OnDeck Charleston

Reviewers Male / Female	Recommend Yes / No	Number of Reviews	Classes & Instruction	School Facilities	Boats & Courses	Cost	Total Average Rating
20 / 4	23 / 1	24	9.91	9.79	9.58	8.87	9.54

Date Submitted:	November 7, 2011
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	10 out of 10
Recommend:	No
Review:	Instruction Very Good Refunds Very Poor I paid for several classes but was unable to take them all. I asked for a refund, which I was told upfront would not be a problem, they have stalled for well over a month. I would not use them again. Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Pissed 55 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Rutherfordton NC

Date Submitted:	August 24, 2011
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	10 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Outstanding Experience This was an awesome experience. With only a few days notice, Ned put together a custom training course (combo basic cruising/bareboat cruising )to meet my travel/vacation needs. The cost was outstanding compared to some of the other schools I was researching. The boat was brand new. The instructors were top notch. Both had extensive lifelong sailing experience and worked closely with me to ensure I understood both concepts and practical application. I learned far more than I thought I would, and gained a ton of valuable experience. Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	RJ 42 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Knoxville, TN

Date Submitted:	June 29, 2011
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	8 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Intro to Sailing We went out in their small boat for a 3 hour Intro to Sailing class this week. Ned was our captain and was great! He made us feel comfortable but was also very informative and quizzed us a little about the sailing terms he was throwing at us. My son, my wife and I are planning to take the Basic Keelboat and other classes next summer. I realize that this class is just designed to "get your feet wet" but we really had fun and I hope we get Ned next summer for our classes. See you then!! Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Al 45 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Highlands, NC

Date Submitted:	March 22, 2011
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	10 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Had a Blast This was my first experience with OnDeck Sailing Academy. The staff was knowledgable and friendly. The instructor was early for our lesson. Instruction was flexible to fit previous sailing experience. Would highly recommend OnDeck Sailing Academy to anyone. Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Ed Neusel 50 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Knoxville, Tennessee

Date Submitted:	March 16, 2011
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	10 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Wonderful school and staff! This past weekend my husband and I took a private Intro to Sailing course and had a fabulous time! Our instructor Toby was awesome and we really enjoyed sailing with him. He was very knowledgeable about sailing and we were both impressed with the way he handled the boat. The whole experience was amazing and I wouldn't change a thing. The staff is very helpful and we will definitely be back this summer to take more courses! :) Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Lindsey 25 year-old   ::   Female Reviewer   ::   Charleston, SC

Date Submitted:	October 8, 2010
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	8 out of 10
Cost:	8 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Help In Pusuing A Liflong Dream I had been reading and casually studying sailing for several years, but had never been on a sailboat prior to OSA's Basic Keelboat course this past June. I followed up with the Basic Cruising and Bareboat Cruising courses and it was all a wonderful experience. The only reason I did not rate everything a straight 10 is that we had mechanical problems with one of the Basic Keelboat vessels, appearantly from lack of maintenance. All other equipment was excellent. I studied under three different instructors and all three were very knowledgable and FUN! I would deffinately reccomend this school to anybody and since I don't live in South Carolina, I can only hope that the opportunity arises for me to continue with the more advanced classes at OSA! Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Mike Johnson 53 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Seabrook, Texas

Date Submitted:	October 6, 2010
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	10 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Putting our skills to use in the BVI Linda and I both had some experience sailing. Most recently I had sailed on 40 foot charter boats in the BVI and Greece for a total of 7 weeks in 2009. When we decided to buy a boat and sail it to the British Virgin Islands, we also decided that it would be wise to get some formal training. We chose OSA because of its reputation and location. We were not disappointed. My main goal was for Linda and me to be on the same page when making decisions while underway. And, for safety sake, that we were equal in skills. So, even though we both had sailing experience, we took the basic course one and two. Your instructors were first rate and the boats were just what we needed. We knew that we would be on a 40+ foot boat, but the 26 gave us a better feel of the sail and rudder. The six days of on the water instruction gave us the confidence to set off on our adventure. In February we purchased a Hunter 44 Deck Salon in Venice, FL. With the help of an experienced friend we brought the boat down the West coast and up the East coast to Brunswick, GA. After a couple of months of adding some equipment and provisioning, we left on our 1600 mile 4 week journey down to the British Virgin Islands. We have weathered 50kt winds that pulled our anchor and we had to run the engine to keep from being pushed on the rocks. We have rode out 40kt winds in the open water. We made it through Hurricane Earl by securing the "Full Moon" in a slip well enough to survive 100mph winds without a scratch. We have made three overnight passages in open water. And, we have navigated through out the BVI without a problem. When the pressure was on, we had the confidence that our basic skills and understanding of the elements learned at OSA would guide us through the challange at hand. OSA has been an important part of our being able to "live the dream." Comments [ 1 ]
Submitted by:	Jeff Williams and Linda Runyan 65 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   St. Simons Island, GA

