Dinghy Lessons

Dinghy Lessons

We offer 4 types of lessons and courses that range from beginners to advanced level and can be booked as full multi-lesson courses or as individual private lessons. All courses include a life vest. Additional material like neopren suits and shoes can be rented.  You’ll find the prices for the lessons at the end of each course description.

Trial Lesson
Basic Course
Advanced Course
Private Classes

Trial Lesson

If you’ve always wanted to try a dinghy you found the right place. Book a non-binding hour with one of our instructors on a Laser Stratos. Depending on your interest and skills you can decide whether you want to take the helm from the start or first leave it to the instructor. Even if you’re brand new to sailing, it usually does not take much more than 10 minutes until you sit at the rudder and steer the boat. Our Laser Stratos offers space for up to 6 people and can be sailed sporty with harness and genaker, as well as a family friendly boat.

If it may be a little more, we recommend our Dinghy trial course. The course contents is a slightly reduced version of the Dinghy beginner course. It includes 6 hours of practice with an instructor and covers some basic theoretical aspects, although the focus is definitely more on practice. After completing, you can extend the course and do the basic dinghy license.

Basic Course

The dinghy basic license is considered the introduction to dinghy and yacht sailing and also includes useful material for the official sport boat license. During the whole course you will have an experienced dinghy instructor directly at your side. You will sit at the helm or jib from the first lesson and thus sail the dinghy yourself.

The Dighy Basic Certificate course includes 10 hours with an instructor and at least 2 hours of free sailing. At the end you can decide if you want to take the exam for the Dinghy Basic License International of the VDWS (extra € 40.00). With this license you can sail or rent dinghies at VDWS stations worldwide.

You will learn basic sailing skills as well as gain dinghy specific competence:

• Reading the wind and water
• Courses to the wind
• Tacking
• Jibing
• Speed control
• Capsize and righting
• Parking
• Right of way
• Knowledge of the boat and it’s components
• Nautical knots
• Safety topics

Dinghy Advanced Course

This course is the perfect upgrade to the VDWS Dinghy basic license. Depending on the level of knowledge, the course content is determined individually and thus builds on your actual skill level.

Content of the advanced course:

• Boat- weight and sail trim
• Wind Course training
• Maneuver training
• Strong wind training
• Helmsman and crew training
• Regatta tactics
• Righting methods

Dinghy Private Lessons

Your individual sailing plan

Your very individualized regatta training, a refresh your helmsman/woman skills or an excursion with the children, a fun sail with the harness because of good winds or do some dolphin watching. Many also use this service to get to know the area better from a sailors point of view or to get familiar with dinghy boats. We would be pleased to welcome you for a private dinghy lesson.

Our team of certified and experienced instructors values the individuality of every surf student, be it in a group or private lesson, but some students still prefer the undivided attention of their instructor. This is natural and understandable, which is why we reach out to surf lovers throughout San Diego and offer quality private surfing classes in Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach and Mission Beach.