"At XOSS, we never put more than 4 students to a boat, ensuring you plenty of individual attention.  Our instructors are professionals, not college kids: all certified by US Sailing, the only National Governing Body for Sailing.  Our brand-new boats and teaching program are unequalled in the industry.  We are, quite simply, the finest..."

It's a medley of quotes and paraphrases from real schools - we'll attribute it to a fictitious one for purposes of illustration: XOSS (Xtremely Ordinary Sailing School).

This has become a very crowded market.  Way back when, my father founded our family’s first sailing school at a time when there were only two major schools for him to contend with and for the consumer to choose from. (Those two are, in fact, still around.)

But now you can find as many as 10 schools in the New York area if you look hard enough!  Someone assembling piles of literature collected from various sources might have their mind boggled, unless he or she had some guidelines to apply to all the hype - ours included!  It’s hype, counter-hype, etc.  But for you, the consumer, we suggest you decide which factors are most important to you, compare prices amongst those schools which made it to your short list, then enroll.  We sincerely hope it’s with us, but obviously we can’t hope to train everyone.

This guide was prepared in a two-part format. It endeavors to explain, as impartially as possible, what factors to consider when shopping for a school. But for each section, you can hit the appropriate “hype link” button to go to a separate area to read how we see ourselves stacking up in that particular category. 
Yes, you can read an "impartial" list without being exposed to our hype at the same time!

And even if you’ve already planned not to enroll at our school, but are choosing between 2 or more of our competitors, this guide will help you decide.  Hopefully it will weed out the "XOSS's" of the sailing school industry.

Anyway, here goes with factors to consider when shopping for your ideal school.

EXPERIENCE.  This is very important.  While every school operation has to start somewhere, you as a student are under no obligation to baby-sit a fledgling operation. There are at least three schools that have been around 30 years or more, although not necessarily operated by the same people at the same location for all that time. What is most important is that the people running the school you're going to have demonstrable experience.

How much is enough?  That’s hard to say.  A couple of years isn’t enough, but ten or more certainly is.  Something in between might be sufficient too. Some people have taught at and worked for schools for awhile, then started their own.  That’s also fine, if they’ve been operating that new school and wearing all those hats for a decent interval.  Having some experience teaching is the instructor’s job; running the complicated business is altogether different, and impacts the quality of the whole experience.  Not overbooking, dealing with breakdowns (better still, preventing them), good judgement calls in marginal weather conditions, etc.- all things the school operator should be good at before you get there.  Time at the helm (of the school, that is) is the only way to ensure this.

Feel free to ask about the credentials of the operator- not just whether the school is affiliated with ASA or US Sailing (which you can read about separately), but also the resume of the people in charge.  Ask who owns the operation, too.

METHODOLOGY.  Many schools claim to be the “best,” to have the “best” of everything, and even to have the best "teaching methods."  But unlike most other criteria for choosing schools, “methods” gets almost no explanation from any of them.

Evaluate potential schools by their specific teaching methods.  Find out exactly what the format of the course is.  Start with the breakdown and order of classroom time and sailing time, then break these down by exactly what goes on.  What do they actually do in the classroom?  What tools do they use to do it?  On the water, find out what they do specifically, not just the number of hours.  What are the tricks of their trade?  Do they have drills or games that make it more fun and accelerate the learning process, or do you just sail around?  Do you practice maneuvering around specific objects, for example, and does the school actually have control over them?

One school boldly states that they invented it all, that all other schools imitated their model, and that none have improved on it ever since.  That’s quite a statement!  Unfortunately, they back it up with no specific information whatsoever.  If you come across that statement or anything similar when shopping around, ask for details, and compare those details with other schools.  You can qualify those statements for yourself.  If a school uses the word “best” to describe themselves without qualification, make them back it up.

ASA and US Sailing are the two organizations in America that offer standards for schools, instructors and students.  Courses approved for various levels of certification must offer minimum standards that the schools can add to.
 

The vast majority of schools claiming to be affiliates are legitimate.  But anyone can grab a logo off a web site and include it in their own, or their printed literature (One of the organizations told us that they send out “cease and desist” letters at a surprising rate.)  If in doubt, check them out. That goes double for your instructor!

LOCATION/TRAINING WATERS. It’s critical that the waters you sail on be conducive to learning.  One doesn’t learn to drive on the autobahn or in Times Square; aspiring sailors should avoid the nautical equivalents.  Areas protected from strong currents, wind shears, and commercial traffic are far more appropriate for learning.  We feel that these factors are very distracting at best, and potentially dangerous, even with an instructor on board.  Rivers, lakes, and crowded harbors are all difficult places to learn.

