Sailing Education Adventures

Just finished ASA 101 (Basic Keelboat) this past weekend. If you’re considering taking ASA 101, then taking it with SEA is a no-​brainer.
First of all, the price is lower than a lot of places in the area, yet in addition to the class the cost covers a year’s membership in SEA. Which means lots of opportunities for try out your new skills on free sails. Brilliant. Looks like they have a lot of opportunities for many types of sails (racing, out-​the-​Gate, etc.), classes, workshops, etc., as one gets more experienced.
And SEA is a nonprofit, promoting sailing, education, conservation, etc., which makes me feel even better about choosing to learn with them.
The classes were laid-​back, but without sacrificing importance of teaching, practice and learning. I believe most if not all of the instructors and assistants were *volunteers* which I find commendable and admirable. All were cool people (as were the other students), whom I look forward to knowing more and sailing with more as a member. We learned on small 16.5′ Catalinas, which were very responsive and allowed you to «feel» what you were doing (right or wrong!).
The location is great too — On beautiful, protected Richardson Bay off Sausalito.

As a complete novice to sailing (never even as a guest on a sailboat), I did a lot of research to find a school that would teach me to sail in a simple but comprehensive way. I found it with SEA! I completed the Basic Keelboat course over the past 2 weekends, and I can’t believe I can now truly call myself sail-​worthy. We learned on 16′ Catalinas, and being in Richardson Bay got a taste of pretty much every kind of wind and weather. The instructors are remarkable, and made me feel totally at ease. If you’re looking to learn sailing, or if you need a refresher, this is the course to take. One of the real perks is also being able to participate in the open sails as often as you like, a great way to keep your skills up and continue to learn. I’m planning to take the next level course asap, which will teach me to sail a 25′ Santana. Can not wait!

We just took lessons from SEA over the last two weekends and were SO impressed with the quality of the instruction, the reliability of the equipment and the value for the money. It’s a huge time investment to commit two back-​to-​back weekends, 8:30 — 4:30. Phew. We were exhausted. But we learned so much, and from incredibly nice and knowledgeable people.
I spent a *while* researching the other classes available in the Bay Area and figured out from asking other people that it’s important to consider the size of the craft you’ll sail while learning: if you hope to sail larger boats (20′ and up) then learning on smaller keel boats like SEA’s 16.5 Catalinas is ideal. You get really good on small, more sensitive boats and that makes you better on the bigger boats. In contrast, if you learn sailing on a 28′ boat with on-​board motor, you won’t have as strong a sense of wind, wave, the feel of the tiller or the trim of the sail. And, if you learn in dinghies (dagger– or centerboards), you’ll end up in the cold water of the Bay!
Beyond the basics that I had hoped for in the course — teaching the syllabus required to learn all the basics of keelboat sailing — we were treated to great stories from the vast and varied experience of our instructors. They were warm, gregarious volunteers who shared their racing, cruising, crewing tales to round out our learning. Many of them had learned how to sail from SEA, too, and then were so turned on by what they’d learned that they kept coming back to classes and open sails.
I hope to make it to membership events like open sails and races, and to take future classes to hone my skills, but I’m also excited that I learned enough to go sail the 22′ boat we just bought!

I just completed my first course with Sailing Educatio Adventures and I was very impressed with their program. The instructors are awesome, they really take the time to explain all the concepts and make sure everyone feels comfortable and confident with the various maneuvers. There is a ton of opportunity to get out on the water and practice your sailing skills, including weekly FREE open sails.
I think this is a great club, for both beginners and experienced sailors, to go out sailing on the Bay at very affordable rates.

I found SEA last Summer when looking for new activities in the Bay area. I’m so glad that I found them in my Google search since they’re amazing! I took the 101 class, then moved onto Racing. There are so many opportunities to get out on the water with this organization… and with a great group of people!

Inexpensive classes, great instructors (very enthusiastic and hard working), no rush classes, good boats, flexible schedule and free annual membership included in class fee. What more can you ask for? Absolutely great place to learn and continue sailing.
I would add that I started with no sailing experience whatsoever (couldn’t even tie knots). In five classes, I am confident at the helm, started to really enjoy sailing and looking forward to open sails.

I just completed SEAs intro to sailing course. Small class size (mine had three students), excellent, enthusiastic instructors, and a curriculum that will teach you a ton about sailing terminology, etiquette, knots, safety, rigging, and of course sailing the boat itself. And you’ll make some friends. The $ 500 price also buys you a year membership to SEA, so you can enjoy plenty of (free) sailing after the class ends if you so desire. Plus you’re supporting a great non-​profit organization. An easy five stars.

