Paddlesport Instructor

Course Description

• Do you want to have fun?
• Like to spend time on the water?
• With likeminded people?
• Do you want to introduce people from all walks of life to paddlesport by running fun, engaging taster and starter sessions?

If so your pathway to becoming a Paddlesport Instructor starts here.

Why take the Paddlesport Instructor Award?

First of all, this is the qualification used by outdoor centres, organisations and clubs to support their activity delivery. Secondly it doesn’t matter if you Canoe, Kayak, Sit on Top Kayak, Stand Up Paddleboard, this course allows you to develop your existing skills and passion for paddlesport.

• It’s your journey, our highly experienced tutors are trained to support you throughout this practical course.
• Your course will support you to run games, activities to support learning and inspire adventure for new paddlers.
• This qualification is open to everyone over 14 years of age!
• The BCAB Paddlesport Instructor is endorsed by CIMSPA, aligned with their Professional Standards and is eligible for 20 Paddle UK CPD points and 10 CIMSPA CPD Points

The programme will explore a variety of subjects, here is an outline of what you will cover during your course:

What will I learn on the course?

• How to effectively prepare a group for an activity (e.g. kitting up and getting afloat);
• Together you will play with a range of activities to engage the group (e.g. games, tasks and journeys);
• You will explore a range of motivating activities and games that support learning;
• The tutors will support you to plan ways of using mini journeys to inspire adventure and exploration;
• You will develop ideas that allow you to help participants learn basic skills;
• Our tutors will share top tips and quick fixes for common challenges to accelerate learning;
• You will investigate how to select suitable equipment for participants;
• You will explore methods of maintaining participants’ safety and develop your understanding of deployment matters.

There will be opportunities to develop and progress your own paddling skills and meet likeminded people during the course, many of our course candidates develop long lasting friendships, connections and contacts.

You can read the full course guide here: Paddlesport Instructor Course Guide

You access a sample programme here: Paddlesport Instructor Sample Programme

You access an editable version of the Course Learner Development Pack here: Learner Development Pack

Registered Paddlesport Instructor Learners get a range of free resources to support their learning, before, during and after the course. This includes free access to the British Canoeing Awarding Body Instructor eLearning Click here, This supportive eLearning package is made up of 9 topics, along with a knowledge audit which will help you understand areas you may need to develop further.

The modules cover

• Coaching philosophy
• Boats and Paddles
• Health and Safety
• Group and Session Management
• Meeting Athlete Needs
• Feedback
• Coaching to support
• Fundamental Skills
• Performance Models

You can earn 20 CPD points by completing this eLearning. These will be added to your National Association record after completion.

The eLearning is £40 for non-members, £20 for National Association members (Full/ On the water or equivalent). The eLearning is free for learners registered for the Paddlesport or SUP Instructor Award (as long as your membership is valid)

Registration

The Paddlesport Instructor has a formal registration requirement.

INSTRUCTOR REGISTRATION

Registration is a process for paddlers who are planning to attend a Paddlesport Instructor course. The purpose of Registration is to confirm you hold all prerequisites, it's quick and confirmation is sent straight to your inbox*.

This should then be shared with the Course Tutor to confirm you meet the prerequisites. It also gives you peace of mind that you have everything you need in place and you can focus on enjoying your course.

Please do not try to Register unless you hold all prerequisites:

• You need to be at least 14 years of age to register.
• Paddlesport Safety and Rescue.or Foundation Safety and Rescue Training (FSRT)
• Full National Association Membership.

WHAT DOES REGISTRATION COST?

£48

HOW DO I REGISTER?

• You need to access your membership portal and register through the portal.
• Ensure your record is up to date before you start**.
• Click on the registration tab and follow the on screen instructions.
• For more information you can use our Registration Guidance.

When should I Register?

When you have all of the prerequisites in place

At least 2 weeks before your course. This allows us to resolve any issues in plenty of time!

Why do I have to Register?

Your Registration covers:

• Instructor eLearning - a great resource to support your development journey
• Advice, support and guidance
• Registration services
• Provision of Internal Verification
• Provision of digital platforms and resources
• Administering qualifications including e-certificate and digital records
• Enhanced insurance
• For more information you can use our Registration Guidance.

Course Content

We have chosen to provide the British Canoeing Awarding Body (BCAB) Paddlesport Instructor Award for two reasons:

• Firstly BCAB has a longstanding reputation of providing industry leading qualifications that are recognised internationally as well as closer to home
• BCAB is OfQual regulated, consequently this ensures the highest standards and qualification validity

This combined training and assessment course will enable you to run games and activities to support learning and inspire adventure and exploration for new paddlers in stable craft. On this practical course, you will learn skills such as:

• Kitting up a group and getting afloat
• Activities and games to support learning
• How to use mini journeys to promote exploration of the environment
• Keeping your group safe

You need to be able to paddle your Canoe, Kayak or Stand Up Paddleboard independently on flat water. You will also need to be able to keep yourself and others safe on and near the water, for example a paddler falling off their craft. We find that paddlers that have completed the Paddle Explore Award or with around 70 hours of personal paddling experience can focus on the training and get the most out of their course. The Paddlesport Safety and Rescue course takes typically 6 hours and the Paddlesport Instructor course around 15 hours.

• A typical Paddlesport Instructor course takes place over 2 days.

If you want to find out more you can visit the British Canoeing Awarding Body Website: Click here

You could also take a look at the Free Instructor eLearning: Click here

The British Canoeing Awarding Body Instructor eLearning is designed to support Instructors and aspirant Instructors through varying topics of knowledge and skill. There are 9 topics to choose from, along with a knowledge audit which will help you understand areas you may need to develop further. The activities are free to access, can be accessed in any order and each have a statement of participation that can be downloaded upon completion. Simply choose the package you want to study and then open the link to access the eLearning.

Course Assessment

Our tutors are great at putting you at ease, consequently the assessments are part of the learning and as enjoyable as the rest of the course! By the end of the course, you will have to demonstrate knowledge and skills in three areas:

• Profesional Standards
• Personal Paddling Skills
• Rescue Skills

You will know when, where and how you're going to be assessed and have lots of chances to shape those decisions. Upon successful completion of each of these tasks the tutor will recommend the you for certification. Certificates will be emailed to you with the craft stated your certificate.

Please note, you do not need to repeat the Paddlesport Instructor course to have a certificate for every craft. It will be up to you where you work or volunteer to decide what you need to allow you to work in other craft, this could be by undertaking a Personal Performance Award or a competency check performed by your deployer.

If you're nervous about your personal skills and want to make sure your ready for your course we suggest you speak to a more experienced coach and ask them to support you in gaining your Paddle Explore Award or to use the skills check list (in the course guide) to check your ready.

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