Powerboat Training Progression Explained

At Ocean Sports Tuition, we provide a range of powerboating courses which teach students how to safely handle and manoeuvre a vessel. Our powerboating courses are certified by the Royal Yachting Association and we have a team of fully qualified and trained instructors who are happy to help beginners and seasoned boaters alike.

RYA Powerboat Level 1

Our Level 1 Powerboating Course takes just one day to complete and is perfect for anyone wanting to dip their toe in the water (pardon the pun!).

Ideal for children, young adults and families that would like to learn together, no experience is needed, and students will be introduced to boat handling, learning a range of skills including anchoring, securing to mooring and man overboard techniques.

Students will also learn about safety equipment, and on completion of the course will be able to safely launch, recover and confidently complete simple manoeuvres on a powerboat. This course is suitable for anyone over the age of 8.

RYA Powerboat Level 2

Our two-day Level 2 Powerboating Course is our most popular, focusing on developing your boat handling, safety and navigation skills.

This course is suitable for beginners who are looking to take a powerboat out by themselves but is also the perfect practical course for seasoned boaters who want to consolidate their boating experience with RYA principles, and for experienced boaters who want to develop their knowledge.

There is no requirement to have completed the RYA Powerboat Level 1 Course first, although for younger or inexperienced sailors, we would usually recommend starting with Level 1 to build confidence and water awareness.

On day one of the two-day course, students receive a full safety brief and are given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the boat, developing knowledge of anchoring, securing to a mooring and more.  On day two, students begin with a theory session, before being taught planning speed manoeuvres and man overboard techniques.

The Level 2 course includes a free ICC (International Certificate of Competence) assessment, a document which enables boaters to evidence their competence in the waterways of Europe and European coastal waters. This course is suitable for anyone over the age of 12.

Further Training

At Ocean Sports Tuition, we also offer Intermediate and Advanced Powerboating Courses which are the ideal stepping-stone for boaters who are looking to learn technical navigation skills and chartering by night and in rough weather. Unlike our Level 1 and Level 2 courses, this training requires previous experience and qualifications and has a desirable minimum age of 16 (intermediate) and 17 (advanced).

RYA Intermediate Powerboat Course

The Intermediate Powerboating Course is a two-day course which gives experienced students the opportunity to plan a daytime cruise. Students will use traditional methods of navigation as well as GPS to develop the safety and boat handling skills required for longer journeys in more complex circumstances.

RYA Advanced Powerboat Course

This two-day Advanced Course prepares experienced students for boating in adverse conditions by day and night. Knowledge development includes high-speed navigation, night navigation and rough weather handling to give students the skills to confidently handle a powerboat.

At Ocean Sports Tuition, we also offer RYA shore-based and online theory courses for boaters who want to extend their theory knowledge alongside practical training. Our team of qualified RYA instructors have a passion for delivering the best possible training to their students and we aim for everyone to feel relaxed and comfortable on the duration of our courses. Although we provide personal and in-depth training in group sizes of three, we also offer 1:1 sessions if you would prefer more face-to-face time with our personable and friendly instructors.

About Us

Ocean Sports Tuition has been delivering certified RYA training to the South Coast and the Solent since 2004. All our practical courses are based in our purpose-built offices in Saxon Wharf Marina, Southampton, and we provide our students with the latest equipment and the best boats on which to learn the ropes. Our owner and founder, Andy Murray, is passionate about delivering first-class training and services to both new and experienced boaters alike, which is why so many of our customers return for more training! If you have any further questions about our courses or would like to find out more information about what other services we provide at Ocean Sports Tuition, call us on 02381 242 159 or email us, and we’d be happy to answer your query.