A wise man or woman once said, knowledge is power. Nowhere is this truer than in sailing, where the more you learn, the more worlds of sailing fun are opened up to you.

Like most things in life, the key to success is a good education. Courses from an ASA sailing school are designed to be thorough and enjoyable, and to leave you feeling confident on the boat. Each level expands your comfort zone, beginning with basic boat handling and continuing with coastal cruising and eventually offshore, blue-water sailing! How far you go depends on your goals and dreams as a sailor.

Often the biggest obstacle a new sailor has to overcome is not the weather or the waves, but the feeling of being overwhelmed and not sure of themselves. The more training you have, and the more time you spend on the water, the more your confidence will grow.

Take the example of Karen, who put off learning to sail for years due to uncertainty about her ability, instead telling herself she would do it “someday.” But, Karen says, she realized that “someday may never come, and if I was going to do the things I wanted to do then now was the time. Tomorrow was no guarantee. So I contacted an ASA school in Panama City Beach, FL and signed up for my lessons.”

Karen continues: “Where do I begin to explain what sailing has done for me? When I was sailing, I didn’t think about anything or anyone. No problems, no work, just me and the boat and the water and wind and all of mother nature. I felt one with the boat. I felt like I was home! It put a smile in my heart and on my face. I always want to sail, there is so much to learn and do, I will never be bored.”

Karen told me that getting a quality sailing education “completely changed [her] attitude about life.” She has plans to continue taking ASA courses and is only having more fun as she learns. Stories like these are the reason we do what we do. One of the best things about these courses is that they can be fantastic sailing adventures in themselves. Many of our schools are located in, or teach classes in, the Caribbean and other exotic locales. That means you could combine a wonderful tropical vacation with a chance to make huge strides in your sailing skills!  Learn to sail near you, or look at our list of schools outside the U.S. to find out more.

If you want to learn to sail the right way, and have a great time doing it, ASA courses are for you. You can even get started online, with our instructive and fun e-course, Your First Sail. We can’t wait to see you out there on the water!