Date Submitted:	October 5, 2010
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	10 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Great Sailing Experience Debby and I have now taken 2 sailing courses with Ocean Sailing Academy in Charleston. The experience was awesome! Cruising and Bareboat Charter courses are well organized, with Sterling and Mallory as instructors, who gave us the confidence to go out on our own and enjoy this wonderful sport. Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Steve and Debby Davis 73 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Denver, Colorado

Date Submitted:	September 22, 2010
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	8 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	If your looking for the best Charleston has... I have take several classes at OSA. Ned and the instructors live and breathe sailing. They have a vast array of boats so you can mix up the training. Charleston Harbor is the best for learning complex sailing. High tides, rivers, wind, etc. Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	pswider 39 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Sullivans Island

Date Submitted:	September 1, 2010
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	10 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	US Sailing Coastal Nav Review This is simply a great sailing school! This is the 3rd course I've taken from the US Sailing series with OSA, and so I've had the pleasure of learning from several of their instructors, each of which was extremely knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of blue-water sailing. All of them had deep professional and personal sailing experience, and easily shared their experience, which is the kind of training supplement that you just don't get anywhere else but from modern, seasoned sailors. They were all fun to be with as well, which made the overall learning experience as fun as any other vacation I've taken. As I was driving down to Charleston to take this course, the Registrar called me and told me that the other student signed up had to back out at the last minute, and asked if I could possibly schedule their next session instead. I could not back out of my current arrangements, and so OSA proceeded with the class, even though it was probably not profitable for them to teach me 1 on 1 for the class price. I am grateful to the school for allowing me to take the course as planned, and I wanted to share this as example of how fair and customer-oriented OSA is in it's business affairs. These days it is refreshing to see s small business still willing to go to this length to retain and satisfy student customers! On the 4th day of the course, I was pleased that my instructor accepted the sail plan I developed the night before, taking us through a gap in the Jetty called Dynamite Hole, using the skills I had just learned in the lecture portion. We had a narrow zone between danger bearings coming south out of Dynamite Hole, and after steering the course for about 25 min. I took 3 visual fixes and plotted our position dead-on the course line we were steering. One of the greatest new abilities I've taken away from this course is the ability to sail knowing exactly where good water is around me at all times, based on my new charting, plotting, planning skills. That evening, around dusk, we were approached by a large, dark line of thunder clouds (that's cumulus nimbus tu us) while entering the inlet to North Edisto R. My instinct was to reef the main and be ready to reduce the genoa as needed. My instructor's instinct was to start the engine and furl sails completey. And when the squall hit us, the rain was thick and horizontal, blowing right into our eyes as we strained to see markers which would guide us into the inlet safely. Our mast head read wind gusts of 30 kts! Lightning struck all around our area, with one or two strikes surprising us with no warning between flash and boom! And when it passed 25 min. later, leaving behind calm, foggy water in the waning light, I realized that it may have been unmanageable for 2 people to navigate, steer and line-handle; and I saw the wisdom in my instructor's call: eliminate line-handling so we can focus on steering and seeing while entering a channel in horizontal rain. I could not have asked for more than this from a sailing course! A "training" squall! How cool! I'll definitely be back here in the following summers to learn and qualify for US Sailing's Passage-Making courses. Thanks again to OSA Instructors Sterling, Mallery, Scott and Frank for the fine instruction and friendship you have given me. Thanks to you I sail today with much greater confidence and range; and each hour I've spent with you has brought my retirement dream of sailing cruiser ownership and blue-water sailing closer to reality. Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	KurtF 46 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Oxford, NC

