Initially my child has learned to sail thru their summer camp program. Finally, I joined the club, completed their adult learn-2-sail weekend program and can sail with my kiddo! Super fun! Also, the staff is super friendly. Totally recommend ACSC! read more

Our 13 yo son just finished his 5th year of sailing and he still loves it. It's all day working with another sailor planning a goal, assessing risk, going for it, trouble shooting, dealing with challenges and failure and working together to get back on track and successfully navigating to your goal. Feeling the breeze in your hair, going fast and getting wet. Last year he sailed to Treasure Island, I couldn't believe it! This year he sailed to SFO. There's always a motor boat nearby. The teens though have to make most decisions on their own and execute their plan. My son said he felt like he conquered something looking at the map and seeing how far he went. He gained a confident understanding of his ability to learn and apply his skills to a challenge that he had previously thought was out of reach. read more

Alameda Community Sailing Center - Summer Camps Near Me

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10 stars if I could add more stars here. My kids have been attending Alameda Community Sailing Center's summer camp for years and it's honestly the highlight of their entire summer (and maybe the whole year). They're obsessed in the best way possible. Rain or shine, windy or calm, they wake up excited to hit the water. They started when they were 7 and 10 and 3 summers later they still love love love it! I pick them up and they jump in the car excited to tell me all about their sailing adventures on the water. The instructors are phenomenal and super knowledgeable, kind, encouraging, and safety-focused without being overly rigid. You can tell they genuinely love sailing and want to pass that passion on. My kids come home beaming, sun-kissed, full of stories, and with way more confidence than when they started. And let's talk life skills...this camp teaches independence, teamwork, problem-solving, resilience, and respect for nature, all while they're having an absolute blast on the water. It's not just a camp, it's a community. My kids have made real friendships here and look forward to reuniting with their "sailing crew" every year. We feel lucky to have ACSC in our lives. If you're even thinking about signing up just do it. Your kids will thank you, and you'll be amazed at how much they grow (and how fast they learn to sail!). My son (now 12) and I rented a Feva boat (12 foot boat) this past weekend and he took ME sailing out on that gorgeous bay. This place is a total gem. read more

My whole family went to the Fall Potluck, and despite the general lack of wind, we had a ball. It's impressive to see how many people of all races, both genders, and all ages find a happy place at ACSC! Everybody is welcome at the camps, and there are plenty of sessions on leaning to sail -- no previous experience necessary, and ACSC will lend you a life jacket and wetsuit! read more

What an Alameda gem! I highly recommend ACSC summer camp. The program is fun, challenging, confidence building and has a great community feeling . The kids really learn how to sail in a safe and friendly environment. What a great summer experience! I appreciate the careful thought and passion Emily and staff put into this program. I also think they do a great job of making sure everyone is safe (crucial for a boating program) and emphasizing the importance of water safety. My kids have participated in A LOT of day camps over the years. I think this is my favorite because they're outside all day learning new skills while having a blast. read more

Alameda Community Sailing Center - Summer Camps Near Me

Sailing. A habit men often develop in their prime to attract women. Unless it's taught at a young age to little girls and boys, who would then grow up to be skilled sailers and take their parents on a large boat, have all the know-how's, and point them to all the sea creatures they have previously found in their solo trips. I always had mixed feelings about sailing. In that sailing is a white man's sport. It gives those who can and own sail boats a slight edge in a competitive dating world. On occasion some white woman will take on the same sport, either her family owned sail boats or her significant other did. As a young woman, I had met many of these people, and my stories are outside of Yelp review guidelines and irrelevant for this purpose, but it's important because it is a personal experience, taken place years and years ago, and only invoked by this new experience. Last weekend was the open sailing day. Kids ranging between the age of 10 and 14 were out there showing off their two week sailing lessons. I was on a little boat, my captain was a confident 10 year old boy who had previously sailed on his own to the Hornet. He was experienced and perfectly calm, he had gone from zero experience to a talented sailor in two weeks. The 13 year old charted a bigger boat, she took her granny and uncle on a nice trip on the bay. This was made all possible by this wonderful community based sailing center, that has been around for a number of years, and they teach children real life skills and confidence to master something most adults can't even do. All in a very relaxed, fun, and beautiful island environment that could be mistaken to be Hawaii (when the weather cooperates, as was the case over last few weeks). While on the bay, your children will be pleasantly surprised by such a cute (and a bit smelly) seal island filled with seals. And if you were as lucky as me, you'd have a bunch of them chasing around the boat, playing hide and seek with you the whole time as you are headed to the bay. Catch me if you can. read more

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We experienced ACSC for the first time this summer (2023) and couldn't be happier. Our kiddo was active all day, outside, and gained new skills and confidence. As a bonus to the parents, they were EXTRA tired at the end of the day and bed time was a breeze :) Communication with staff was great - clear and easy. I plan to sign our kiddo up next year and when our youngest is oldest, enroll too. ACSC is a gift! read more

This is the highlight of the summer for our son. He started at age 8 and returned again this year. I couldn't believe how much he learned and how much confidence he gained on the water. By the end of 2 weeks they sailed beyond the protected cove out into the bay and a little bit along the island. The second year they went out often and even further. It was very safe and usually there are 2 kids per boat, but due to COVID they limited it to 1 per boat. There is a swimming test and it's great to see a pretty even split between boys and girls. The counselors keep it fun with boat games etc. T's never been so excited to tell me about his day! read more

