Amanda Swan
Great Escape Sailing – New Zealand
Meet Sailing Instructor Amanda Swan
Sailing instructors are often the most highly experienced sailors in the industry, but they all start somewhere! Gain insight into sailing from those who do it most…
Amanda Swan is a highly-experienced instructor at Great Escape Sailing, located in Opua, New Zealand (how cool is that!) – as well as – one of the best instructors in sailing! Over 380,000 ocean miles, including the first all-women Whitbread yacht, sailed from the Arctic to Antarctica, multiple Sydney-Hobart races, traversed both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and 30 years of sail-training. Simply, WOW!
Great Escape Sailing offers a full range of sailing training, from beginner to advanced. Their program is unique and innovative: tailored to your experience, time is focused on-water, and then after instruction then you sail by yourself to hone and practice your skills. If you’ve ever dreamed of sailing in New Zealand with a pro like Amanda, we highly recommend Great Escape.
Amanda Swan
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m an energetic New Zealander who enjoys applying my maritime professional experience, and leadership skills knowledge to any challenge. When not on the water I’m either ocean swimming, fishing, Celtic step dancing, sewing, knitting, or mucking around with photography. See Amanda’s full bio ›
Keelboats -or- Catamarans?
Keelboats!
Local Sailing -or- Coastal/Charter Vacations -or- Deep Blue?
Deep Blue and Beyond
What’s your “Style” of sailing?
Adventure (new destinations & experiences)
What got you into sailing?
My dad started building a 16′ foot boat in our back garden shed when I was five. I was fascinated by the process and begged him to buy me an Estwing hammer so I could help.
What does sailing do (or has done) for you?
Sailing is my WORLD!
Most memorable sailing experience?
Rounding Cape Horn on Maiden in the 1989 Whitbread Around the World Race.
What are a couple of your favorite sailing spots?
Paradise Bay – Antarctica
Sallyhamna – Svalbard
………and my current playground Bay of Islands – NZ.
What’s your favorite part about teaching sailors?
When they arrive at the “AH HA” moment.
What advice would you give a new student about sailing? An experienced sailor?
New Sailor – go with the flow
Experienced Sailor – don’t overthink it!
What is a random fact about yourself?
I’ve sailed to 65°S and 80°N
*NauticEd translation: that’s amazing! Simply, the 65th parallel south is Antarctica, 80th parallel north is the Arctic.
What’s on your sailing ‘bucket list’?
50.7447° S, 166.0564° E
Motu Maha – Auckland Islands
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Last updated on April 8th, 2023
NauticEd is a fully recognized education and certification platform for sailing students combining online and on-the-water real instruction (and now VR). NauticEd offers +24 online courses, a free sailor's toolkit that includes 2 free courses, and six ranks of certification – all integrated into NauticEd’s proprietary platform. The USCG and NASBLA recognize NauticEd as having met the established American National Standards. Learn more at www.nauticed.org.
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