Learn to roller skate
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Adult beginner roller skating courses start with how to stand up, how to fall safely and how to stop, then move on to glides, turns and skating backwards. The courses we found run for four to seven weeks, once a week.
Moderate£100 to £500 / $130 to $650A few weeksIndoorsWith othersUK and US
What a beginners' course covers
Isle of Skating's six-week Ultimate Beginners course in Hackney, London, starts with setting up your skates, getting up, balancing and falling safely. It then works through stepping, the skating stride, plough stops, T-starts, one-foot glides, edges and turning. No experience is needed.
Everyone Active's leisure-centre courses run for about six to seven weeks, with one skill a week, from starting and stopping and gliding to cross-overs, turning, jumping and skating backwards. The programme is an award scheme of five levels run with the British Roller Sports Federation, and coaches assess you as you go.
Check which kind of skate a course is for. The Hackney course is for quad skates only, not inline. A beginners' class run by Atascadero Recreation in California accepted both, but inline skates with a heel brake had to have the brake removed to skate indoors.
Ways in, side by side
| Where | Format | Skates and gear | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isle of Skating, Hackney, London | Six one-hour classes, Tuesday evenings, July to August (as last listed); adults only | Bring your own quad skates, wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads | £100.00 |
| Everyone Active leisure centres, UK | About six to seven weeks of one-hour sessions; five-level award scheme | Skates, helmet and elbow, knee and wrist guards provided | Ask your local centre |
| Oaks Park, Portland, Oregon | Intro Adult I/II, four Saturday classes, each 25 minutes, then open skate | Skate rental included | $52 for a four-week course |
Oaks Park's classes are taught by USA Roller Sports certified coaches. Travel Portland calls its rink the oldest American roller rink and the last in the country with live music from a Wurlitzer pipe organ.
How to start
- Find an adult beginners' course: a leisure centre, a skate school or a roller rink. Check whether it is for quad skates, inline skates or both.
- Ask whether skates and protective gear are provided or whether you must bring your own. Some courses lend everything; others expect your own skates, wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads.
- Book the whole course rather than a single session, so you learn the skills in order.
Where to go
- Everyone Active: learn to roller skate (UK leisure centres) UK
- Isle of Skating: Ultimate Beginners course, Hackney (London, adults only) UK
- British Roller Sports Federation: national governing body UK
- Oaks Park, Portland, Oregon: roller skating classes US
We opened these links on 11 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Two ways to plan it.
Plan it yourself Free
The links you need to book it, get there, find somewhere to stay and eat, and see what else there is to do nearby. They are searches for you to run; nothing is saved.
Show the links
Plan it with dates
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Can adults learn to roller skate?
Yes. Several courses are for adults only and need no experience, such as Isle of Skating's Ultimate Beginners course in London (as last listed).
Do I need protective gear for roller skating lessons?
Usually. The Hackney course asks you to bring wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads, and a beginners' class run by Atascadero Recreation in California required a helmet as well. Everyone Active provides a helmet and elbow, knee and wrist guards.
Should I learn on quad skates or inline skates?
Choose the course first and check which skates it teaches. Some courses are for quad skates only; others accept both.
How much do roller skating lessons cost?
As last listed, Isle of Skating's six-week beginners' course in Hackney was £100, and Oaks Park in Portland, Oregon, charged $52 for a four-week adult course including skate rental.
Where this comes from: Isle of Skating, Hackney Ultimate Beginners course; Everyone Active, Learn to roller skate; British Roller Sports Federation, Home page; Oaks Park, Introduction to Roller Skating; Oaks Park, Classes; Travel Portland, Oaks Amusement Park Roller Skating Rink; Active.com, Doomsday Skate: Adult Roller Skate Beginner Skills (Atascadero Recreation). Opened 11 November 2026.
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