Ardent Training Reviews 

Ardent training are a highly experienced group of talented young people who are an absolute delight to learn from. They present the tricky, 'Day Skipper' course with an enthusiasm and informed professionalism that is completely unrivalled. The presentation of the video lessons is as entertaining as it is informative and easy to follow and is presented with a warmth and patience that really makes you feel like you're sitting in their classroom. They certainly worked wonders to get this particular land-lubber to pass. And being able to contact one of them in the chat room from 0800 to 2000 every day with any worries or questions was a real Godsend. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone thinking of taking a sailing course, they're worth every penny. A real breath of fresh (sea) air.

What an absolutely amazing course and service.

I have just completed my Day Skipper Theory with Ardent, and have to say, I couldn’t be more impressed.

The course format was excellent and easy to follow. The material was rich in useful content, and really a pleasure to complete.

The support given during the course was outstanding. The team are available throughout the day for assistance, and whenever I reached out, responses were given within minutes.

It’s a very friendly, supportive and professional service.

I sincerely can’t recommend them enough, and I will certainly be back for all future course.

Thanks Ardent.

If you are planning to do your day skipper theory, look no further than Ardent Training online course.

I looked at a range of options whether online or going somewhere in person and chose Ardent. Not only could so I could set my own pace to learn, but I had read so many positives about Ardents course design, delivery and support.

All of the positive reviews were more than backed up by my own experience. The whole team is incredibly supportive, helpful and very quick to respond and help throughout the course whenever you need them - they genuinely make a real difference. Their online capability is easy to follow, and broken into manageable pieces which you can pause and restart whenever it suits you. It also lets you go back over any element whenever you want.

I started the course around 11 November 2025 and passed on Saturday 6 June 2026, and could not have done that without them.

Thank you Ardent.

I don’t have anything bad to say. Everything was well organised. The student pack is amazing, there are many handy tools in it. The knowledge feels also really useful for real world. I might come back for the yacht master course.
I can highly recommend Ardent Training

I have just completed the RYA yachtmaster theory course. I have sailed quite a lot in tidal waters and felt confidant with coastal navigation and chart work but had no other formal training or qualifications other than the VHF SRC. The training material was engaging and easy to cover in small chunks with lots of opportunities to check understanding with quiz questions and more formal assessments with helpful feedback. The tutors were always available (during their working hours) to promptly answer any questions and quickly turn around assessment and exam marking and feedback. The tutors, chat rooms and weekly (optional) live sessions made a really friendly and encouraging environment. Highly recommended.

Really enjoyed my Coastal Skipper theory course with Ardent. It was great to be able to study at home and pace myself in a way that fitted in with family life and other commitments. The video content is of a very high standard. I would recommend Ardent to anybody!

Ardent are a fantastic training organisation with enthusiastic, knowledgeable and trustworthy staff who are dedicated to getting you to the next stage in your sailing career.

My experience of taking an online course with them was enjoyable and rewarding. They provide their students with an abundance of resources and materials and they are always on hand to answer any questions or queries you may have.

I would highly recommend choosing Ardent for your next sail training course!

The content and delivery of the course were excellent. The content is a mixture of written and video which works extremely well. The instructors are very easy to relate which makes the delivery both interesting and engaging. This is now my second course completed with Ardent and I can't speak highly enough of them. I highly recommend them

I have just completed RYA Fast Track to Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Offshore Theory Course. It covers all the essential topics from basics to YM offshore. The videos were excellent. They cover not only book information but also their personnel experience about the topic. In a book, you can just see the information, but in Ardent videos, they show its practical usage with every detail which increases the understanding. In addition, there were lots of hands-on exercises (knowledge checks between topics and end-of-module exams). These exercises were like real life problems, which consolidated my training. Many times, I have felt like I was on a passage from UK to France facing real conditions/problems. Online support and feedback were really fast, just in minutes in my case. With occasional online sessions and discussion-forum sections, I have felt like I am a part of Ardent-family. They also support practical training as much as they can thanks to their cooperations with other organizations/schools/yacht clubs. I can admit this was the best online training that I have got in my life and I can say it was better than a face-to-face training. I also plan to buy specialized courses from Ardent training.

Training pack arrived quickly with great bonus additions i.e. tidal ladder, passage plan proforma, pencil, eraser, ropes. Easy to follow and nice to see instructors having a bit of fun and break learning into digestible elements

The Ardent Training RYA Day Skipper course is very well done. The videos and material are clear and concise. The knowledge checks help with preparation for the mock exam. I would highly recommend Ardent Training.

I just completed Day Skipper theory. An excellent course. Advice and help was always at hand. Would thoroughly recommend them.

Everyone at Ardent is so lovely and supportive - always happy to help at any time of day even with tiny little questions.

The Yachtmaster course is well written and comprehensive, and the combination of written materials, videos and personal tips was really helpful. Seeing everything in situ made a real difference!

Thank you in particular to Holly and Peter for all their support!

I recently completed the Essential Navigation course with Ardent Training and would highly recommend it. The course was incredibly engaging and interesting throughout, with lots of valuable and genuinely useful information that I can apply straight away.
The team were always on hand to help and answer questions, which made the learning experience really supportive and enjoyable. Feedback was tailored, constructive, and provided very quickly, helping me improve and stay motivated throughout the course.
A fantastic experience overall, definitely a 5-star course and one I’d highly recommend to anyone looking to build confidence and knowledge in navigation.

Although an online course, the video format really works well - seeing the instructors in front of you, on boats, actually doing is the next best thing to being there. The instructors all know how to get across their point in a friendly, easy to understand way.
Added to this there's a whole bunch of useful resources to download, weekly zoom calls on related subjects and help at hand via text chat 12 hours a day.
A really well thought-out, presented, and effective course!

I reviewed all the online Day Skipper courses available and selected Ardent after taking advantage of their 24 hour free trial, from which it seemed to be the best (and worth the small premium in cost compared with the others). In practice, I found the course to be excellent. It is extremely well structured. The videos really facilitate understanding of the subject matter and, of course, if you understand it, you're more likely to retain the information and be able to to put it into practice. The corresponding slides were well presented and very useful for consolidation of knowledge and subsequent revision. You can do the course at your own pace and convenience. As it happened, I didn't need to contact Ardent as I went through the course but when I did have contact with them in connection with the mock and final exams at the end, they were exceptionally responsive and prompt. In short, I can't recommend Ardent and their course highly enough. First rate.

I passed the Day Skipper theory exam today and I am really pleased with Ardent. The course was really easy to follow, practical, and well-paced, and the instructors explained things in a simple, approachable way. It gave me the confidence I needed for the exam - definitely recommended!

Fantastic way to learn day skipper theory

The course explains in detail a lot of subjects that the RYA handbook summarises at a higher level. As such, I feel so much more prepared for leading a crew after completing this training. The team are incredibly responsive and knowledgeable.

Great instructor feedback and knowledge. Very quick response to any questions asked and marked almost immediately!
Lovely personal touch.