• To attend a US SAILING instructor course, the instructor candidate must be at least 16 years old as of the first day of the course. Upon successful completion of an instructor course, the 16 year old will be designated a Sailing Assistant until turning 18. The Training Office may then be contacted to obtain an instructor's certification card.

• Minor candidates must bring to the course a waiver form signed by their parents before being allowed to participate.

Course Fee

• Training Fee for Small Boat Sailing Level 1 Instructor Course - $315

• Late fee for application received 1 week prior to a course - $50

• US SAILING Adult Individual Membership - $60, or may be the only certification per family membership

• EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNT (for applications with payment received in the Training Office 4 weeks prior to a course) - $20

Important note:  Due to insurance and other considerations, membership in US SAILING is required in order to participate in this course.  To ensure your on-line application is properly processed it is necessary that you have a current  membership before registering.  If you have any questions regarding your membership status click here Membership Status Guide for detailed assistance in processing your application.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

• Course fees are nonrefundable.
• For cancellations more than 4 weeks before the course date, the fee is transferable to another course.
• For cancellations within the 4 week period, ½ of the course fee will be transferable to another course.
• For no-shows, 100% of the course fee is forfeited.

 Register Now!

Register online or use our mail-in application.

All courses are subject to cancellation until minimum enrollment is met