Deb Volturno is a certified sea kayaking instructor and instructor-trainer. She recently taught an American Canoe Association (ACA) certified kayak surfing class at Hoebuck Beach in Washington State. Students who learn from her are fortunate indeed, as she is a consummate instructor, with multiple certifications, and most important, myriad skills.
I’ve known Deb and kayaked with her for almost two decades and can say from first-hand experience that she is damned good in all aspects of sea kayaking: in addition to being a senior Tsunami Ranger officer, she is a world-class kayak surfing competitor and an all-around competent boater who has kayaked in New Zealand, Brazil, Scandinavia, and up and down the entire U.S. pacific coast, from Mexico to Alaska. As I write this, she is paddling at Haida Gwaii on the Canadian coast. Because I have paddled with her and taught classes with her, I know with absolute certainty that she is qualified to teach any aspect of sea kayaking. And she happens to be certified with the ACA.
I perused the ACA website (www.americancanoe.org) and found it to be a valuable resource for any boater who wants to know about canoeing, kayaking, even stand-up paddleboarding. The website has a bunch of safety and boating tips in PDFs that contain useful information. The ACA offers classes in most aspects of sea kayaking, from basic instruction to sit-on-top surf classes. ACA classes provide uniform content and its certified instructors are similar in many ways. A student who takes a class from an ACA-certified instructor is assured of at least nominal competence from all ACA teachers. This is good!
All in all, I think responsible organizations such as the ACA and the British Canoe Union (BCU) benefit paddlers. As an aside, I have often heard that BCU coaches really know their stuff. At the Golden Gate Sea Kayaking Symposium earlier this year I met the fabled Nigel Dennis, a senior BCU coach who is highly regarded by all. He taught a slew of classes in inclement weather and winter water. He deeply impressed me as superbly qualified and very experienced. It would be a boon to take a class from him—whether he was a BCU coach or not.
In addition to instruction and certification, organizations such as the ACA and BCU sanction events and offer insurance, which any liability-conscious instructor would want in today’s litigious society. But that can also be a bad thing. Take the ACA for instance. It costs a lot of money to get insurance for a class or event. The class or event must follow ACA guidelines, participants must be ACA members (and that costs money) and fill out special ACA liability waivers, and a report must be filled out afterward, among other requirements. In other words, it’s expensive and involves a lot of bureaucratic paperwork. Years ago, the ACA refused to insure our kayaking race because it was in surf, and thus wasn’t considered safe and normal enough for them. We were outside of their box. It was at that point that the Tsunami Rangers dropped out of the ACA. They were holding us back.
The ACA is a large, pervasive organization, as is the BCU in the U.K. Big organizations, because of their power and reach, influence people, for better or worse. Here’s a good example. The Boy Scouts, a humongous organization that everyone knows, basically teaches boys how to camp and do other outdoor skills—and how to be good and reverent citizens. This is a good thing, on the surface. But a boy’s dad or older friend could also teach him this, perhaps even better than the Boy Scouts, wouldn’t you agree? And the Boy Scouts cost money, have lots of rules and norms which must be followed, and exclude certain boys (e.g., homosexuals). In my opinion, this is not so good.
Here’s another example. I do martial arts. In the biggest national organization in my type of martial art, the head guys “certify” that you deserve a black belt, after giving you an exam in which you must do the arts their way, as opposed to your teacher’s way, which may differ. Unfortunately, some arts mandated by this organization are simply not effective. And certain certifiers, in my opinion, are capricious in their evaluation of exams. It costs money to join, and there are bureaucratic hoops a teacher must jump through, such as liability waivers, mandatory background checks, rules and procedures which must be followed, a certain number of functions which must be attended, etc. This organization is pervasive and influential, but does not teach arts any better than, and sometimes worse than, any independent instructor. So, what is its real value, other than being an insurance carrier?