Date Submitted:	July 1, 2010
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	8 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Six days learning to sail Let me take a minute out of my too busy life to tell you about my experience at your school. We learned a great deal without question and enjoyed ourselves in the most meaningful way, learning something valuable. Our instructor in basic keelboat I provided the kind of hard core training that got us fully trained very quickly on all aspects of the fundamentals of sailing. While he was very serious , thorough and effective he was also very nice and even took us on his own boat in a race Wednesday night which we enjoyed immensely. I think our instructor in basic keelboat II will attest to the fact that we were well trained when we began this second course (we took the two courses consecutively over a 6 day period). Our keelboat II instructor was simply a gem. He was so natural at sailing and teaching that it was as if he has sailed from birth. He was so intuitively connected with all aspects of sailing. I have taught medicine in Med School for more than 40 years and know something about teaching and the challenges it presents and I have never known a person more able or attuned to the teaching of his subject than this young gentleman Both my son (19) and I (67) loved working with him and learning from him. My son has fallen in love with sailing and your instructors had a lot to do with it. I had sailed as a child and only came back to it after more than 40 years but your instructors showed me the FUN of sailing while teaching me the fine points that made everything I had learned much more doable. For example, because of my age, old sports injuries and second degree burns on my knees (sun burned to the extreme on our first day in spite of SPF 50 sun screen) it was extremely difficult and painful for me to get from one side of the boat to the other fast and efficiently enough to tack or especially jib a boat. My instructor in keelboat II watched my suffering for just a few minutes before showing me how I could bring each tack or jib to the midpoint, then get up slowly, keep looking forward and get to the other side reasonably comfortably. This made a big difference for me and made what was real physical difficulty into good fun. All in all it was a wonderful experience and both my son and I enjoyed immersing ourselves completely in sailing by living on board the Sugaree and sailing all week. It was a terribly hot week and presented a lot of challenging situations but was true fun. I hope to return for a cruising class when it is cooler, maybe this fall and also do the bareboat class after that. Our family works too hard. I have grown children who are busy professionals and my youngest son is a college student with a difficult work load. My goal is to be able to get everybody together, do a bareboat rental somewhere exotic and all sail together removed from our hectic lives. This is a dream that your school can help me accomplish. Thank you for offering this opportunity and I would not only recommend but encourage anyone interested in learning to sail to seek out your remarkable school and try to learn there. Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Tom Wagner 67 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Greenville, SC

Date Submitted:	May 26, 2010
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	9 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Old Salt Sails Again My 85 year old father recieved as a surprise birthday present a 1/2 day sail on OSA's "Moon Shot". He has Alzheimers and veritgo, and we didnt know how he would fare. In the company of family and our great skipper Jay, we all had a fabulous sail, and Dad had tears. Every minute, and communication, with OSA has been top quality, and we were able to organize this from Tulsa, Ok.! We want to sail again, of course! Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Nancy Brian 54 year-old   ::   Female Reviewer   ::   Tulsa, Oklahoma

Date Submitted:	March 22, 2010
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	8 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Ocean Sailing Academy - Charleston BKB 1 & 2 I can't say enough good things about the quality of OSA. I think their instructors (I had two between basic keelboat 1 and 2) are top-notch. I also have a small boat certification with ASA and regularly sail an 18 ft dinghy, so I have some basis for comparison. We had absolutely perfect weather for the experience I was looking for- windy (15-25 mph winds) and a bit of cool rain- both of which tested the Colgate 26's ability to respond to all manner of sail controls, and produced very noticeable effects in the way the boat handled. I don't think in lighter air that would have been as obvious. Those boats have to be some of the most nimble, yet very safe- almost impossible to tip over and capsize (unlike my current boat). If time allows, they are able to adjust the course material for students who may need a little more advanced instruction beyond the basics. In our small (3 students) class we had sufficient on-water time to easily exhaust all of the required material and actually got to the point where "we'd had enough sailing" for a while. Short of embarking on an overnight passage beyond Charleston Harbor and delving into navigation and charting, I can't imagine getting much more than what was presented to us. It was a great experience and I look forward to taking some of their more advanced courses. Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Ray 49 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Charleson, SC

