RYA First Aid - General
As the skipper of a vessel you have a responsibility to be able to care for your crew. The one day RYA First Aid course is run by experienced RYA instructors with a good appreciation of medical care afloat and develops the confidence and ability to perform basic first aid when afloat – an essential course for everyone.
Instructor – student ratio
There will generally be 6 – 8 people on the first aid course however for private courses in suitable locations we may run with more. Contact us to discuss.
Minimum Age
There is no minimum age limit but realistically 12 is probably a sensible minimum age given the physical aspects of undertaking CPR.
Prior experience
None! The course is obviously aimed at those that go afloat but equally suits anyone interested in a one day first aid course.
What differentiates our courses?
This may sound pretty basic but everyone on our course gets their own mannequin to practice on and each course we fit a new set of lungs and the equipment is fully sanitised between courses. Why is this noteworthy? Basically because its not an RYA requirement and most other courses require students to share mannequins and so breath into/out of shared equipment – yuk!
On a more positive note we use the ‘state of the art’ training ‘Annies’ for CPR that track how you are performing your CPR and rescue breaths – this really helps improve the effectiveness of what you are doing.
Course Duration
1 day from 9am to 5pm.
Course Price
The course price includes the cost of the RYA First Aid book. The price shown is inclusive of VAT. If you are a group then we can schedule a dedicated course for your group which may significantly reduce the per head cost for a large group – contact us to discuss this option.
It is a mandatory requirement of the course that you receive the new RYA First Aid book – this is required even if you already possess any other relevant up to date first aid book
What does the course cover and who is it aimed at?
The RYA First Aid Course is a one-day training programme tailored to the needs of those who go afloat. It provides essential knowledge and practical skills to deal with medical emergencies that may occur on inland or coastal waters. The course complies with the RYA and Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) requirements for skippers, instructors, and commercial mariners operating up to 60 miles offshore.
It is also approved for use by professional skippers applying for or renewing commercial endorsements on RYA qualifications.
The course covers a wide range of topics, with a strong focus on situations most likely to happen afloat. Key elements include CPR, recovery positions, and use of a defibrillator (AED). Students learn how to manage hypothermia, seasickness, drowning, bleeding, burns, fractures, and shock. Special emphasis is placed on cold-water immersion, head injuries, and recognising the signs of stroke or heart attack. The course also covers first aid kits for boats, how to raise the alarm to the emergency services (including DSC and Mayday procedures), and the use of helicopter rescue. By the end of the course, participants will be confident in responding quickly and effectively to a medical emergency until professional help arrives.
The RYA First Aid Course is aimed at a variety of boating participants. It is particularly suited to leisure boaters, such as dinghy sailors, yacht skippers, powerboaters, and paddle sport enthusiasts. It is also essential training for instructors, club volunteers, racing coaches, and professional mariners working under the MCA’s Small Commercial Vessel Code. Anyone spending time afloat—whether on inland waterways, offshore passages, or coastal trips—can benefit from the knowledge and skills gained on this course. It’s practical, relevant, and could one day help save a life.
RYA First Aid - The Course
The First Aid course covers a wide range of areas but does so to an appropriate level.
By the end of the course the student should be able to:
- Perform CPR to current protocols, and understand the differential for drowning.
- Understand the importance of the recovery position and the need to modify it for a
small space. - Apply direct pressure to a wound to control bleeding.
- Understand the term shock, recognise and treat it, with particular reference to internal
and external bleeding. - Understand the treatment for cold shock and hypothermia following immersion and/or
exposure. - Recognise the signs of a reduced level of response, with particular reference to serious
head injuries.
Also be aware of the general treatment for:
- Breathing difficulties
- Anaphylaxis
- Chest pain
- Hyperthermia
- Seasickness
- Fractures
- Diabetic emergency
- Seizures
- Burns
And
- Choose suitable first aid equipment for their boat.
- Understand how to get medical advice or assistance by radio.
- Understand how to prepare for the evacuation of a casualty by helicopter.
Skippers of MCA Coded Vessels only: Be aware of the content and use of Category C Medical Stores, including the pocket mask.
RYA First Aid - Syllabus
Aim: The course is designed to provide a working knowledge of first aid for all those who go afloat, on inland waters or up to 60 miles offshore. The syllabus is based on the recommendations of the HSE and the MCA.
The syllabus
Session 1
– Immediate actions and the priorities within first aid.
– Unconsciousness and the recovery position
– CPR, including an awareness of AEDs *
– Drowning
– Breathing difficulties
Session 2
– Failure of the circulation: shock
– Blood loss and the control of bleeding
– Recognition of internal bleeding
– Angina and heart attack.
Session 3
– Levels of response and the AVPU scale.
– Head injury: concussion and compression.
– Immersion hypothermia and cold shock
– Burns, including sunburn.
– Exposure hypothermia/hyperthermia
– Seasickness and dehydration
– Diabetic emergency.
– Seizures
Session 4
– Fractures, including spinal injuries
– First aid kits
– Advice or assistance by radio
– Medivac…..the evacuation of a casualty by helicopter.
Session 5
– For the skippers of MCA coded boats:
– The contents and use of the category C first aid kit, including the pocket mask.
Or
– Subject of special interest to the group: Weils disease, blue/green algae, child CPR, marine stings, fish hooks, etc
* indicates an update
RYA First Aid - Book Now
Thank you for your interest in this course.
Hopefully the dates that we have scheduled work well with your availability. If the dates don’t quite work then we are always keen to be as flexible as possible so please contact us and we’ll see what we can do.
We’re always really keen to chat to you when you’re booking a course as whilst we are happy to take bookings through this system for your convenience – nothing beats chatting about boats and courses!
Don’t forget too that if you are an individual or company/organisation booking a few people onto courses then we may be able to schedule dates around you. Equally, for bookings some time in the future we can usually juggle our course dates if what we have scheduled doesn’t quite work for you.
| Date | Duration | Location | Availability | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 18 Apr 2026 | 1 day | Southampton | 9 spaces | Book now |
| Sun 26 Apr 2026 | 1 day | Poole | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Fri 15 May 2026 | 1 day | Southampton | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Sun 24 May 2026 | 1 day | Poole | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Sat 13 Jun 2026 | 1 day | Southampton | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Sun 21 Jun 2026 | 1 day | Poole | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Fri 10 Jul 2026 | 1 day | Southampton | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Sun 19 Jul 2026 | 1 day | Poole | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Fri 07 Aug 2026 | 1 day | Southampton | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Sun 16 Aug 2026 | 1 day | Poole | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Sun 13 Sep 2026 | 1 day | Poole | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Sat 19 Sep 2026 | 1 day | Southampton | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Fri 09 Oct 2026 | 1 day | Southampton | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Sun 11 Oct 2026 | 1 day | Poole | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Fri 06 Nov 2026 | 1 day | Southampton | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Sun 08 Nov 2026 | 1 day | Poole | 10 spaces | Book now |
| Sun 13 Dec 2026 | 1 day | Poole | 10 spaces | Book now |
Courses in Southampton are run by our partner school Aboard Boat Coaching.
Also…We have an automatic cutoff built into this system that doesn’t allow you to book within 48 hours of the course starting. We may still have places though – use the contact button to alert us to your interest.
And finally…Once you have finished the process you will receive a variety of emails. If you do not get any then please check your spam folder and if there is nothing there then please let us know.
