Flatwater SUP Instructor

• Candidates must be at least 16 years of age to take the Basic course and 18 years of age to take the Advanced course.
• Current Paddle Canada membership and provincial or territorial membership.
• Paddle Canada Advanced Flatwater SUP skills certification, or equivalent skills and knowledge.
• Current certification in standard first aid with CPR (14–16 hours).
• Instructors are expected to have experience beyond that of the Basic or Advanced Flatwater SUP skills.

• Friday Evening Session (6:00PM – 9:00PM): The Friday evening course session takes place at the Hardcore Surf and Paddleboard Company (211 Pacific, Winnipeg, MB).
• Saturday and Sunday (9:00AM – 5:00PM): Winnipeg and surrounding area. On-water location TBD. Please arrive about 15 minutes early, so that you are unloaded, changed, and ready to begin at the start time. Arriving late will cut into your instructional time, and that of others on the course.

Please note that the course does not include any technical paddling gear, personal clothing, food, or travel. Instructor candidates usually own their own gear. However, if you don’t have your own paddleboard and related gear please let us know and we can assist in finding you a suitable rental for you to use for the course.

• Stand up paddleboard, paddle, leash, PFD, whistle, throwbag
• Cold water immersion clothing is a must. As a minimum we recommend a shorty style neoprene wetsuit or one-piece neoprene paddle top combined with neoprene shorts or leggings. And that’s for warm weather conditions.
• For warmer season/conditions: quick-dry or warm-when-wet outdoor athletic gear. Think paddle tops, rashguards, breathable hiking layers, merino wool, boardshorts ,athletic swimwear.
• Insulating layers, weatherproof shell layers.
• Towel and warm, dry change of clothes (just in case!)
• Secure protective footwear such as water shoes, paddle shoes, neoprene paddle/surf booties or sport sandals.
• Headwear: sun hat, toque (warm hat), sunglasses with straps.
• Any personal first aid, medications, sunscreen etc.
• Waterproof and floatable camera.
• Food for the day, high energy snacks, drinking water.
• Thermos with hot drink for cool days.

As part of the instructor course, all candidates will be required to prepare written and oral presentations, deliver on-water teaching sessions, complete a written skills course outline and complete a written test. An Instructor Candidate Package, including detailed course outlines and teaching assignments will be sent out before the start of the course to allow candidates appropriate preparation time.

The course fee is $350. Candidates will also need to register with Paddle Canada as an instructor candidate before the first day of the course. They will charge you either $10 or $90, depending on your current Paddle Canada membership level. We will send you additional information once you have signed up for the course.

Course Cancellation: It is rare that we cancel a session due to weather considerations however we will do so if, in our judgement, the conditions are dangerous or are likely to present a poor learning environment.