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 Schools - how to choose a school

 When there are plenty of schools out there who do you choose and why do they merit consideration? You're here at this section on the site because you are deciding who to invest your money with to get the best combination of quality and value for money. We know how difficult this process can be  so we've jotted down a few pointers we've used when deciding where we attend courses.

Choosing a school ~ checklist

bulletAre they a RYA Training Centre?
bulletWhat type of school are they - Inland or Coastal?
bulletIs Powerboating a small part of their business or their particular specialisation?
bulletHow experienced are their Instructors?
bulletCan they offer the full range of courses?
bulletHow do they present themselves in terms of literature and websites etc?
bulletWhat boats do they use and how well 'specced' are they, are any of them 'coded'?
bulletDo you get to try more than one boat?
bulletAre there plenty of others on the course to learn from?
bulletCan you go onto to take your Advanced, Instructors or shorebased courses with them?
bulletDo they sound like you will enjoy being with them for the duration of your course?
bulletDo they run a good number of courses each year or does it appear rather occasional?
bulletAre they able to help you on other aspects of boating like which items of safety gear to buy & where to get it for less?
bulletIs the course reasonably priced?

As we see it these are just some of the factors to consider when choosing who to spend your money with. Courses are not cheap but arguably more importantly, irrespective of how much you actually pay you really can be 'shortchanged' if the course you attend is not well structured, run and executed. Moreover, you must really come away from the course enthused and having gained real value from your time at the school. Therefore really investigate the schools you are considering and see if they deserve your custom.

 To become a RYA Training Centre takes considerable time & effort but reflects a school that operates to the highest possible standards. Never assume a school that claims to be RYA accredited is and always check at www.rya.org.uk

If  they are a Coastal school then all of the certificates that we issue carry a Coastal endorsement. This is essential if you intend doing your boating anywhere else other than on a lake.

New Powerboat book
Read about the new RYA powerboat book  here
New RYA course!
For 2004 there was a major change to the National Powerboat Scheme - read about it here
Links
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History
This site was founded back in 1999 as a resource for powerboaters interested in furthering their boat handling skills via training or simply reading about how to handle their craft better. Since its inception it remains the only site dedicated to powerboat training and is ranked No1 for Powerboat Training by search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Altavista. The site has been reviewed by a variety of magazines and websites and its content is regularly used by other more mainstream sites.
News
How familiar are you with the new SOLAS V regulations that came into force in 2002? If you've not heard about them them you need to as they affect your boating and probably your insurance...visit the articles section to learn more