SUP Instructor Courses

Strangford Lough Activity Centre is a BSUPA training centre that delivers the BSUPA Level 1& Level 2 SUP Instructor courses either on site or at a suitable water sports venue of your choosing.

BSUPA L1 Sup Instructors Course

The BSUPA Level 1 SUP Instructors course is a 2 day course that allows you to teach and issue certificates for the Level 1 ‘ready to ride’ course. A Level 1 Instructor can take people who have never stand up paddle boarded before and give them a base level of skills making them ‘ready to ride’.

The course covers: BSUPA teaching schemes, session planning, site assessment, theory of teaching, tides and weather theory, safety management, SUP technique & learning points.

The course is run using continuous assessment. You will be asked to deliver a classroom based session (talk) of no longer than 10 mins. You will be asked to undertake a written test and an paddle test at the end of the course which helps consolidate learning and highlights any issues that need addressed.

Duration & Location:

  • 2 Days (9:30am – 4:30pm)
  • Sketrick Island, Whiterock, Killinchy, County Down

Pre Requisites:

  • Minimum age 18 (you can qualify at 16 if working with an adult)
  • Valid First Aid Qualification
  • RYA Powerboat Level 2 (recommended)
  • Current BSUPA Membership
  • Appropriate Paddle Skills (min 40hrs SUP experience)

Where you can teach:

  • Flat Water Only (30-50m from shoreline)
  • Max wind speed: 15 Knots
  • 1 instructor : 6 students : 6 boards ratio

Appropriate Paddle Skills:

A Level 1 Instructor should be able to execute the following manoeuvres:

  • Step Back Turn
  • Reverse Paddle Turn
  • Nose 360
  • Competent Paddle Stroke
  • Unconscious casualty recovery
  • Tail First Paddling
  • Paddle over a distance in fair conditions (300mtrs)
  • Tow a struggling student over 100mtrs

Further Information

We run a few instructor courses throughout the year. If you would like to become a BSUPA Level 1 Instructor, please contact us and we will add you to the list. If you’d like to become an instructor, but aren’t sure that you have the necessary paddle time of skills, then why not come on our Paddle Board skills course. We are mobile and subject to availability, can run a course from any BSUPA training school.

BSUPA L2 Sup Instructors Course

The BSUPA Level 2 Sup Instructors Course is a 2 day course that allows you to teach and issue certificates for the Level 2 ‘ready to tour’ course.

Two day Instructor course that allows the instructor to teach – Ready to Tour /Tour Experience/Born to Ride /Born to Race /Born to Tour to students. This includes a senior instructor element to do with managing a BSUPA school and other instructors and is required in each BSUPA Recognised School.

Duration & Location

  • 2 Days (9:30am – 4:30pm)
  • Sketrick Island, Whiterock, Killinchy, County Down

Pre requisites:

  • 100 Hours as a level 1 instructor
  • RYA Powerboat Level 2 Qualification (must have)
  • BSUPA Level 1 Instructor Certificate;
  • Minimum age 18 only.
  • Riding ability, competent on a range of boards
  • Current member of BSUPA.
  • Display a good level fitness
  • Good knowledge of different locations/conditions
  • Has experience basic level racing or tours

Course Content

You need to be a competent SUP rider and an experienced BSUPA level 1 Instructor, ideally with some basic race or tour experience and a good level of fitness. We cover entry level race starts and buoy rounding and developing the next level of race technique and paddle technique. We cover tours and guided trips and look through the youth scheme and how this works within a BSUPA school. There is time for you to get an update on equipment and your own paddle technique.

The course is both practical and theoretical, we look at management of a BSUPA School and documents SOP, EAP, Adventure Mark, Risk Assessments, safety management, safety planning as well as the specific equipment, conditions and technique needed to deliver the Level 2 courses .

We have an exam paddle test and will expect Instructors to deliver some talks and coaching sessions. A BSUPA level 2 Instructor will be required in every BSUPA Recognised School.

Teaching Ratios for BSUPA Level 2

One instructor, Six students

BSUPA Level 2 Instructors Certificate will be valid for 3 years from the point of qualification provided the candidate up to date first aid qualification and RYA Powerboat qualification. And BSUPA membership.

NB BSUPA Guided tour experience you can increase to 10 Students -1 Bsupa instructor -1 assistant with adults with a suitable experienced assistant who has undergone in-house training .

BSUPA | Level 1 Instructor | Level 2 Instructor Paddle Boarding | SUP | Skills Courses | Northern Ireland | Strangford Lough

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