Date Submitted:	October 19, 2009
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	9 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	8 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Great instructors I have sailed a few times a year for 20 years, never enough to feel confident handling a boat. That has all changed after taking the basic keelboat classes with their experienced sailing instructors. They really live up to their motto of "Sail Calm, Sail Confident, Sail for Fun". Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Scott 41 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   SC

Date Submitted:	September 15, 2009
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	8 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	8 out of 10
Cost:	10 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	OSA a wonderful place to learn I attended OSA Charleston, SC summer of '09 to participate in US Sailing Basic Cruising, Bareboat and Coastal Navigation courses. With three different instructors and 2 different boats over the 2 weeks I got a full taste of what OSA offers as a teaching academy and I thoroughly recommend them. The teaching staff all have different and interesting sailing experience including some serious blue water miles. Their teaching style is thorough, humorous and involving without fail. I came away confident in my new found sailing skills and cannot recommend Ned and the staff enough, I will definitely going back to complete my sailing certifications and I cannot give higher praise than that. Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Matt S 36 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Norwalk, CT, USA

Date Submitted:	September 4, 2009
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	8 out of 10
Cost:	5 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Awesome. The instructor just let it evolve. This course saved my life and helped my husband become an experienced sailor. We were given lessons on our own boat. The instructor was patient and extremely knowledgeable. Charleston is a great place to take lessons. The harbor, with its tide fluctuations, currents and shallows presents all kinds of teaching opportunities. I would highly recommend Ocean Sailing Academy. Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Bu 58 year-old   ::   Female Reviewer   ::   Charleston

Date Submitted:	September 4, 2009
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	9 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	9 out of 10
Cost:	7 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Best in Charleston The staff and facilities are nice. They are a very conscienceous group that has a passion for the sport and are good with shiring their knowledge and experience so that you walk away with confidence sailing. Sail calm, sail confident and sail for fun! Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Shred 42 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Newport, Rhode Island

Date Submitted:	April 1, 2009
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	9 out of 10
School Facilities:	9 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	9 out of 10
Cost:	7 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	OSA Review from a new sailor OSA has been an excelent sailing/learning experience for me. As a CFII flight instructor I find there correculem and instructors to be first class. There equipment is excelent and well maintained. If I don't understand a concept they will take the time to review it for me until it sinks in. I am looking forward to my next class which will be "Bareboat" Chet Terry Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Chet Terry 72 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Brevard, NC

Date Submitted:	March 25, 2009
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	10 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	A tremendous sailing experience... I took my Basic Cruising and Bareboat Cruising courses from OSA. The quality and depth of instruction far exceeded my expectations. They have given me the tools to sail calmly and under control. I look forward to taking the advanced courses OSA offers with the confidence that it will be an extremely pleasurable experience. Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Bill 62 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Mt. Pleasant, SC

Date Submitted:	March 24, 2009
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	9 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	OSA has a great thing going in Charleston, SC The folks at OSA were really friendly and helpful. I learned enough to feel confident taking my family on a cruise in the British Virgin Islands. Everyone had a blast. OSA gave me lots of opportunities for hands-on experience. The pace was fun and relaxed, but also professional. Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Ted 40 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Port Jefferson, NY

Date Submitted:	December 4, 2008
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	9 out of 10
Cost:	9 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	What a cool group of instructors I had no idea how much fun it was going to be even though the weather was bad. I had the time of my life and I feel that I can handle anything in the harbor and now I am planning to take their Off-Shore class. Thank you Ocean Sailing Academy Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Betty 58 year-old   ::   Female Reviewer   ::   Charleston SC

Date Submitted:	December 4, 2008
Sailing School:	OnDeck Charleston
Location:	SC - Charleston, United States
Classes & Instruction:	10 out of 10
School Facilities:	10 out of 10
Boats & Courses:	10 out of 10
Cost:	10 out of 10
Recommend:	Yes
Review:	Coastal Navigation Coastal Nav was a great class. Steve worked closely with me to ensure a firm grasp of all the concepts, even after the class sessions was over. Having seen how others teach the US Sailing courses I have to say that Ocean Sailing does it right; don't change a thing Comments [ 0 ]
Submitted by:	Rich 41 year-old   ::   Male Reviewer   ::   Charleston, SC