Living in San Francisco I’ve always loved the ferry trip to Sausalito or Angel Island, standing on the deck with wind rushing past. Joining Sailing Education Adventures brought me one step deeper into the Bay experience, this time directly on top of it.
One of my favorite experiences with Sailing Education Adventures has been to see San Francisco at night from the Bay; the brightness of the lights downtown, the lines of lights along the larger streets, and the sparser lights in avenues. Then you see the stars, and wonder how sailors navigated across the vast oceans (which was explained in a recent sextant class). Then it starts to get a bit cold and you realize you forgot a hat. No problem, someone lends you an extra.
The sharing of knowledge/​education and resources is what’s made Sailing Education Adventures 5-​star for me. The website offers classes for adults; my ‘Yes – good for kids’ is regarding the well-​attended summer Sailing Camps held in the North Bay.

I took the Intro to Sailing Course back in October and thought it was well presented and organized. The materials used were easy to read and understand, while at the same time very informative. But that was just the start. The real learning came from time spent in the boats, which there was plenty of. There was about 8 students in the class which put us about three to a boat plus the instructor. The boats are very easy for a first timer to sail and immediately get a feel for sailing fundamentals. Overall a great experience, which only strengthened my joy of sailing.
Looking forward to the next classes.

I’m still a fan, but I noticed that most of the other reviews are from avid sailing types or perhaps current members. which doesn’t mean that they can’t have a voice, but when the only entry is about SEA from a reviewer — it is a bit suspicious. Also I just got a link today from an Ken Perez, the former president of SEA, he made some pretty serious remarks about the organization. — I still love the group and while no group is perfect there is a love there of sea and sailing at SEA. Though Gary SUCKSSSSS big time as an instructor. I would rather pay $ 568 to OCSC than be taught another class by Gary H.
I had the best Keel Boat lesson today and it is accredited by the America Sailing Association Very important item when your trying to get charter a boat or sailing farther out, than to Sausalito or Almeda. Our instructor was Andy, a very witty and charming English Chap, who is an excellent instructor. I dare say my crew mates had a good time too and we really worked like team. I had an incredibly experience and I also feel that I learned a great deal today. I felt comfortable behind the tiler.

When all the instructors at a school are volunteers, it’s amazing how enthousiastic a class can be! My teachers’ passion for sailing was contagious, and what started as a slight curiousity of sailing, for me, became a way of life! I thought it would be interesting to sail a few times… but now I’m sailing all the time.
SAILING EDUCATION ADVENTURES is the only way to learn to sail. Very reasonable rates… check around, I did.

You ever think to yourself, while driving across one of the bridges on a sunny weekend afternoon, and see all those little white triangles shooting around the ocean and think, «It would be awesome to be on that boat right now?»
Me too. SEA is the fastest way to get on the water. You are SAILING the second day of class. I think almost everybody in SEA is a volunteer (I know most of my instructors were) which means they do it FOR THE LOVE OF SAILING. They love teaching other people how to sail, and it’s obvious.
And get this: right now they have a camp for underprivileged youth in the city that’s FREE. SEA = heart of gold.

I learned how to Sail with SEA! All the instructors were great and I really appreciated how social everybody was, both on and off the boats.

I joined SEA a year ago and have loved it. Everyone who is part of the organization is there because they have a passion for the sport and want to help others learn. Being a volunteer organization, you really feel a sense of community and support. The cost is minimal for the amount of insturction and sail time. I have recommended to friends who have also become members.

I took an intro class with my boyfriend in March/​April of this year, and it was great! The down-​to-​earth members were in effect, and we learned so much in those four Saturdays. We have thus far been so impressed with the affordability and frequency of the classes offered, especially considering that the teachers are volunteering their time, and the multitude of sailing opportunities (Wednesday nights, Sunday afternoons and many other sails!). It’s a fabulous organization!

I took an intro to sailing class last year and it was affordable and everyone was so friendly, everyone volunteers their time which makes it affordable and it means that people have a real passion for the sport.
This is a friendly club and everyone is extremely welcoming and I have been on a member sail, which basically means you can do it once you have passed the intro course– I was not very good, but it didnt matter, everyone helped me out

My first sailing lesson was, I belive, in the summer of 2000 or 2001, and though I have not continued taking classes (though I always say I plan to), I’ve done a lot more sailing and have learned a lot.
It’s not a «yacht club» (and I say that in a fake snooty tone with my nose in air), but a non-​profit sailing club with down-​to-​earth members who love to sail. The have a variety of lessons from beginning to skippering and even a sailing camp for kids. Best of all, once you’ve completed the intro course, you can crew on the monthly member sails and take the dinghys out for a spin on Sunday afternoons or Wednesday evenings. C’mon! Join and learn how to sail on the Bay! You KNOW you want to… you can find them at
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