I took a weekend Dinghy Sailing course here at the end of March, which is a short course for complete novices. If, like me, the closest you've got to sailing is a past encounter with a canoe on a yr 9 geography trip, then I couldn't recommend this great crash course more. On the Saturday we began by learning simple boat terms (daggerboard, centre board and rudder anyone?) and basic techniques. Returning on the Sunday we learnt more on technique, skills and speed and really got to grips with being out on the lake.. By the end of the two days I'd had a lot of fun and mastered the art of staying afloat. The instructor was great and took time to explain the boat in detail, how to handle it, and now I'm officially allowed to rent a dinghy form the centre. Not bad for two days training and £110 for both days! We went in a group and although there was about 8 of us, we had a lot of one-on-one contact with the instructor and I actually feel like I could take a dinghy out myself and continue practicing. Luckly for us the weather was great and the wind speeds perfect, but I can imagine if the weather's not so good, it would be quite a tough course to do and you'd probably end up very cold and wet. Yet if you do love it as much as we did then you can continue lessons and progress with the Basic Skills Level 2 course where the real training begins. One of the most rewarding weekends I've had in a while and being out on the water certainly brushed the cobwebs away. read more

Debdale Outdoor Centre - The professionals - Specialty Schools Near Me - Manchester, XGM