I took the SUP Instructor qualification because I want to be able to introduce more people to the sport in a safe environment. I want to use my knowledge and skills to involve the disadvantaged groups in to the sport. As one of the admins of East of England Paddlesports, we promote safe and responsible…
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I have recently moved with my family from South East England to Cumbria in order to work as an Outdoor Instructor. I am currently a Mountain Leader and Rock Climbing Instructor and start work in April with an outdoor company in the Lake District. As part of my personal and professional development, I decided to…
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I help run a paddlesports group called East of England Paddlesports and I decided to take on the SUP Instructor qualification to aid in running the group and be able to provide lessons to spread the joy of SUP. As the only female admin, I wanted to be able to provide women only lessons as…
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The trajectory of a life can pivot on the most unlikely of invitations. To give a college roommate a lift home from the east to the west coast of the USA, after which I moved there. To drive a friend down that west coast to the world’s second longest peninsula and tag along on some…
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After identifying an ambition to further develop my coaching pathway, I commenced on the BCAB Performance Coach journey. After a number of sessions with my appointed mentor – Chris Brain, I decided to book a place on the next Community of Learning event. I had identified, through discussion and reading, insight into what I thought…
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Hosted at Grafham Water Centre, Huntingdon, the weekend brought together 11 coaches with varied experiences for a thought provoking, discussion led weekend. A great weekend had by all. The Community of Learning event topics are driven by the areas that the group suggest, their areas of interests and their aspirations. The topics aim to stimulate…
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Meet Daniela and Arthur, who recently became Sea Kayak Leaders (non-tidal) in Malta. Daniela (Lella) grew up in a small urban village on a tiny Mediterranean island, called Malta, where she was born and raised. She is also the only Maltese woman holding a Sea Kayak Leader in the entire country! Arthur (Turu) is an American-born…
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Paddles Up Training would like to congratulate Dan for becoming a Performance SUP Sheltered Water Coach! Dan talks us through his paddling journey and why he decided to become a Performance Coach. Born in Hong Kong and having spent my teenage years on the Isle of Man, I have had the opportunity to engage in…
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In March 2022, the first BCAB Performance Coach Community of Learning Event outside of the UK took place in Stonington Connecticut, USA with 14 candidates and 3 facilitators. The weekend was intense but enjoyable, with multiple learning opportunities for candidates and facilitators alike. The Community of Learning events provide opportunities to explore ‘Performance Coaching’ and…
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The Wild Water Racing Coach Award launched in January 2018 and supports you to coach Wild Water Racing. We hear from Jamie, who recently become the first person to qualify as a NEW Wild Water Racing Coach, and Hannah, who ran the first Wild Water Racing Coach Assessment. Hear from Jamie, the first NEW Wild…
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Rugby Canoe Club is an affiliated British Canoeing club based in the Midlands. The club turned 50 years old in 2020. Their coaching team was recently strengthened with the addition of two new Paddlesport Instructors. Billy (18) and Máiréad (17) became the club’s youngest ever Instructors after undertaking their FSRT and 2 day Paddlesport Instructor…
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The Polo Coach Award launched in January 2018 and supports you to coach Polo. We hear from Lesley, who recently ran the first Polo Coach Assessment and Neil, who recently become the first person to qualify as a NEW Polo Coach. Hear from Lesley, who ran the Polo Coach Assessment Neil came with a background in…
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My first “taste” of stand up paddleboarding was back in 2018 when I had a 45 minute taster on a Groupon deal for £7! I managed to stand up but soon fell off when a boat passed by, in St Ives Harbour. I always had an itch to get back on a board but living…
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I started kayaking about 9 years ago when my kids first started at Falcon Boat Club. I sat in the car park for the first 2 months, until one of the coaches asked why I didn’t give it a try, so I did! I continued on and off for about a year and a half,…
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I started paddleboarding over in Australia and just found it naturally came to me. I got my board last summer and used it mostly on the sea and few lakes. As I’m a Paddlesport Instructor and Paddlesport Leader, I wanted to improve my knowledge and experience so that’s why I took the SUP Inland Open…
