RYA

SEAWAKE
Powerboat Training

Instructors

Dave

Dave Manning

Dave is an advanced instructor and is also commercially endorsed. Before joining us, he had a long career with the NHS Ambulance Service working as a paramedic and as an emergency response worker. He’s an incredibly calm and reassuring presence who knows the local waters like the back of his hand.

Pete

Pete Green

Pete has been a commercial powerboat skipper since 2006 and spent more than 12 years taking tourists out on wildlife and whirlpool trips on the west coast of Scotland. He has also spent time working on the industrial side of powerboating in Norfolk, the west and east coast of Scotland and on the west coast of France. Pete has also sent time in the Fire Service, during his career he qualified both as an RYA Advanced Powerboat Instructor and also a Rescue 3 Swift Water Rescue Boat Instructor.

Geoff

Geoff Heney

Geoff teaches lots of our RYA Powerboat Level 2 courses in Menai Bridge. He has been sailing and powerboating around Anglesey and the North Wales coast for most of his life. In his spare time, he loves nothing more than taking his own boat out on the Menai Strait. Geoff is a key organiser of the Great Strait Raft Run charity event which takes place yearly.

Duncan

Duncan Gilroy

Duncan is an advanced instructor and his licence is commercially endorsed so he gets out on the water whenever he can. Having grown up in the local area, he’s been powerboating since he was young so has a wealth of local boating knowledge. In his free time he loves taking his three sons out on the water, the youngest of which has recently completed his powerboat instructor course. Alongside being an instructor, Duncan runs Anglesey Boat Trips and still manages to find time to do voluntary work for various charities!

Chris

Chris Hill

Chris is an advanced instructor and also holds the RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence meaning he is commercially endorsed up to 200Gt and 150Nm from shore.
He has a wealth of experience gained in the commercial marine and watersports sector. He has been driving power boats since 1994 and is an experienced IKO kite surf instructor. When he’s not teaching with us, Chris works as a freelance commercial skipper specialising in hydrographic survey works. During his career, he has sailed most of the British coastline both East and West, from Orkney and Shetland to South Cornwall as well as many ports and locations in Europe.
Our clients tell us Chris is a fantastic teacher and they love hearing his fascinating tales from a career at sea!

Ian

Ian Thomas

Ian is an RYA qualified yacht master for power and sail and an advanced powerboat instructor. Ian has spent lots of time at sea during his career and personally, making him a highly qualified and experienced asset to the team. He spent 11 years as a Marine Engineering Officer in the Merchant Navy and then went on to a career with North Wales Police.
In 2005 he started to work full time as a sailing & boating instructor and has since taught hundreds of people on practical and shore-based courses. He is chief instructor for Seawake Training at Conwy Marina.
He has sailed the Irish Sea extensively in all weathers with regular trips around Anglesey, to the Isle of Man, along the West coast of Scotland, over to Ireland, and of course exploring the beautiful North Wales coastline. When not sailing his interests include sport, cooking and anything to do with outdoors and adventure.

Jac

Jac Sherrington

Jac is our most recently qualified powerboat instructor. He is absolutely loving taking people out on the water and sharing his boating knowledge with likeminded powerboating enthusiasts. Outside of work, Jac enjoys travelling, kitesurfing and skiing. If he’s not on the water, he’s on the snow!

Ollie

Oliver Buckingham

Oly has been powerboating on the waters around Anglesey since around 2012. He absolutely loves being out and about on the waters around the North Wales coast. He has been an instructor for the past 12 months and is one of our newer recruits so we’re enjoying his fresh take on powerboat training! In his spare time Oly volunteers for his local Search and Rescue team leading up their boat team.

Ollie

Euan Gilroy

Euan qualified as one of the youngest RYA powerboat instructors in the UK last year. Even though he’s the youngest of our team he has amassed a lot of experience and brings some humour to the courses! He helps to run the RYA Powerboat Level 2 courses alongside one of our older instructors.