UKSA Watersports Activity Centre Isle of Wight

UK Sailing Academy (UKSA) is a leading Watersports centre based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

With a 4-acre waterfront location, UKSA offers the perfect base to deliver a wide range of Watersports and team building activity days for students aged 8 and above. With everything you need onsite, UKSA offers fun, safe, and engaging experiences ensuring everyone has a great time.

Come to UKSA with your school or youth group and enjoy the multi-activities UKSA are renowned for. Learn to sail, windsurf, paddleboard or kayak. Or choose raft building and on-the-water team building activities. Our full or half-day sessions will help build students’ confidence, inspire, motivate, and give them a fun day to remember. We ensure programmes are tailored to your aspirations and young peoples needs. We welcome students with additional needs and use the water as a catalyst for positive outcomes.

Our instructors are fully qualified and work on a ratio of 1:6 for on-the-water activities. Teachers and group leaders do not need any previous watersports experience as our instructors take care of all activities afloat. All trips are bespoke with visits designed to be stress free.

Watersports Activity Centre Isle of Wight
Watersports Centre South East
Ourdoor Activity Centre Isle of Wight

With over 35 years of experience, UKSA is a maritime youth charity with a vision to inspire and support young people to broaden their horizons through life enhancing water-based adventures, education, and pathways for training for careers at sea.

The wider benefits of participation in watersports are widely recognised and include inspiration, enjoyment, teamwork, boosting self-confidence and self-reliance, as well as the making and sealing of friendships. Our bespoke courses are designed to build confidence, encourage teamwork, and learn skills for life in an aspirational and safe environment.

UKSA is accredited by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom. Our site, facilities and activities have all been evaluated for learning and safety by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority and meet the exacting standards required to pass annual inspections.

We offer multi-activity visits for both schools and youth groups. Activities are tailored to your group’s desire, age and ability.

Day trips include: 

• Instruction – activities are available to book in half and full day slots
• Wetsuits and safety equipment

UKSA’s large 4-acre secure site means we can accommodate groups of all sizes; small or large (up to 200+ people).

We can tie visits in to either PE curriculum (for example, many schools have focused on dinghy sailing or kayaking for GCSE), geography, or even maths.

With our proximity to the water, we don’t always recommend children bringing cameras and other electronics however teachers and leaders are welcome to take photos of their group.

The safety, well-being, and enjoyment of those visiting UKSA are our number one priority. We are a home-from-home for our young people and pride ourselves on our exemplary safety protocols that sit within a robust and fully compliant framework.

We have risk assessments for all of our day and evening activities, as well as for all of our sites used. Teachers are more than welcome to complete their own risk assessments or ask the team any queries they may have.

Our dedicated Schools and Groups team can be contacted on 01983 203045 or schools@uksa.org

Day trips for groups of 10+ start from £35 per student.

We issue kit lists before visits, but students will need to bring; swimwear, towel, sunglasses, sun cream, sun hat, shoes they don’t mind getting wet, a rash vest or T-shirt to wear under their kit and warm casual clothes for coming off the water.

All our Watersports and evening entertainment instructors are fully qualified first aiders.

Onsite facilities include:

• Dining room and in-house catering serving freshly cooked meals
• Indoor heated swimming pool
• Full-sized sports hall
• Drying room for wet kit
• Changing rooms and toilets
• Wi-Fi
• Bar (The Bridge)
• Dedicated young person’s chillout area
• Study areas and classrooms

UKSA welcome individuals with special educational and disabled needs, all on and off the water activities are adaptable and inclusive. We are accessible with disabled access.

Lifts are situated in our main building with a hoist for the swimming pool. We are also able to take disabled people out onto the water using a hoist from our pontoons to boats. Please speak to our dedicated Schools and Groups team so we can ensure we meet your needs.

We are open all year round, with the exception of a few days over the Christmas period.

Test the Water, day trip participant: “The whole sailing experience was amazing and it was great to learn new things. At the start I was nervous because I’ve never been on a boat before, but it was really fun and I can’t wait to do it again.”

Feedback from Sarah Earl, Outdoor Education Lead, Wrenn School “Watching the students grow in confidence and overcoming fears and challenges. For them to realise that even when these are difficult or a challenge by not giving up they can achieve success or a sense of pride. By the end they grew as individuals, I couldn’t have been prouder of them.”

We offer complimentary teacher familiarisation weekends with no obligation to book – it’s an opportunity for you to look around our base and discuss what we can offer your school.

UKSA is easily accessible from Southampton ferry terminals.

We are a ten minute walk from the heart of Cowes where the foot passenger terminal is location, or a short hop across the river to the car ferry terminal. Many groups enjoy getting a boat directly to our pontoons, which we can arrange.

Our dedicated Schools and Groups team can be contacted on 01983 203045 or schools@uksa.org