Essential medical skills for sailors, professional crew, and offshore adventurers. 

Prepare for real-world emergencies on the water with the RYA First Aid course. Whether you’re cruising, chartering, racing, or working offshore, this hands-on course gives you the confidence and competence to respond effectively in common and serious medical situations. 

What Will You Learn? 

This course equips you with practical first aid skills tailored for boating and offshore environments. In this one day course, you’ll learn about: 

• The recovery position in a confined space 

• CPR, including the drowning protocol 

• Cold shock and hypothermia from immersion and/or exposure 

• Seasickness and dehydration 

• Medical assistance or advice by VHF 

• Helicopter rescue 

Training is hands-on and scenario-based, blending theory with realistic practice that reflects conditions you may encounter on board or offshore. This course fulfils the RYA’s minimum first aid requirement for commercial endorsement. 

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Read the full Second Star Sailing syllabus 

Our student instructor ratio is a maximum of 6:1. This allows us to give you maximum individual attention and for our instructors to create a bespoke classroom experience for each and every one of our students.  

Who Is This Course For? 

The RYA First Aid at Sea course is ideal if you are: 

• A sailor, cruiser or liveaboard wanting confidence with onboard emergencies 

• Part of a charter crew or working at sea commercially 

• Preparing for professional endorsements or commercial licences 

• Involved in offshore passages, deliveries or coastal cruising 

• A recreational boater who wants the skills to keep others safe 

This course meets or exceeds first aid requirements for many maritime authorities and is widely accepted for sailing operations worldwide. 

Pre-Requisites 

• Minimum age: 16 years 

• No previous experience required 

• Recommended: Purchase the RYA First Aid Book and a Logbook (if you don’t already have one) 

Price and Availability 

This is a one day, practical classroom course in a shorebased format at our Antigua location. 

Price: USD $350 per person 

You can find the availability on our online booking platform here. If you don’t see the dates you want, contact us and we may be able to move course around or put you on the waiting list for your specific dates. 

Classroom course availability varies by season—book early to secure your preferred dates. 

What to Do Next? 

Completing this course makes you safer, more confident, and better prepared — whether you sail locally, cruise offshore, or work at sea.  

It can also be used to satisfy the first aid training requirement of a RYA commercial endorsement, which also requires RYA Marine Radio (SRC), RYA Professional Practices and Responsibilities and RYA Day Skipper, RYA Coastal Skipper or RYA Yachtmaster certification.