Aventura Sailing School

Featured School: Aventura Sailing Academy

By: American Sailing Association, Schools

Aventura Sailing Academy is located within Aventura Sailing Club in Dana Point, California. Known for its beautiful harbor and ideal sailing conditions, the club offers sailing experiences for both beginners and seasoned sailors.  They have been teaching sailing since 1976 and are one of the top American Sailing schools. They consistently rank among the elite schools in student satisfaction of their instruction.

Get to Know Aventura Sailing Academy as they tell you all about their school.

Where They Sail

Aventura sailors

Aventura Sailing Academy is located in Dana Point, California.  One of the few harbors in Orange County, California. Dana Point is home to numerous restaurants and upscale hotels, making it an ideal spot for a destination sailing education vacation. Dana Point Harbor is one of the West Coast’s best sailing harbors, minutes from slip to open ocean and known for year-round favorable sailing weather. Conveniently located within a ½ day’s sail to Catalina Island, Southern California’s top sailing destination.  Aventura’s base location enables students and members easy access to sail along the Laguna Beach & San Clemente coastline and some of the best Southern California Sailing from San Diego to Point Conception.

What They Teach

Aventura Sailing Academy is Dana Point Harbor’s Premier source for Sailing Instruction. Aventura Sailing offers all American Sailing Courses ASA 101 – 108.  ASA 101 begins on a 27’ to 30’ Sailboat equipped with a wheel helm, roller furling jib, inboard diesel engine, and fixed keel.  Aventura’s training sailboats provide our students with practical experience and a direct pathway to skippering their personal Bareboat Charter.  We offer all of the American Sailing Association (ASA) Certificates, either in group settings or through private classes.  Sailing courses for single certificates, combo certificates, and live aboard offshore classes provide a full menu of Courses to meet your sailing needs.  Aventura also offers all Instructor level courses (ASA 200-208) which are offered several times each year.

Meet Their Instructors   

Captain Ric Dahlin is the Director, and lead Instructor of Aventura’s Sailing Academy.  He has his USCG 100T Master, ASA Master Instructor (ASA 211) as well as a Collegiate level sailing instructor and professional educator.  Ric teaches all ASA student and Instructor level courses.  All of our Aventura Instructors received their ASA sail training and became instructors as students through Aventura.  Our 6 Instructors are all certified to teach 101 – 104, including 114, with others holding a variety of more advanced ASA Instructor Certificates.  All of our Certified ASA instructors are friendly and dedicated to your sailing needs.  Aventura Academy’s classes are challenging, fun and engaging but most importantly highly effective.

Ric Dahlin Aventura Instructor

Their Programs

Aventura Sailing Academy supports and works with the Women’s Sailing Association (WSA), Veteran’s groups, and Olive Crest.  Whether you are just visiting and are interested in a sailing vacation with an ASA Certificate or a local resident looking for access to the sailing lifestyle, Aventura’s Sailing Club and ASA Academy can help you set sail on your adventure.

Their Story

Aventura is more than just an ASA training facility.  We are family.  Many of our students choose to call Aventura “home” for all of their sailing needs from taking additional ASA course work, chartering boats from our excellent fleet of Monohulls and Catamarans, racing, flotillas – both local and international, and/or participating in the many club events.  However, the one thing that we hear over and over is that “my instructor was Awesome, and they made learning fun!!” 

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