All of this quality control is designed to ensure that a student can be confident that he or she will receive quality instruction at any ASA school. The benefits of certification are immediately obvious. The ASA system has eight primary levels of student certification. The newcomer begins at the ASA Basic Sailing Standard. The certified student receives a seal for the personal Log Book as proof of competence.
All standards have a written exam that tests the student at the appropriate level.
The ashore and afloat requirements for each standard are outlined in the ASA Log Book. All Basic Keelboat sailors since 1997 received certification for taking a National Safe Boating Course as well as sailing certification. The ASA system promotes continuing education. There is always more for a sailor to learn and the upper level standards provide a goal and a measure of the sailor's ability. ASA certification is recognized at over 170 sailing clubs and charter companies in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.