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I completed my Level 2 Coach Award in 2017 and used this to help out at my local club. Due to a combination of Covid and work pressures, I had not done much coaching during the last few years. In May this year I left my job in the Civil Service to spend the summer…
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I’ve been paddling for over 40 years in kayak and canoe, and coaching for 30, but my experience on a SUP was virtually non-existent when I went for my Paddlesport Instructor Tutor Orientation. Understandably, this was an area that I had to become proficient in to become a Provider. So I got on the water with…
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Paddles Up Training would like to congratulate Kostas for becoming the first Performance SUP Open Water Coach! Kostas takes us through his journey through coaching and why he decided to become a Performance Coach. I have been coaching and working as an outdoor educator for almost a decade now. I began my journey like the…
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Like many, we began SUPing more regularly during lockdown and created a community stand up paddleboarding and wild swimming group to inspire others to join us. The water is our happy place and offered timely mental and physical health benefits. In May this year, we set up our business Moffat SUP hire to service the…
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For both of us, paddleboarding is not just about the sport, it’s a way of life. Jo’s passion for paddleboarding grew over the last few years and knowing Hayley’s love for the outdoors and passion for well-being, she introduced Hayley to the sport and the water quickly became the place she felt at her happiest.…
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Launched in January 2021, the NEW Paddlesport Touring Leader supports you to lead fun, safe and enjoyable mixed craft journeys, on moderate inland water. This new award is already proving popular and we hear from Grant, Emily and Piotr. Hear from Grant, who recently ran the NEW Paddlesport Touring Leader… It’s a really great award…
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Hear from Dan and Paul who recently delivered one of the first online core coach training courses. Delivering the online core coach training course was really interesting. As providers, it gave us a new challenge – how to make the content as practical as possible whilst we were all in different physical locations. We managed…
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Hear from Ronny who’s recently run the first NEW Sea Kayak Leader (tidal) Assessment in Norway. British Canoeing Awarding Body is continuously developing, and I’ve been looking forward to running the new Sea Kayak Leader (tidal) assessment on the West Coast of Norway. All the candidates had done official British Canoeing Awarding Body training, most…
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Hear from Samuel, one of the first to become a NEW Sea Kayak Leader (tidal) in Norway… I remember when I started paddling, I think I was around 12 years old in a three-man canoe at the school camp. I did not really enjoy being in a canoe, but I felt a connection to paddling…
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Hear from Darren, who facilitated the first Performance Coach Community of Learning event in England. At the start of the Autumn, I was privileged enough to be part of the facilitation team for Paddles Up Training’s first ever Performance Coach Community of Learning event, hosted at the Mount Batten Centre in Plymouth. What a weekend…
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Hear from Matt, who’s started delivering the Guide Modules online during the pandemic. Just like every other outdoor provider, the Covid-19 crisis had a profound effect on our coaching business ‘Kayak Essentials’. With all courses cancelled during the busiest time of the year, we were left pondering what to do. We had already started to…
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I am an Assistant Cubs Leader with the Sea Scouts, mum of two busy and active kids (also Sea Scouts), outdoor swimmer and generally love all water sports. I wanted to help coach our young Cubs and Scouts on the water. It’s a great way to have fun, build confidence and fitness, as well as…
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Julie is a very busy lady. Chairperson at Totnes Canoe Club, British Canoeing #ShePaddles Ambassador, on her journey to becoming a Performance Coach and recently became an Advanced Sea Kayak Leader. Here she shares the story of a day out on the water for 4 Totnes Canoe Club members, who gained their Sea Kayak Award.…
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My first experience at white water SUP’ing was in July 2019 at Llangollen. Myself and Aaron went to the Stand Up Paddleboard UK festival. What we didn’t realise was that we had entered into the competition that went along with it. During that competition, I managed to surprise myself by coming second in the B…
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For me, my SUP journey started back in 2015 with the introduction of the SUP Discipline Support Module provided by Phil Hadley (there’s a might be a theme building here …). Since then its been lots of flat water paddling, predominantly providing hundreds of taster sessions and sheltered water development courses. I’ve mostly been self-exploring…
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