Ask the school about their location in detail, and if possible, see it in person.

Transportation. You should also consider how practical it is to travel to a school on the days and times you'll be doing it when taking a course.  If driving, find out how the traffic is on "school day."  If taking public transit, make sure you know about any off-peak schedule cutbacks or detours involved.  Some schools give their classroom sessions on weekday evenings; make sure that's convenient for you, and safe to return home from afterward if you're taking public transit.

TIME ON THE WATER.   Essential sailing skills don’t rub off on you by talking about them in a classroom.  Some classroom time is definitely necessary, but the majority of your time should be on the water. Any commercial sailing school will probably give you more time on the water than in a classroom. (If you find one that doesn’t, don’t go there.) The breakdown of course hours between classroom and sailboat varies from school to school, and isn’t regulated in any way by either ASA or US Sailing.

Some schools have to waste valuable time getting from their docks or moorings to productive sailing waters.  Determine whether your school requires engines to get to and from the dock or mooring- if so, they’re geographically handicapped.  (Most are to some degree, but necessity of an engine compounds it.)

Ask where the sailing is predominately done, and then ask where the boats are kept in relation to those primary sailing grounds.  Don’t be afraid to ask just how long it takes each way: immediate, 1 minute, 15 minutes, etcetera.  If possible, visit the school beforehand to prove it to your own satisfaction.  You can probably figure this one out for yourself.

“Engine" or "Motoring" Practice is not an integral part of learning to sail.  It's certainly not part of the ASA or US Sailing basic keelboat standards.  If a school winds up using it twice a day for getting to or from the dock, or in and out of restricted areas or to fight river currents, they're dipping heavily into sailing time.  Which schools incorporate “Engine" or "Motoring" Practice into their class time?  Those that can't even leave the dock without it!

TIME AT THE TILLER. Almost every commercial sailing school puts either 3 or 4 students to each boat plus an instructor for a basic keelboat course.  The vast majority put 4.  (Many of them suggest that their competition puts at least 5 by stating something like this: “At XOSS, we never put more than 4 students to a boat…”.)

Although there probably are a few schools that do put more than 4 as standard practice, we couldn't name any off the top of our heads if we were asked to!

Don’t take a basic sailing course that puts more than 4 on the boat.  The better the student-to-instructor ratio, the more time you spend at the tiller, steering the boat, which is the single most valuable part of the program.  Some schools will take the financial hit and put only two students in a boat when they are underbooked for a particular schedule, which is fine- but don’t tolerate a 5th when they over-book!

TRAINING BOATS. You spend most of your time on the boat, and learn the most while on it.  The boat’s suitability for teaching its intended purpose, whether teaching beginners, would-be racers or advanced cruisers, will have a major impact on the success of the program.

As an adult, you should learn on a keel boat.  Keel boats have specially placed weight, usually lead, that prevents them from flipping over (capsizing) in all but the worst conditions.  Any conditions you’re likely to encounter at sailing school will almost certainly be below the threshold that will see any chance of capsizing.  And if that ever happens, it doesn’t mean the boat sinks straight to the bottom!

(The other type of boat is a dinhgy. Dinghies are smaller boats without the ballast that stops them from flipping over.  You should try them eventually - but for the most part, kids should learn on dinghies and adults on keelboats.)

The boat should not be a flat-out racer, nor a heavy ocean-going cruiser.  Both extremes of design are unsuitable for beginning instruction. Your training boat should lean a bit toward the racing design so as to be light and maneuverable. This helps you develop a feel for what’s happening, and really see the results of what you do - wrong and right!.

The boat should have a clear, comfortable seating area in an enclosed cockpit, without a lot of gear and hardware in your way.  Flat-out racing boats are designed with no regard to these concerns, but performance oriented cruiser/racers often are.  See the boat before enrolling, or see a picture in literature or on the school's web site.  If offered, take a preview sail before enrolling to see for yourself and make sure you feel comfortable in the boat.

Some boats have earned accolades or specific awards that indicate they are well designed, although this doesn’t necessarily mean they are suitable for all purposes, particularly sailing instruction.  All other variables being equal, an award-winner is likely to be better than a no-name.

