Ardent Training Reviews 

I did Day Skipper Theory online. The experience was amazingly good. I got great support. Named real instructors answered the online chat within seconds and emails within minutes. The course material was also really good. I loved the fact the videos were taken on board - it really made the lessons more alive than in the classroom. And a dual format of videos and separate slides with easy to switch between them meant it was very flexible. The format of being able to rewatch the lessons for revision or to clarify something was useful. It meant I could spend longer on the parts I found harder, and less time on the parts I found easier.
And I passed the exam first time! Now on to practical!

This course is very flexible. I started the course before Christmas and did the modules whenever I had suitable time. I just finished the Day Skipper (and passed! Yay!). Very easy to fit in with whatever you are doing providing you have an internet connection. I worked via the website. I tried to download the app but didn't have much success with it, but the website was fine. The course is well structured and builds the skills up gradually. It is easy to go back and have another look at any of the lessons if you want/need to. Lots of examples and knowledge checks as you go through. Instructor contact and feedback is insanely fast, usually minutes. Really good knowledgeable instructors, some with many years experience and the student is supported throughout. I would definitely recommend Ardent Training for Day Skipper and if the other courses are similar I would expect the same level of detail, assessment and support.

Great company, great course. Superbly delivered with unbelievable live support from some true professionals. The support and motivation generally missing with on line delivery is superbly delivered 12 hours a day 7 days a week. I never had to wait more than 3-4 minuets for a real person to contact me. Nothing is too much trouble.

Awesome platform ! The course is video recorded + written which makes it extremely accessible to understand everything. Plus the team is always available to answer to any questions
I recommend it for a 💯

A friend with whom I did my RYA Competent Crew in Greece recommended Ardent Training for my Day Skipper Theory. Overall that was a the perfect course for me. For all sorts of reasons that I hadn’t foreseen when I signed up for the training, it took me more than a year to complete the course. It was really convenient to be able to pick up a module exactly where I left off. I preferred to follow the lessons on my computer, but I also used the app occasionally. Again, I could pick up right where I left off. For the final stage, the instructors encouraged me to take the Mock Exam and to my great surprise I was ready for the RYA exam. The sailing season starts here in Quebec and I'm really looking forward to putting my knowledge into practice on the St. Lawrence River, before returning back in Greece to complete the practical!

I've been in "training" throughout my entire career. As a pilot in classrooms, simulators, online, and then in management in more classroom, group-based and one-on-one training. This was my first full start to finish online course, but the way it was delivered felt more personal than any online course I've done before. Having just completed the Yatchmaster course I was very happy with the material content and scope, the people that did the delivery, and the way that they made me feel like I know all the people at Ardent! Definitely time and money well spent for a great online course. Looking forward to using all of the great knowledge that the Ardent team has provided. One funny aspect, our Canadian Tobermory location has some great sailing areas, but no tides ... ;-). Thanks to all of you.

I just completed the Day Skipper theory course with Ardent and feel very well prepared to tackle the practical coming up in two weeks. I liked the video format approach, and the tiering of quizzes, assessments, a mock exam, and then the final exam enabled me to build both knowledge and familiarity with the RYA exam approach to take on the exam with confidence. Ardent has excellent resources on its webpage available to students, including pro forma's and step-by-step guides, and as others have noted, feedback by chat or email is extremely prompt. The vibe is friendly and helpful, and the instruction videos taken from their vessel Mipha were both charming and effective to engage with the course material in an actual sailing setting. I highly recommend Ardent.

Teaching great, lovely asides & tips to remember fabulous videos & friendly support thank you ardent team you're ace ✨️

Massive thank you to the whole Ardent team.

I’m really grateful to have used the Ardent platform. The quality of the resources is excellent, and the instructors’ knowledge, experience and genuine passion for sailing really shines through. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the course and the learning. I’d happily recommend Ardent to anyone considering their Day Skipper theory.

I was also genuinely impressed by how quickly instructors responded on the chat. That level of support went beyond what I expected.

Wishing you and the team all the best, and I hope to join you again for another course in the future.

Fantastic experience!

I just finished and passed my Day Skipper theory course with Ardent Training and I am beyond impressed. The online experience was well organized and engaging. I feel like I was able to go far deeper with the material than if I had taken the course in the classroom which is saying something.

If you have any questions on the materials, the instructor response time is truly impressive. I'm on the west coast of the US and even then, I rarely had to wait. If it was already late for me, a response would be waiting for me when I woke up the following day but otherwise, I received a response within the hour.

It took me just under 2 months to get through the 50 hour course. I took my time with the material because I really wanted to absorb it but others may find it goes a little quicker.

I felt so comfortable going into the final exam having received feedback throughout the course and during the mock exam.

Great community and they have live events that are interesting and add to the experience. I look forward to future courses with Ardent!

Great instructors delivering engaging lessons that had me well prepared for the practical course.

Passed my Day Skipper Theory today (April 2026) after around 8 weeks of studying at my own pace. I found the whole process seamless, so easy to apply and then to access the online materials. Whenever I made either email or Online Chat enquiries there was a response within minutes that satisfied my questions. The course goes into great detail, and has most definitely made me change my practice. The Mock exam was a great resource, and having now completed the Final Exam can reassure anyone thing of doing the course that the Mock is a close example of the Final Exam in terms of structure. I can thoroughly recommend Ardent Training, and thank all the team for their content provided and support given, well done to you!

The teaching material is so well put together. The instructors are really engaging in their presentations. It's filmed from the boat and around Tobermory which I loved, and the feedback is almost instant if you have a query or don't understand anything. Would hi9ghly recommend the course!

I recently completed the RYA Day Skipper Theory course and I'm so glad I chose this provider. The course material was well-structured and genuinely enjoyable to work through. Holly and the team were incredibly supportive throughout, and the feedback on my exam was detailed and thoughtful. I passed first time and feel well-prepared for the practical. Highly recommended!

Great course, the instructeurs are super responsive. Very recommendable!

Excellent course . Unbelievable fast feedback on exams and questions . I was totally prepares going for yachtmaster practical course

I was somewhat skeptical about the efficacy of an online course for something as tangible as sailing. I was wrong. The course is very well made, uses many different learning approaches, and is kept interesting despite its name containing the word "theory". The availability of the instructors to answer questions is another case for five stars. Additionally, the instructors know their stuff and anyone, even an old salt, will learn something that will make the investment worth it.

Just completed my Yacht Master Theory with the team from Ardent and loved nearly every minute of the 3300 minutes spent refreshing and learning new skills. I feel as if I know some of the senior instructors like old friends having spent so long watching videos and rewatching some of the explanations on such knotty topics as secondary ports and setting courses to steer. My skills have moved forward immeasurably from Day skipper level despite being what I thought was a competent boat owner and frequent sailor on the West coast of Scotland. I will feel much more confident when I’m next out on the water knowing what I do now. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the whole team.

I took the RYA Day Skipper Theory course. The course was engaging, well organized and well presented. It was also a rigorous course, and Ardent guided me through the hard work that I had put in to master the material. Everyone at Ardent was extremely helpful, encouraging and responded quickly to any query I had. This was crucial assistance when I got stuck on a particular section of the course. I can only very highly recommend them!! Thank you, Ardent!

I took the RYA Day Skipper Theory course with Ardent Training. The material was excellent. I was able to study at my own pace, but help was always available if I needed it.
I can't recommend highly enough.