Sailing Lessons

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ASA 101 Students

ASA Sailing School in Austin, TX

As an accredited ASA Sailing School located in Austin, TX, we offer a comprehensive range of sailing classes from beginner to advanced levels, including ASA 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, and 114. Our experienced instructors are dedicated to providing top-notch sailing education in a supportive and engaging environment.
Our base of operations is from Sail and Ski Marina on Lake Travis. We offer sailing classes year round on Lake Travis and multiple other destinations worldwide.

A Path to Independence

Sailing lessons specifically designed to build the confidence to bareboat charter, sail, or cruise on your own.
We don’t just offer sailing lessons. We offer our students and alumni pathways to building the experience and confidence necessary to safely bareboat charter, sail, or cruise on their own. We help students who have never been around boats before all the way to teaching the advanced seamanship necessary to safely complete ocean passages and blue water cruising.
To learn how we have incorporated and extended the American Sailing curriculum into a complete individual learning plan, please read our sailing pathways article. No matter your skill level, you may use our sailing pathways as a roadmap to your sailing independence.
Adventure Learning Vacation Students
Adventure Learning Vacation At Anchor

Build Real-World Sailing Experience

Many schools sign your logbook, wish you luck, and leave you stranded. We know the key to becoming a skilled sailor is continued practice beyond certification. That’s why we offer multiple sailing programs, with and without coaching, designed to help you build experience and confidence on the water.
Beyond our ASA classes, we offer community sailing events, customizable refresher classes, adventure learning vacations, private charter vacations, and alumni flotillas. Paired with boat memberships, these events create a safe, fun environment for students and alumni to keep building their sailing skills. When your goal is to sail confidently and safely on your own, you need more than just a class or certification.
Our goal isn’t to issue as many certifications as possible. We focus on providing opportunities for our alumni to gain the experience and confidence needed to sail independently.

Have questions or just want to talk sailing?

I’d love to hear about your sailing goals and help you figure out the best next step — even if that means suggesting a different program or school.
Call or text me anytime — I’m always happy to help.
Jason Burns
Instructor | General Manager
(512) 222-7245

Class Schedules

The calendar shows when each class is offered and the number of spaces currently available. Tap on a class to register. Classes grayed out are full.
ASA 101 / 103 classes run from 9a - 5p and limited to a maximum of 3 students. A minimum of 2 students required to form a class.
Please contact us with questions or specific scheduling needs.

Class Overviews

Tap a class name below for a detailed class description.
Sailing fundamentals classes, part of our ASA Sailing School curriculum, are taught at our home base location on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas. We use our full sized cruising boats like our Catalina 310 and Hunter 28 for these classes to ensure you gain the experience with the systems you will be using on larger vessels in our advanced classes.
Our Introduction to Sailing class is a great place to start if you have never been around boats before or are unsure about investing in one of our American Sailing curriculum certifications. There is no self study, textbook, online class, preparation, or exam required. You can just come and enjoy sailing for a few hours. Contact us to book this class.
Our ASA 101 and 103 classes are designed to get you ready for our advanced sailing classes and progress you through Level II in our sailing pathways curriculum.
The knowledge and theory portion of the class is a combination of a textbook and online self study materials that you complete at your own pace from the comfort of your home. We provide online live instructor hours to help along the way. There is a written proctored exam consisting of 100 multiple choice questions that you must score at least 80% to pass.
The on the water training is two days - we spend most of our time on the water underway. These sessions are typically held on back to back days during the week (Wed / Thu) or on the weekend (Sat / Sun). We also offer Friday classes for back to back weeks. For example, you can sign up for two Friday classes on the 1st and 2nd Friday of the month.
ASA 101 and 103 classes start at 9:00a sharp, and we are typically finished by 5:00p.
ASA 101 classes cost $725 and ASA 103 classes cost $750.
Tap a class name below for a detailed class description.
All of our advanced sailing classes, part of our ASA Sailing School curriculum, are taught during our liveaboard 7-10 day adventure learning vacations. We bareboat charter monohulls or catamarans up to 50’ in length in various locations around the world including: U.S., British, and Spanish Virgin Islands; Bahamas; St. Vincent / Grenadines; Greece; Croatia; Tahiti; New Zealand; and Australia.
These classes are scheduled six to eight months in advance. The cost of the charter boat, meals prepared aboard, instructor, and associated cruising/mooring fees during the trip are included in the price. Each cabin must have at least one student enrolled in one of our advanced sailing classes (104, 114, or 106). In order to qualify to take ASA 106 with us you must have completed our ASA 105 Advanced Navigation class before departure. If you have already completed ASA 105 at another school, please contact us.
The cost of the adventure vacations vary by season and destination but typically start from $5,500 per cabin for monohulls and $6,000 per cabin for catamarans and fill up quickly. Maximum of two people per cabin. One cabin is dedicated for the instructor.
Outbound Sailing Skipper Club members have early access to booking before opportunities are opened for all OS Alumni.
To qualify, you must at a minimum have completed Level II from our sailing pathways curriculum one week before departure.
Tap a class name below for a detailed class description.
This is a hybrid online and in-person class based in Lakeway, Texas. You can begin studying anytime and schedule your ASA 105 exam when you’re ready. Like all of our ASA courses, it goes beyond the standard curriculum — covering fundamentals of classical navigation, advanced classical navigation, and electronic navigation tools.
To sign up for this class please contact us. This class costs $750 per student.

What Other Sailors Have To Say

Read Over 100 5-Star Reviews From Google, Yelp, and Facebook

Perfect Birthday Gift & Amazing Sailing Experience! My partner surprised me with an intro to sailing class with Outbound Sailing for my birthday, and it was an incredible experience! Jason was an excellent instructor — knowledgeable, patient, and made learning fun and easy. The class was the perfect mix of excitement and relaxation. I left feeling confident and inspired to continue sailing. Highly recommend Outbound Sailing to anyone looking for a unique gift idea or unforgettable day on the water!

