SWAC- Chieftain Southampton

21/02/2026

Today’s RYA Tender Operator Course at SWAC, taught by Adam.

21/02/2026

Yesterday’s pot of gold at SWAC on the Itchen

19/02/2026

SWAC by night. Images by Dee.

19/02/2026

A great day on the water at SWAC for today’s RYA Powerboat Level 2 course 🚤

Taught by Alex onboard Apache, our three students spent the day building confidence and sharpening their boat handling skills, covering low-speed manoeuvres, close-quarters handling, coming alongside, and plenty of time at the helm.

Tomorrow they’ll be stretching their legs a little further with a passage over to Hamble, putting today’s skills into practice in a real-world setting.

Powerboating on the Itchen offers a fantastic training ground — sheltered water to build confidence, with easy access to Southampton Water when it’s time to progress.
Well done all 👏

18/02/2026

Day 1 of this months Advanced Powerboat Instructor Course at SWAC, run by Doug and assisted by Dee.

15/02/2026

Tonight’s night navigation excercise for our Yachtmaster power candidates.

14/02/2026

This weekend’s Powerboat level 2 course, taught by Mike onboard Apache.

08/02/2026

First ever PWC Instructor course organised by SWAC, all passed

30/01/2026

Awesome dingy sailing.

This is performance sailing done well.

30/01/2026

SWAC IS BACK

We’re delighted to announce that Southampton Water Activities Centre (SWAC) is officially back in action 🎉

After a busy and focused month, we’ve successfully achieved RYA recognition. As a larger multi discipline centre we require two RYA inspections (Motor Cruising and smaller craft). We passed both, have run our first 2 courses and are now fully recognised to deliver a wide range of RYA training courses for the 2026 season and beyond.

🚤 Courses Now Available at SWAC
We are now approved to offer training in:

Dinghy Sailing
Keelboating
Multihull Sailing
Powerboating
Motor Cruising
Personal Watercraft (PWC)
Windsurfing
Shorebased Courses

Whether you’re taking your first steps afloat, developing existing skills, or working towards instructor or professional qualifications, SWAC is once again a fully operational hub for high-quality on-the-water training.

🌊 A New Chapter for a Familiar Site

Under the operation of Chieftain Training, SWAC combines:
Experienced full-time instructors
Robust operating procedures
Modernised systems and refreshed facilities
A strong focus on safety, professionalism, and community access

This is just the beginning — with more courses, partnerships, and activity programmes being added over the coming months.

📅 Many courses are now live and booking options are being added every day across multiple disciplines.

📍 Based on the River Itchen, serving Southampton, Hamble, and the wider Solent.

👉 Keep an eye on our channels for course dates, open days, and more new courses.

SWAC is back — and we’re looking forward to welcoming you on the water.

30/01/2026

Welcome Southampton Lifeboat Station to SWAC- the UK's newest lifeboat station.

Chieftain Training is proud to announce it has agreed to make part of the Southampton Water Activities Centre (SWAC) site available to support the establishment of a new Southampton Lifeboat Service facility.

Southampton Lifeboat will operate as a satellite station of Hamble Lifeboat, a long-established independent charitable lifeboat organisation crewed by trained volunteers. Operating from SWAC will enable faster response times to incidents on the River Itchen and Test, enhancing safety for river users, local communities, and visitors alike.

This initiative reflects a shared commitment to public safety, volunteer service, and community benefit. By supporting Hamble Lifeboat’s charitable operations, Chieftain Training is pleased to help strengthen lifesaving capability in the heart of Southampton and contribute to the continued protection of those who work, train, and enjoy recreation on local waters.

29/01/2026

New Safetyboat course launched. Aimed at dinghy/windsurf instructors, safety boat drivers and lifeboat crew Learn the tricks for rescuing all sorts of craft.

RYA Safetyboat Course for dinghy/windsurf instructors, lifeboat crew and club volunteers. Held at Chieftain Training SWAC (Southampton)