Sailing Jobs: Assistant Instructor

• Sailing Ability: Pass one National Sailing Scheme Advanced Module
• Prior Qualifications: None
• Minimum Age: None
• Attend: Two day course at your centre run by the Senior Instructor

An Assistant Instructor, one of the sailing jobs, is a competent dinghy sailor, who can help Dinghy Instructors teach RYA Sailing Level 2 and Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Youth Sailing Scheme.

They must work under the supervision of a Senior Instructor and can only teach up to two people in a dinghy. They have to have passed an Advanced RYA Module such as Start Racing and will take about a weekend to complete.

People wishing to be Assistant Instructors will be assessed on their practical teaching skills with sailing novices. Your Assistant Instructor certificate is only valid for 5 years and after those 5 years must be revalidated.

I did this qualification and thoroughly enjoyed it. It really helped my sailing as well, because you really had to think how you would teach a certain subject and so had to think it through yourself.

I have already taught quite alot during Plain Sailing and the children's sailing organisation (called HYS on the Welsh Harp) and it was great fun as well as gaining alot of self satisfaction by helping out new members of the sailing community.

If you are an experienced sailor who hasn't as of yet dabbled in teaching, I highly recommend that you participate and get involved with your local sailing club.