Before giving someone a CSC membership, you must understand that:
1) the membership starts when you buy it, not necessarily when the giftee wants to use it. We can't delay the start until Christmas, their birthday, or when they get time off from their boss. If you buy a three month membership, it expires in three months from the day you buy it.
2) it's not refundable. If they tell you three months later they never used it, you can't get a refund.
3) it requires work on their part. They'll have to do volunteer work, find out when to get lessons, find people to give them tests, and pass those tests before they can take out equipment.
4) it can require a lot of time. If they want to take out one of our keelboats, it may take them years to do the work and pass the tests.
5) it won't give them an ASA or US Sailing certificate that they might want to charter a boat on a vacation. Our testing is specific to our club. Our club is well known, but not universally recognized among boat charter firms.
6) it doesn't come with a laminated card, and we don't offer gift certificates.
We've had way too many people ask for refunds after giving a CSC membership as a gift. So before you purchase a CSC membership as a gift, be sure that:
1) the giftee really, really, really wants to join CSC
2) the giftee has no prospect of getting a job, moving, riding a motorcycle, or realizing they don't like sailing or windsurfing
3) you really want to buy them a membership, not just make them a nice card, and wrap up an antique sailing book (like Practical Sailing by Douglas Frazar) instead.
If you're absolutely sure that all of the above are true and OK with you, then click here