I am not certified to teach any aspect of kayaking, and yet I do teach. I believe I’m a good teacher and a competent paddler, but I’m not affiliated with any certifying organizations. I know many fine kayakers who are not certified but are good teachers, including most of the Tsunami Rangers.
I sometimes wonder if not being certified by Big Brother will be a problem for us and our students down the line. Would a surf zone class we teach count for ACA instructors who took it? Would authorities such as the Coast Guard stop us from kayaking in certain places or wearing certain gear? Would retailers refuse to rent boats to customers who have completed our classes but not the ACA equivalent? Is the stuff we teach not up to date? For example, if we choose not to teach how to use GPS navigation in a beginning class, have we harmed our students? My opinion is that what we teach and the way we teach is as good as, if not better than what is taught by the ACA or any other big kayaking entity.
Just like a father teaching his son outdoor skills, or a martial artist teaching martial arts, if you are a good kayaker who wants to teach, especially if you have a unique approach to paddling, then I say just do it. It’s not necessary to affiliate with a national organization and pay dues and follow their rules and fit in their box. After all, you don’t have to be a Boy Scoutmaster to backpack or teach someone how to tie a knot.
On the other hand, if you are a student just learning to kayak, you probably won’t go wrong in seeking a certified kayaking instructor. You may not get someone as good as Deb Volturno or Nigel Dennis, but you can be assured you will get adequate instruction and a uniform set of skills. Whether you choose an ACA instructor, a BCU coach, a master kayaker, or a friend to teach you, pay special attention to how and what they teach. Is it a good match with you? If yes, then go for it.
The bottom line: Kayaking knowledge and skill, and the ability and willingness to teach are by far the most important criteria in being a teacher. Certification, like a merit badge, is down the list a ways.
Am I right? Wrong? Much ado about nothing? This is your chance to weigh in on the sea kayaking certification issue, which has been circulating for decades. I welcome all thoughtful discourse. Please comment just below the post.
Eric, you are so much on the money here!
Certification is great if one needs certification to fit in the “box”, as you said it.
I am also with you when you say that a novice is best to get some decent lessons from knowledgeable kayakers so he/she is made aware that on water activities have to be taken seriously since even a small accident can have grave consequences.
But I am against compulsory certification to be able to paddle. I am also against the pecking order that one must go thru to be able to paddle in some events.
In some way the organizers are insuring themselves against litigation but not necessarily against unskilled paddlers that could potentially be prone to accidents in case of inclement conditions.
Certification does not guarantee skills, far from it, in my experience.
In my area there was a push to have ALL paddlers belonging to a club be certified to a BCU 3 star level before they could go out on a paddle. (more here: http://gnarlydognews.blogspot.com/2009/09/paddling-license.html )
Guess who was behind the idea? A local instructor that was trying to channel all that work to himself.
Organization like ACA and BCU (and Australian Canoeing here Downunder ) have a place indeed but they are not the ONLY way to go about teaching.
I have witnessed much better results from non “qualified” instructors than the certified ones, in my area.
A skilled paddler that has the gift of teaching (something that a lot of instructors lack despite all the knowledge and experience) can lead to much better results than formal tuition from an instructor that can’t teach.
And the proof is in the eating of the pudding, as they say.
I have several friends that undertook formal training with certified instructors and only went so far.
A very skilled passionate kayaker in our group taught us later much more than they ever could: he does it for fun, not for the money.
I also had some good tuition from certified instructors, but no often.
Eric, this is a subject that I spend most of my working days dealing with. There are many, many good reasons to seek and promote instructor certification in sea kayaking. Most reasons are obvious, but I will share one that you may not have thought about.
As you know, I’m an ACA certified instructor. Deb Volturno and John Lull were my Instructor trainers – back when the earth was still cooling. Actually, several years before that, John Lull and I participated in the first “Coastal Kayaking” certification that the ACA held on the West Coast; the ACA wanted our employer, California Canoe & Kayak, to help with the final design and structure of the sea kayaking instructor certification program. Since that time (about 1991), we have promoted, organized, developed, and certified many dozens of sea kayak instructors. You know and admire quite a few of these folks.