Some schools make a big deal about the fact that they use new boats that are no more than a couple of seasons old.  If it's true, it sounds good, but doesn't necessarily mean much.  Modern fiberglass boats last pretty much forever.  Far more important is the upkeep of the sails and rigging.  A tour of their facility or, better yet, a  ride on one of their boats will reveal any disturbing trends in their maintenance programs.

INSTRUCTORS.  Very simply, they should be certified by either ASA or US Sailing. Unfortunately, a number of schools supplement their staff with uncertified instructors and have someone who is certified sign off on the paperwork, even if they’ve never been in the boat with you.

Proof of certification is available, and we see no reason not to ask for it. Instructors are issued the same log books that students get, but the seals or their locations in the book are different and signify instructor status. ASA membership cards also show any instructor certification. US Sailing issues cards to all members, but they don’t indicate status. If the instructor/s didn’t have their log books handy, just contact ASA or US Sailing to check if they’re certified.  If they’re not, raise that issue with the school and with the organization it’s affiliated with.

• They’ve proven their own actual sailing ability.
• They’ve proven some sailing instruction experience before attending the certification clinic.
• They’ve participated in testing, cross-training, and group evaluation of their TEACHING SKILLS in a peer setting.
• They carry liability insurance as certified instructors. (which should only supplement that of the school you attend).

CLASSROOM AIDS.  To get the most out of your classroom time, your school should have a well thought-out selection of visual aids.  A drawing board alone isn’t enough.  Look for other aids to supplement the standard drawing board, such as videos, slides, velcro boards, and actual model sailboats.  A decent-sized model sailboat with fairly realistic fittings is invaluable for demonstration.  (The blackboard or ink board should not be deleted from the arsenal, either.)

PRACTICE TIME.  Some schools provide practice sessions as part of the course.  We think it’s an excellent idea because it helps build your confidence to rent on your own, without the help of your classmates.  However, it should not be a substitute for course hours with an instructor.  Make sure you’re clear on the breakdown between hours with and instructor and practice hours; at least one school emphasizes the large combined number, only breaking it down into its components later- in finer print.

How the practice sessions are scheduled, and how much they are supervised, varies.

SCHEDULING.  Some selection of schedule types will make it easier for most people to fit a course into their normal schedule.  Struggling to get to school and rush off afterward to other activities or responsibilities will make you too tired to concentrate and learn (and fully enjoy) your lessons.

The sheer number of days over which the sailing time of the course is spread out is also important.  The more days, the fewer hours each one, which keeps your concentration level up (but if you have a very long “commute” to school, this might not make sense for you).  A schedule with more days also exposes you to more different wind and weather conditions on average, and spreads the risk of cancellation out more broadly.  Three or four days are both good choices.  If you’re at a vacation branch of a school, 5 is also good.  Two is just too few!

Another consideration in scheduling is whether classroom and sailing are done on the same day for the same topic. The value of the classroom instruction is to give a basic understanding of principles and maneuvers, preparing you to go out and actually do them.  Therefore, it’s preferable to have classroom first, followed by sailing, each day.  Separating the classroom topic from actual practice by a few days is less desirable - time erodes the value of the classroom session.  Another scenario is to sail in the morning and follow that with classroom in the afternoon.  We've come to view this as just plain backwards, and students don't concentrate as well this way.

GUARANTEE.  Due mostly to competition over the years, many schools offer a guarantee.  Typically they will give you the course over again if you’re not satisfied.  It’s a good indication that they’re confident in their ability to teach you, and prepared to back up their advertising claims.  Most major schools offer one, so be very cautious about going to a school that doesn’t.  Make sure the guarantee has no restrictions you can’t live with.  It doesn’t have to be unconditional, but any conditions should be to protect the school from frivolous claims, not to "fine-print" you into not being able to invoke the guarantee clause.

PRICE.  Finally, a brief word on price. Many quality schools are in a very similar range, hovering on either side of $400.  A couple of schools are much cheaper; a  couple go the other way- all the way to $900, in fact!  Be very careful about spending a lot more or less than the average: you could throw money away in either case.  Do try to evaluate everything else before price, then armed with a short list, you can factor price into the value equation.

Some prices include all materials (textbook, certification fees, etc) and others don’t.  Be certain you know which you’re dealing with, and what the total final cost is.  If the tuition plus materials for a school compares with an all-inclusive price, fine.  Bear in mind that most schools that charge separately for materials, if not all, mark them up anywhere from 40 to 100%