I attended the RYA First Aid course yesterday. The facilities are very good with plenty of parking. Our trainer (Alan) was very experienced with plenty of real life examples to enhance the material.... See more
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Review summary
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Reviews shaping this summary
Hi Chieftain Team, A really big thank you for an excellent Powerboat Level 1 course for my two children and my wife, despite the shocking weather (raining all day) they had a fantastic tim... See more
Company replied
The course instructor was excellent, there was a real balance of the practical time on the water, which was well supported, and the time in the classroom learning the theory. I was also very impressed... See more
Company replied
I did the RYA Sea Survival and then the second day as well. The pool session is tough but rewarding and worthwhile - if nothing else it teaches you that you never want to be in a liferaft. Great instr... See more
Company details
Written by the company
STCW & RYA Marine Training Centre based in Hamble, Southampton, Greenwich and Helensburgh. The company delivers a wide range of Sea Survival, First Aid, GMDSS, engineering, navigation, maritime security and powerboat courses for super-yacht, workboat and leisure boating crew and masters. Sailing and powerboat students will find we offer the widest range of shorebased, marine radio, yacht maintenance, engineering, first aid at sea and navigation courses of any RYA Training Centre. The centres are equipped with first class resources and training aids for GMDSS, marine engineering and survival training.
Contact info
Chieftain Training, 26 Compass House, Ensign Way, Hamble, SO31 4RA, Southampton, United Kingdom
- 02382 000525
- info@chieftain.training
- chieftain.training
4.9
Excellent
403 reviews
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I had a really positive experience…
I had a really positive experience doing my GMDSS course here. Alan’s explanations were very clear and easy to understand, and he always took the time to make sure everyone was following and fully understood the topics before moving on.
August 17, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Chieftain Training
Israel, Congratulations on passing the STCW GMDSS General Operator Certificate of Competence, well done and thanks for the review
Good content
Good content, professionally delivered. Good training aids
August 14, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Chieftain Training
Thanks for the review, we are glad you enjoyed the RYA First Aid Course
Powerboating
Really good instructors and a fun experience. Highly recommend! :D
August 16, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Chieftain Training
We are glad you enjoyed your RYA Powerboat Level 2! We hope to see you back at Chieftain Training soon
Chieftain weekend
The Staff, Ellie, Kai, and Chloe were all very positive and made everyone feel welcome and alleviated the nerves very quickly.
August 8, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Chieftain Training
Thank you for the lovely feedback. We’re really pleased to hear that Ellie, Kai and Chloe made you feel so welcome and helped settle those early nerves. We’ll make sure your comments are passed on to them. We hope to see you back at SWAC again soon!
Excellent week
My son did start racing and ready enjoyed it. The team were enthusiastic and friendly and the children clearly responded well.
Good ratio between instructors and children.
August 3, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Chieftain Training
Thank you for the lovely feedback. We’re really pleased to hear that your son enjoyed the Start Racing course and responded so well to the team. It’s great to know their enthusiasm, friendliness and the instructor-to-sailor ratio helped make it such a positive experience. We hope to see him back at SWAC again soon!
Stage 2 sailing course
The sailing course was excellent & all the instructors were helpful & knowledgeable. Thank you very much.
August 3, 2026
Unprompted review
Brilliant sailing course week
Brilliant sailing course week. The course was really well run and organised. Instructors are really friendly and welcoming. Super encouraging - would highly recommend!
August 7, 2026
Unprompted review
I thoroughly enjoyed this course and…
I thoroughly enjoyed this course and would happily give it five stars. Joe Wallington was an excellent instructor. Although he had to move at a good pace to cover the syllabus, he always found the time to answer all my questions clearly and patiently. The teaching was of a very high standard, the classroom facilities were excellent, and there was plenty of fun along the way. Thank you to Joe and the whole team at Chieftain Training. I highly recommend this course.
August 5, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Chieftain Training
Thanks for the lovely review Ferit, we are so glad you enjoyed your Dayskipper Shorebased course with Joe. Congratulations and we hope to see you again soon!
I had a great instructor and I learnt…
I had a great instructor and I learnt so much in 2 days!!
August 3, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Chieftain Training
We are pleased to hear you enjoyed your Powerboat Level 2 course and learnt a lot! We hope to see you back on the water again soon!
Great course
Friendly staff - excellent practical tuition. A fun and informative two days of learning about powerboats and how to operate them safely. Good value
August 3, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Chieftain Training
Well done on passing your Powerboat Level 2 Nicholas, we are glad you had fun and enjoyed the course!
Very good
Very good, all questions very well answered. Learned a lot about being a skipper in a funny way. Will absolutely recommend this class! Thanks Alan!
August 4, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Chieftain Training
Hi Tom, thanks for the great review. Glad you enjoyed your Helmsman's course with Alan
RYA Start Sailing
Great website to book training... excellent facility... classroom, changing facilities, sailing boats, access to water... very experienced instructor with lots of good coaching and feedback on the water...
August 1, 2026
Unprompted review
Children's multiactivity week
My daughter spent a week doing a multiactivity week at SWAC. She loved the variety of activities here, as well as the friendliness of the instructors. She really grew in confidence over the course of the week and is keen to return, probably for a sailing week.
July 31, 2026
Unprompted review
Reply from Chieftain Training
We are so pleased to hear that your daughter enjoyed her Multi Activity Week at SWAC! It's one of our favourites for the school holidays
Excellent
Excellent! A full packed day but thoroughly enjoyable. Excellent exercises in the swimming pool, use of flares etc and gave me a realistic idea of what it would be really like to have to abandon ship.
July 24, 2026
Unprompted review
Very engaging day
Very engaging day, teacher was lovely and made learning about first aid very interesting/fun. Would definitely choose to do courses there again!
July 23, 2026
Unprompted review
A brilliant RYA Level 1 Adult Dinghy…
A brilliant RYA Level 1 Adult Dinghy course. Well delivered and a huge amount of fun!
July 23, 2026
Unprompted review
MCA Stability Course delivered by…
MCA Stability Course delivered by someone with deep practical knowledge of the subject. Professionally delivered course. Loved the working models used to teach the concepts ...
July 21, 2026
Unprompted review
Knowledgeable instructors with real…
Knowledgeable instructors with real world experience, impart information very well and really care about the results meeting the candidates expectations.
July 13, 2026
Unprompted review
Joe made the day engaging and fun…
Joe made the day engaging and fun whilst covering a lot of information. Very friendly, approachable and knowledgeable.
July 17, 2026
Unprompted review
Great course
Great course, with a good mix of hands on and theory, clear presentations, and left with a confidence to now maintain my own boat engine.
July 11, 2026
Unprompted review
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