While I have not jumped through the “ring of fire” to become an ACA Instructor Trainer (only a mere instructor, Level 4 Open Water), I benefit tremendously from the certification concept as the manager of a large and successful kayak school. When new instructors have completed the intense certification exam, I know what they have been through in terms of skills, teaching methods, and instructional theory. This is invaluable in terms of hiring, and employer expectations. We pay our certified instructors better, too. We put a lot of stock in the certification regime.
That being said, as a kayak school that strives to be current and cutting-edge, we have always viewed instructor certification as THE BASELINE of instructor skills that a professional should have (emphasis on professional). To be a well-rounded instructor in any discipline, one must always be willing to look outside his domain and draw wisdom from experienced coaches in other schools. Which is partly why events like the Golden Gate symposium, or the varied advanced clinics and workshops held across the land tend to be so popular; quite a few of the participants (and assistants) of the symposia clinics are themselves instructors in other programs seeking to further their education and versatility as paddlers.
Anyway, I think it’s just a bit hypocritical that you would seek to dismiss the concept of certification, since the Tsunami Rangers subject their recruits to a rigorous exam that is designed by you! The lure of the Secret Society is too great perhaps. All in good fun though, eh?
Just to reassure you, the ACA has always maintained that their mission is “education, not regulation”. The ACA is whatever their members want it to be in the long term. They have shown a lot of flexibility in recent years, adding new areas of instructor certification as paddlesports diversify and expand (SUP boarding, surfkayaking, Greenland skills, etc). They continually re-examine their methods and will adapt to changes in technique as they become accepted doctrine.
BTW, I bet you could get insurance from the ACA for an extreme conditions kayaking race with only a few simple conditions such as support boats and a basic risk management plan. We do some hardcore ocean races on surfskis and the clubs that host those have insurance for them. It’s not even expensive, and we only have to sign a waiver once a year!
Some subscribe to the saying “those that can do, do; those that can’t do, teach”. I prefer the axiom “if you want to master a skill, learn to teach it.”
Peace brah.
-Kenny
Hi Eric, The concept of certification is a good one because it supposed to maintain a consistent standard regardless of who teaches you. However, since all instructors are human, it is NOT uncommon that instructors add their own interpretation to those standards. I think of certification as teaching by committee. Sometimes it take to much energy to make changes in the standards.
I have gone through the ACA program (Through IT) and a good portion of the BCU ladder. I decided that I would rather teach as an independent rather than stick to one dogma. When students contact me for classes I am happy to teach them all I have learned regardless of the origin of that information.
When I get calls for certification classes I tell them “if you want to get certified I will recommend a number of excellent instructors who can provide certification.” Then I add, “if you want to learn how to kayak, in a way that works best for you, then I will be happy to work with you.”
I have learned that there are enough people out there for all of us to teach regardless of offering certification or not. The only gripe I have is with respect to the “Certification Snobs.” I have run across a few instructors who do not value your experience or skill if you are not officially certified. Those same individuals are also very narrow minded. They don’t think outside of the certification box. It is a shame.
With respect to your concerns about the government getting involved, it is not far fetched that one day we all may have to have a certification card to go on the water. I hope that never happens.
Wayne
Wow Eric, talk about opening Pandora’s Box! This is an area I’m almost too scared to respond to!
I believe certification has a place to ensure base levels of skills are taught. I do feel however that a far better method of one on one learning is via a mentor method, where a skilled friend or paddling partner shares skills, insights, advice, learnings, critical guidance and more at an individual level as the mentoree develops their paddling/sea skills. In the days of old, if you wanted to learn about the sea you took a lowly job on a ship and worked your way up, both by DOING and by OBSERVING, and by ASKING the old sea dogs for advice. An older more experienced sailor would dish out tough advice but would ensure that the new sailor learned all that was required to keep them alive on the treacherous ocean.
