Do I need any experience?

None. Beginner courses start with the basics, on the water, with an instructor alongside you the whole time.

Yes, with instruction and a buoyancy aid, which you always wear. Instructors teach you what to do if things go sideways, including a capsize.

In a small dinghy, quite possibly, and that is part of learning. Courses practise it on purpose so it stops being scary.

Layers you do not mind getting wet and shoes with grip. Waterproofs and a buoyancy aid are usually provided.

Should I start on a dinghy or a yacht?

Dinghies teach you the feel of the wind fastest. Yachts are roomier and better for longer trips. Plenty of people do a bit of both.

What qualifications can I earn?

The RYA scheme is the UK standard, from Start Yachting and Competent Crew up to Day Skipper and beyond.

What if I get seasick?

Less of an issue than you would think on inland water and calm coasts. If you are prone to it, start somewhere sheltered and the instructor can advise.

Sailing in Somerset and Dorset

Somerset and Dorset combine the Jurassic Coast with inland lakes, offering sailing, sea kayaking, windsurfing and paddleboarding across South West England. Learn to sail and windsurf on coastal waters and reservoirs, kayak beneath the fossil cliffs of the Jurassic Coast, and paddleboard sheltered harbours and bays. Beginner courses sit alongside trips for the more experienced, making it a versatile base for watersports.

Sailing has a reputation for being posh and complicated. It is neither, once someone shows you the basics. The essentials come quickly: which way the wind is going, where to point the boat, and when to duck. After that it is a lifetime of small refinements.

Most people start on a small dinghy or as crew on a yacht, learning to read the wind and work the sails. There is a knack to it that clicks surprisingly fast. The first time you catch a gust and feel the boat surge, you are hooked.

The instructors on adventuro run everything from first tasters and RYA courses to skippering and yacht charters. Whatever your level, they will have you trimming sails and sounding like you know what you are doing before long.