Dean Blanchard 10/23/25 via Google Reviews

Fantastic experience, and great learning environment. Jason is both thorough and able to make it fun, knows when to intervene and when to let you figure it out on your own, and you always feel like he is going to let you learn but in extremis he is always this calm presence there to keep you from wrecking the boat (my private fear)! I would highly recommend but would also recommend doing your work and studying what Jason tells you to study before showing up at the dock. Biggest unexpected plus is the cool people you will meet in your class. What a great time.

George Schools 10/10/25 via Google Reviews

Jason is a great teacher. Very good environment for learning with support, but also gives you enough rope to make mistakes & learn which really helps reinforce lessons.

Chris LeBlanc 09/28/25 via Google Reviews
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Boats

Most sailing schools will start you out on a smaller boat typically 20' - 25' in length. These boats will have a tiller steering system and basic if any other systems. The curriculum for ASA 101 is designed to help you learn to skipper these class of vessels between 20 - 27 feet. Boats of this size are great for learning the basics of sailing, but they lack systems such as a wheel, an inboard diesel engine, and onboard navigation instruments.
All our ASA 101 and 103 classes are aboard full sized cruising boats like our Catalina 310 and Catalina 28. Both are capable weekend cruisers which means they have all the systems you will encounter on larger charter boats. We think it's important to build experience and confidence aboard a similar sized vessel (and with the same systems) you want to be able to get out on your own. Learning and practicing aboard our larger sized vessels helps you build your sailing resume enabling you to bareboat charter on your own vacations in the future.
Boomerang - Sailing Lessons
Learn More About the Boats We Teach On

Class Sizes

Boomerang Cockpit w/Students
Many schools not only teach on smaller boats, but they will cram you on these smaller boats with four other students and the instructor. Not only is this not an enjoyable experience, but you won’t get enough time practicing skills during your class with so many students aboard.
We limit our ASA 101 and 103 class size to three students plus your instructor. Doing this and teaching aboard our full sized cruising boats, you are always in the action. If you are not logging time at the helm, you are responsible for one or more sheets and sail trimming. The time you spend aboard is active time practicing the various skills required to build your confidence as a sailor and skipper.
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Locations / Destinations

Lake Travis, Texas

Located in beautiful Lakeway and close to iconic Austin, Texas.
Beautiful Lake Travis is an ideal place to learn, practice, and enjoy sailing. Even when the lake level is down nearly 50’ most of the lake is easily accessible for sailing with many areas that are still 100’ deep!
Lake Travis is also known (infamous) for the shifty winds that keep you on your toes. This environment allows you to learn faster than other environments where the winds are consistently in the same direction and speed. No matter your skill level, the time of year, or if in light or heavy winds, sailing on Lake Travis will always test and improve your skills.
Our home base location in central Texas gives us year round sailing conditions. Sail on the 4th of July or Christmas Day!
Lake Travis
British Virgin Islands

British Virgin Islands

Adventure Learning Vacation classes in the British Virgin Islands.
Widely regarded as one of the best sailing destinations in the world, making them an ideal location for a bareboat charter. With over 60 islands and cays to explore, each offering its unique charm and beauty, the BVI provide endless opportunities for adventure. The consistent trade winds and calm seas create perfect sailing conditions for both beginners and seasoned sailors. Iconic spots like the Baths on Virgin Gorda, the famous Willy T floating bar, and the tranquil anchorages at Jost Van Dyke ensure that your sailing itinerary will be filled with breathtaking sights and unforgettable experiences.

U.S. Virgin Islands

Adventure Learning Vacation classes or Charter Vacations in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
A premier destination for bareboat chartering, offering a unique blend of stunning natural beauty, ideal sailing conditions, and rich cultural experiences. The crystal-clear turquoise waters and pristine beaches of islands like St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix create a picturesque backdrop for your sailing adventure. With numerous sheltered bays, calm seas, and consistent trade winds, the sailing conditions are perfect for both novice and experienced sailors. You can explore a variety of vibrant coral reefs and marine life, making every anchorage a potential snorkeling or diving paradise.
U.S. Virgin Islands
Spanish Virgin Islands

Spanish Virgin Islands

Adventure Learning Vacation classes or Charter Vacations in the Spanish Virgin Islands.
Located just east of Puerto Rico, are an exceptional destination for bareboat chartering, offering an untouched and tranquil sailing experience. With their pristine waters, secluded anchorages, and unspoiled natural beauty, these islands provide a serene escape from the more crowded sailing destinations. The islands of Culebra and Vieques are renowned for their breathtaking beaches, such as Flamenco Beach and Playa Negra, where you can enjoy powdery white sand and crystal-clear waters. The sailing conditions are ideal, with consistent trade winds and calm seas, making it a perfect spot for both novice and experienced sailors to explore.
Outbound Sailing

About Us

For over 15 years, we have been an ASA-certified sailing school in Austin, TX, committed to delivering high-quality sailing education. Our classes offer both foundational and advanced skills for all levels of sailing enthusiasts.
We emphasize the importance of continued on-the-water practice after certification. To support this, we provide a variety of sailing programs, including community sailing events, adventure learning vacations, and alumni flotillas. These programs are designed to create a safe and fun environment where students and alumni can enhance their skills, gain experience, and build confidence on the water.
To learn more about the dedicated team behind our exceptional sailing programs, please visit our Meet the Team page.
American Sailing (ASA)

About American Sailing

American Sailing (ASA) has been in operation for more than 40 years. With over 400 sailing schools worldwide and more than half a million certified students, it is the largest and most widely recognized sailing certification body in the world.
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