There are issues on Certification commercialization but I think in all most instructors genuinely want to impart knowledge. At least, on the particular aspect of paddling they want to impart knowledge on. Just don’t try to go outside the box too much.
For me, I like to push envelopes a little. I like bouncing in rocks. And I like my Greenland paddle. None of these things sit well with the current certification scheme, so I need to find mentors rather than instructors. Which admittedly, aint easy.
Cheers – FP
I can see where you’re coming from, but I think your characterization of the ACA as “Big Brother” is a little misplaced, and you analogies about martial arts and the Boy Scouts just don’t find parallel in the ACA, in my experience. Although, there’s an overarching structure, there’s plenty of variation among instructors within that structure, and the ACA gives plenty of leeway for instructors even within course outlines. As an ACA-certified instructor, I’ve never felt that I’ve been boxed in by the ACA, and I’ve seen the ACA change pretty quickly as it responds to new instructional methods, techniques and instructor input.
Also, the paperwork required for the ACA insurance program isn’t really that much work nor is it difficult to fill out. It’s a huge bonus for instructors who don’t have the $1,000 per season to shell out for a insurance plan to cover a handful of classes. It costs little in comparison to any other type of insurance. The ACA buys the insurance from another company, which has to limit its liability to make money. Your event was past the insurance companies threshold, so you couldn’t get covered. With the newer instructional surf track in the ACA, it might be different now. I don’t know.
I agree with you 100% about certification awards for attending a class. Just because a student goes through a class, it doesn’t mean that he learned the skills nor does it mean the teacher actually taught him anything. In order for a teacher to have taught something, the student must be able to demonstrate that he learned. A good instructor, whether ACA, BCU or non-affiliated, always makes sure that she teaches a student something instead of talks to the students about a subject.
Rather than write individual responses to Gnarlydog, Kenny, Wayne, FP, and Bryan, I’ll do it all here. First, thanks all of you, for commenting. I know that contentious issues such as this turn people away, but on occasion it’s good to bring things up, so I appreciate your willingness to stir the pot.
First, I went to Gnarlydog’s website and read his post on kayak licensing, and thought it very good. Of course, he and I think alike on this issue, so it’s easy for me to agree with him.
I can always count on Kenny to go for it. Speaking of outstanding paddlers, Kenny is it–you will never get a more accomplished (or enthusiastic) teacher than he. Kenny’s point is well taken that certification ensures kayaking employers a certainty that potential employees have a known skills and knowledge base. And he’s right that I know and respect his instructors across the board; they are all dedicated and good teachers who care about students. I also like the ACA’s credo of “education, not regulation,” and hope they stick to that. Finally, I applaud the ACA for always trying to improve, and am happy that they were smart to let you and John Lull and Deb develop some of their content.
As for me being hypocritical for harping on certification and then requiring Tsunami Rangers to take a long and difficult test, that may be so. I have nothing against testing people–heck, a race tests skill, stamina, and speed. The differences between the Tsunami Rangers and the ACA: we follow a mentor/protege method of teaching our candidates that occurs over years and is tailored to each student; it costs nothing to be or become a Tsunami Ranger; other than our members, who become officers according to their demonstrated skill, we don’t certify people; we offer some public classes for pay, and some for free; our races are free for spectators and participants; we offer assurance, not insurance; we are a secret society who do whatever we want, whenever we want; and finally, we admit up front that our system and structure is for fun and fantasy, not the “reality” of a formal organization.
I like Wayne’s approach to teaching. Like a university professor, he goes out and learns all that he can, from certified and non-certified folks. To keep his options open, he does not claim certification status for his classes–just skill and knowledge.
I’m with FP and Gnarlydog on the mentoring method of learning. FP’s analogy of an apprentice learning how to be a master seaman from a gnarly old sea dog is the way to go, in my opinion. For more info on ways to learn sea kayaking, go to https://tsunamirangers.com/2010/12/28/four-ways-to-learn-sea-kayaking/.
