About Us
Torbay and Dartmouth Powerboat School has been established for over 7 years. We are based in Torbay,
also known as the “English Riviera”. This location, even on the Level 2 powerboat courses, enables us to visit other harbours.
We specialise in Powerboat training and are a full time training centre running courses all year round 7 days a
week when necessary. Courses are provided for the complete novice right up to the experienced Powerboat
helmsman and Advanced Powerboat Instructor.
We also run courses from Dartmouth if requested but due to the facilities available within Torbay we feel
customers gain more from participating in courses from here.
On more Advanced Courses we venture further along the South Devon Coastline up to Teignmouth or Exmouth
to the North of Torbay or to the South we have Dartmouth, Salcombe and even Plymouth is within reach
depending on weather conditions.
Centre Principal
The training centre was established by David Hickman and was recently merged with Torbay Sea School who
were catering for the Sail and Motor training side of the business. David still works from the school dependent
on his busy schedule of RYA inspections and family life but the school is now run by Neil Penman, the existing
principal of Torbay Sea School.
Neil is an RYA Advanced Powerboat Instructor and Examiner, RYA Powerboat Trainer, RYA Yachtmaster
Motor and Sail Instructor and Examiner, RYA PWC Trainer, RYA SRC Assessor and RYA Sea Survival
Instructor. Practical experience over the years in both Power and Motorboats has enabled him to be familiar on
all types of vessels when carrying out own boat tuition. He has spent considerable time working with Power
vessels and has worked in some diverse situations from demonstrating marina berthing in a Fairline Phantom
46 in a Motor Boats and Yachting Masterclass to, as a retained Royal Navy reservist, setting up a Navy RIB
training centre to re-train the Iraqi Coastal Defence Force following the demise of Iraq in 2003
Our other instructors, skippers and crew are all individually chosen by Neil for their experience, qualifications
and customer service skills to ensure that our standard of training and positive feedback we receive from our
clients remain at a high level. We have instructors ranging from ex-Royal Naval Instructors, Coastguard
members and Ambulance EMT's
