Difference in schools

[jimmyp]

Planning to go to a sailing school first of the year. I have noticed a lot of schools are going to U.S. Sailing acrediation not ASA. What is the difference and what do you folks recommend?

JimmyP

[sck5]

I got my bareboat cert at Annapolis Sailing School which offers both ASA and US Sailing certs. They asked me which one I wanted - both the boat and instructor were the same either way.

And that is what you need to find out - It is the instructor (and the boat has to at least be in OK condition) that makes the course. Either syllabus will teach you how to sail though I have heard it said that ASA is more aimed at cruising and US Sailing toward racing. But what difference that makes when you are a beginner is hard to see.

[jimmyp]

The school we are using is Offshore Sailing School and they also offer both. Mainly curious as I have seen several schools aligning with U.S. Sailing now. I personally have done ASA 101 & 103, but my wife and the other couple going with us have little to no experience. Just in my observations it seemed as if U.S. Sailing was more on the practical experience and ASA is more about the book knowledge. I prefer hands on experience as any body can memorize a book and say they are an expert.

JimmyP

[cb32863]

I took my classes, ASA 101, 103, 104, 105, 117. I do not think it was based on the "book". I got a lot of practical experience sailing with the on the boat classes. Might be dependant on the choice of school then.

[nolatom]

Typically USSA is more racing-oriented (since they are the sponsoring body for the US olympic program), while ASA is more cruising-oriented.

This of course is a generalization, and it depends more on the individual instructor. Kind of similar to the different sponsoring/certification organizations for Scuba.

I teach part time in an ASA program, and also occasionally in a USSA program at the local YC. I teach both pretty much the same, I think, in terms of sailing skills, and how to make the boat go (fast).

[jimmyp]

Nolatom,
Which marina are based out of in NOLA? We go down to the MS gulf coast a good bit and sail my mac gregor out of there.

JimmyP

[nolatom]

West End marina, inner harbor, near the Southern YC.

The brokerage for whom I teach ASA lessons is murrayyachtsales.com. and the YC is the Southern, they use the USSA book but don't do certs, just teaching the basic sailing course, and some racing prep, in Flying Scots.

Hope to see you around some time.

[jimmyp]

nolatom,
I hope we can very soon. I have a daughter a USM and had planned to go by and see her on our way down. A little out of our way to NOLA, but it will be worth the extra distance visiting with her. I will pm you when I get my time set.

JimmyP

[Sailmon]

I have always understood that ASA leans more toward cruising and US Sailing is geared more toward racing.

[Tempest]

Sailmon,

I've heard that before....but I don't know where it originates..

Basically it's tough enough to teach the basics...without adding racing into the equation.

So my experience is that it's exactly as Sck 5 says.
Find a quality school...not all are created equal....find a good instructor..same caveat...and a good boat...not some worn out old heap with the sails blown out.....if you get these things in line.. I don't think it matters if it's ASA or US sailing...