Bryan, you, like Kenny, make good points for the ACA. I’m glad to hear from ACA instructors that they like their organization and the direction it’s taking. Thanks for the info on insurance. You’re right; it doesn’t seem that difficult nowadays.
Thanks again, guys, for your thoughtful comments.
I think that sometimes people put to much credit behind the certification badge. It provides a good solid bench mark to ones skills but I have experienced first hand being ignored by fellow paddlers at events until certification levels are discussed and shared. That happens in all walks of life so this is really no different I suppose. Just weird.
That being said, a good argument of joining the professional organization of whatever occupation or passion you believe in is to be part of the wider community rather being insulated. Becoming a member of the ACA, Paddle Canada or the BCU you can tap into professional development that one wouldn’t naturally participate in if they were teaching on their own. New skills, ideas and methods of teaching for example. Of course there are also other ways to keep current as an instructor like attending or teaching at symposiums or networking with like minded teachers, etc.
Teaching styles and methods change. Think back to how people were teaching forward stroke 10 years ago. It was night and day compared to now with a high emphasis on high angle stroke, etc.
Even if one doesn’t offer the program to students, professional development never stops.
Cheers,
David Johnston
David, You are right; associating with other good kayakers to avoid insulation (or isolation!) is a major benefit of big organizations. Like you and Kenny said, kayaking instructors go to events like the Golden Gate Sea Kayaking Symposium to hobnob and to learn how others do things. I think it’s great when BCU, ACA, Paddle Canada, and unaffiliated people get together and mix it up. Only good can come of that. For more info on the GGSKS and what I got from it click here: https://tsunamirangers.com/2011/02/24/golden-gate-sea-kayak-symposium-2011-bravo/.
Firstly, your certificate is dope. I definitely would be proud to hang that in my kayak gear room, maybe right beside Freya Hoffmeister’s poster. You know, it’s funny that you feel that way, cause sometimes I feel the same. When I taught white water back east, you were concerned for your student’s safety, but you still tossed them in a class 3 drop by day two. In sea kayaking, it as if having fun, being edgy and taking risk is frowned upon. In WW people are yelling, jumping then talking about their course around the fire. They are so inspired by the revelations; the worse that may happen on that day is a bad swim. I would like to create a Level V skill course, big surf, California rock gardens, Skookumchuck tidal race at 10.5 knots and real night crossings. Just get your own life insurance, like my wife does for me, and do it.
Hahahaha, that’s gold. Where do I sign up?? 😉
Thanks for tackling this topic Eric. Let me tread this line gently.
Historically, in the U.S. anyway, this all began as a sport and clubs would do the training or mentoring to assure that they had skilled members to paddle with. It did not take long to hit that critical mass where the sport was growing on its own and some clubs were getting over burdened with the trainings. The sport fostered an industry which encouraged the growth. Shop owners were not especially excited to see naive competition passing themselves off as qualified. This lead to a minimum standard to the trainings to keep the quality in both the sport and the industry. This continued growth lead to the need for professional trainers and eventually trainers of trainers.
Like you, I come out of the pre-school generation of paddlers that was mentored by some great and diverse outdoors people. Since I am not willing to spend much of my time teaching the basics, I appreciate the professionals that are doing this.
Though I wish it wasn’t there I do experience this division that isolates me from the knowledgable professionals and to a lesser degree I see them isolated from the self taught and mentored paddlers and expeditioners that also have much to contribute. I think the GGSKS was a great start in dissolving this division and would like to see more such activities. I also feel that your blog topic here can take some of the polarization out of both camps.
Best,
Reg
“Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!
I’ve had professional instruction from ACA Certified instructors. For Basic Skills instruction; it was a good quick way to build the foundation of requisite skills to go paddling.
I agree with the Tsunami Ranger’s approach, Wayne Horodowich’s teaching style and the mentorship model that BASK uses in their Skills Clinic.