My kids have been attending this camp for the past six years. It has provided many of their best weeks of their summer every year. Tied with an overnight camp, this is their other favorite camp and the only one they want to attend each year. My kids do several sessions each summer and we couldn't be happier. I should point out we are not a sailing family and in all honesty, if I never got on a boat the rest of my life I'd be perfectly happy. I'm ecstatic my kids have learned a skill and sport I know nothing about. Over the years they have learned to sail bath tubs (cubes), lasers, FJs and this summer they'll learn to race. We've watched the camp expand from basic sailing to stem classes and racing. It's an incredible group of kids and families who find their way to this camp, and my kids have made some of their best friends through these summers. They also always run a girls only session, sometimes in conjunction with Girls Inc., which I think is wonderful to building self esteem in a sport often left to the affluent and for young girls and women who need that same sex bonding. This camp welcomes kids of all ages and skills. The same staff seems to return year after year, and with the exception of this year, they have had theme days, potlucks and many fun events each session. In the world of covid19, they've done an amazing job making sure camp is safe, much better than the camp my other child attended this summer. I am so happy my kids will be attending this camp all summer. Thank you ACSC! read more

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I just took their weekend "learn to sail" class and it was fun, very well-taught, and overall a blast. Emily taught us the basics that we needed to know, and got us out on the water. The area near the school is windy enough to sail at a decent clip, but calm enough not to scare the wits out of you. I'll be returning for free sail soon. There's a big discount for bringing a buddy, which we took advantage of. Give it a try! read more

So much fun. I got my brother sailing for first time. & I also enjoy sailing teaching him about The jib., attacking into the wind. Then sailing down wind. We will be back. Brother will bring his 5yrs old son & young wife who is new to sailing. & Not afraid of sailing. I'm a old salty sailor. read more

9 year old's first experience with sailing during a two week summer camp. Counselors we're knowledgeable, friendly and put safety first while making everyday fun. Capsize day, pirate day, science Friday, and the list of activities goes on. Everything for a newbie parent was clearly explained via email, but when I did call to clarify a matter someone promptly picked up the phone and was courteous, professional and very helpful. Kid enjoyed himself immensely and I plan to enroll him again next year for a longer session. read more

This place is great! My daughter has done the summer camp and had a blast along with learning a lot. After the camp she took me out for open sailing and taught me. We just finished up the family sailing class and it was well instructed and fun. If you or your family is looking to get into sailing, this is the place. read more

Our 13-yo daughter has now taken 3 sailing camps at ACSC, and has always had a great time! The campers are outside all day, they learn how to manage their boat and do all the sailing jobs and maintenance - the counselors don't do it for them, so they really learn all about sailing! The staff is friendly and helpful. This last camp was during the pandemic, and I thought they did a good job being safe: they ran smaller camps than usual, kept the campers separated, made sure the campers were feeling well. Also, it's entirely outdoors so it's safer. read more

ACSC is a great organization. The staff is friendly, enthusiastic and very capable. I would highly recommend going to them if you are interested in sailing or just looking for something to do thats fun and outside of the box. read more

ACSC is fantastic. Our children love sailing at ACSC. They develop confidence and are immersed in the bay which is the heart of our community. They also learn to tie knots and speak the language of English sailors which is so beautiful. Sea levels are rising and sailing is carbon-free. There are few sports that make so much sense. :-) read more

This was my son's first time sailing and he has had sooo much fun. I have fun just listening to his adventures. It is so amazing I tried to pull him from his other camps to have him stay longer here. This is just the best camp ever. Today they capsized and they saw dolphins and seals. It can't get better than this! It is safe, it is fun and it makes for a wonderful experience. We will be coming back!!!!!! read more

This place is great for young sailors! The instructors work well with kids and make every day an adventure. The environment is relaxed yet safe. Will definitely be coming back next summer! read more

This is our teenage daughter's favorite summer camp! She has attended at least one session every summer since she was old enough to enroll. She has loved it. It has given her a great foundational knowledge of dinghy sailing and has boosted her self-confidence. She has felt comfortable making mistakes and knowing that the fabulous counselors will always be there to lend a hand when needed. She has especially enjoyed attending some of the all-girl sessions and has made close friends who share her passion for sailing. As an organization, ACSC is run by wonderful people who are all about making sailing accessible to everyone in the community. read more

ACSC has been fabulous for my camper, who just finished his second summer with ACSC. I highly recommend ACSC. He leaves their summer program with new friends, sailing skills and a love of sailing that has been a delightful surprise. Thanks ACSC! read more

Our kiddos (7 and 9 yrs) loved every minute of this 2-week sailing camp to launch summer. The counselors were on top of everything, made the experience fun, educational and safe. The kids came home excited (and exhausted) each day telling us all about the skills they learned, the new friends they made and asking for us to sign them up "now" for next summer. Hence, we'd call ACS a big win and fabulous new discovery for our family!! Well worth the spend and great hours (9am-4pm). read more

My kids have been attnding ACSC camp for two years and absolutely love it. The instructors are all amazing and so great with all the kids attending camp. They have learned so much about sailing and also independence. They are required to rig their own boats and tend to the boats after sailing. I would recommend this camp to anyone :) read more

Our family loves ACSC. This is our son's second summer. Caring atmosphere, great instructors and teachers, mixed age learning and STEM. He is always excited to tell us about all the games on the water, pirate adventure and treasure hunts, and stories about resilience, learning, and being part of the Bay. read more

My daughter, age 9, attended two sessions last year and one session this year. When we attended a family-sailing day on a Saturday, I was ecstatic to have her sail and captain me on one of the "big kids" Flying Junior boats. I don't sail at all. read more