The Surf Insight SUP Flat Water Instructor Course in Sri Lanka

Stand Up Paddle Boarding is such a new sport in so many ways but if we approach the coaching of SUP in the same tried and trusted ways that many other professionally coached sports use then we know we are on the right pathway coaching sucsess.

In this module we open up the vital role that a good teacher of SUP makes to the lives of those in their care. We want to be not only a technically excellent coach, but also as an ambassador for our sport of SUP. Someone with solid communication skills who is able enthuse others to take responsibility for themselves, the environment around them and other water users, no matter their abilities or disabilities and in a safe and supportive manner.

We look at the ever changing development of SUP craft, their design and maintenance. In a discussion format we also look at the history and tradition of SUP and its ongoing future using our CIP (Coaching Improvement Program) and our role in the community socially and environmentally.  Vitally, we also introduce our ISA Code of Ethics, that forms the core to the inclusive and productive coaching of SUP.

In this module we discuss our own ISA guidelines that are linked to what’s called Duty of Care. Vital in all SUP coaching or event scenarios is also a Risk Assessment, (RA) Normal Operating Procedures (NOP), Emergency Action Plans (EAP) and Booking Forms. We teach you how to understand and operate with these important documents and how that will limit dangers to you and those you coach.

To aid you with that we give you a clear SUP Risk Register that will guide you through all most of the risks and hazards you may encounter in your lessons. This is clearly linked to our ISA Safety Guidelines for SUP lessons and we will discuss in detail and run a work shop on these 2 important documents.

We know that, as with surfing, the sport of SUP is ideal for those with special needs and disabilities and we focus on this as we really hope it will become a strong part of your inclusive coaching pathway.

So in all scenarios linked to our RA, NOP and EAP’s is a detailed analysis of the venues you will use and on our Surf Insight SUP Flat Water Instructor course we will guide you as to how to produce these documents and ask you to set up your own Venue Analysis backed up by your own practical on site experience with our guidance.

In this module we expand on the ideal and most user friendly SUP equipment available to us and the other considerations of the correct paddles, leashes, identification vests and wetsuit and other equipment we will need to operate safely and successfully.

But of course there is the vital aspect of carrying a fully stocked First Aid kit, access to emergency services, liaison with lifeguards, harbour masters and other craft users in our vicinity.

Modern sports coaching has changed dramatically over the last 20 years and in many ways SUP is a “new kid on the block” so we’ve drawn on the latest coaching methods on the  Surf Insight ISA SUP Flat Water Instructor course to give you the chance to implement your own personal approach to these methods in the sport of SUP

We use the key elements of Explanation, Demonstration, Participation and Positive Feedback to give structure and success to your SUP lessons and coaching. All of which require planning. We know that we are not just constantly evaluating the success of those we coach but always evaluating the effectiveness of our own coaching methods and plans.

We believe at Surf Insight that each person can be given an individual and realistic goal in their learning of SUP and helping to attain that goal, no matter the level of ability, is our job. In all sports there should be a teaching pathway and we explain how to use this pathway and to constantly evaluate your own performance as a coach and teacher of SUP.

The teaching and coaching of core skills in the best possible sequence is of course vital to a paddler’s development and makes your job easier and more enjoyable as an SUP coach and teacher.

Here are the core skills that we will be teaching you to deliver and nearly all of this done in an “in the water workshop” basis.

CORE SKILL 1: MOUNTING THE BOARD

CORE SKILL 2: PADDLING KNEELING

CORE SKILL 3: STANDING AND PADDLING FORWARD

CORE SKILL 4: PADDLING THE SUP

CORE SKILL 5: PADDLE TURNING LEFT & RIGHT

CORE SKILL 6: DISMOUNT

Now we know how all this sounds so simple to those of you with any SUP experience but it’s amazing to see how many in our sport of SUP are still doing the very basics the wrong way and how our job as good coaches is to set all beginners and even those with some experience on the right, safe and technically correct path.

We can have the best of communication skills, personal skills, conditions and equipment but without planning and post session evaluation our SUP coaching is often unsuccessful. We will be giving you a structured, tried and tested lesson plan devised by the ISA Level1 SUP Flat Water instruction program that you can adapt to your own coaching needs. In our on water and class room workshops we will further extend the idea of planning and we can see how others in our group will approach 1 day 3 day and multiple days SUP coaching plans. This is vital to for the new growth of multi day SUP courses worldwide.

We also get the chance to see how an SUP Yoga class is conducted with super experienced and ISA qualified SUP Yoga Teacher Magda Bayer .. you even have the chance to join a class of course, on the SUP Yoga Sri Lanka Experience

To finalize and help you there is an extensive appendix in the manual which deals with many of the issues and incidents that you will likely encounter in your teaching.

So, as you can see, this extensive and detailed course with Surf Insight is the best of possible beginning to your carrier as an SUP teacher.