I’m simply not interested in the ACA or BCU systems or awards.
I shall respond to the last batch of comments, which were entertaining and informative! Mahalo.
Marty: “Dope” is a good thing, right? Ha ha. I have a hard time keeping up with the lingo of you young bucks. Jim Kakuk and I started in river whitewater (Jim in kayaks, me in canoes) and bring that fun mentality to sea kayaking. Whahooo! BTW, I can dig your Class V sea kayaking course! Groovy, baby.
Reg: Thanks for bringing historical perspective to the rise of the ACA and other sea kayaking organizations. That makes perfect sense. As you said, you and I are dinosaurs, er, I mean “old school”. It’s fortuitous that the GGSKS came along at just the right time to spark a renaissance in sea kayaking, where experienced boaters from varied backgrounds and emphases get together on land & on the water. For example, one big thing I came away with from the GGSKS in the winter storms was “Drysuits are the cat’s meow!” Now, if I could only afford one….
Rainer: You are so-o-o funny. “Don’t need no steenkin’ badges.”
I’m so glad you opened this can of worms, Eric, and I hope you’ll forgive me for my lengthy comments on this subject. Like a number of other paddlers who have responded, I have mixed feelings about the issue of certification. These stem, in part, from the somewhat ironic nature of my present situation vis a vis ACA certifications.
I’m intimately familiar with the birth of the ACA program, because my former kayak partner Brian Price and I served on the ACA’s National Coastal Kayak Committee under the chairmanship of Chuck Sutherland. I’ve posted at some length on this elsewhere (see link), so let me just note here that it was the NCKC that started the “sea kayaking” program within ACA.
http://www.seakayakermag.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3906&Searchpage=1&Main=615&Words=chuck+sutherland&Search=true#Post3906
I spent a considerable amount of time working with other members of the committee to get the program off the ground, and made significant contributions to designing the curriculum, writing the instruction manual, teaching trial courses, deciding what the instructor certifications were going to be, running the IDWs and so on. I was, for all intents and purposes, an ACA Coastal Kayaking Instructor and Instructor Trainer, and I had 15 years of sea kayaking experience upon which to draw when working with students. At the time, I also held certifications both as an ARC Flatwater Canoe Instructor and an ACA Whitewater Canoeing Instructor.
When the program began, there was only one certificaiton we awarded – that of Coastal Kayak Instructor – whereas today, the ACA, like the BCU, has an almost bewildering plethora of certifications related to “sea kayaking”. In the beginning, a coastal kayak instructor was expected to both understand and effectively teach all of the elements like strokes, weather, navigation, group management, rescues, cold water immersion etc. etc.’ that today we consider fundamental to both safety and technique. In addition, they had to have a demonstrated capacity to roll in rough water, and a thorough understanding of surf zones. It was a tough certification, not easy to achieve, and those who attained it had good reason to be proud of their accomplishment.
The great irony is that the program I worked so hard to help start is now a real thorn in my side and a serious obstacle when it comes to finding teaching positions. My certifications are no longer current, and as a consequence, outfits like REI (and plenty of smaller fry) won’t even consider me for a position teaching the most fundamental “sea kayaking” course – basically, sheltered flat water paddling in a decked rec boat.
Meanwhile, my email queries to ACA go unanswered. I’m not asking for a free pass, but it galls me that I would have to pay thousands of dollars and start from scratch in order to become “recertified” in areas where I am more than qualified to instruct. If any money is going to change hands, it will be spent by me at events like GGSKS where I can be sure of learning from mentors who have world-class skills, experience, and abilities. Regardless of certifications or venue, I would also welcome the opportunity to learn from people like Deb Volturno, John Lull, Eric Soares, Steve King, Wayne Horodowich, Kenny Howell, Nigel Dennis, et al, whose experience and ability I greatly respect.
When it comes to cold water safety, a subject that I know a lot more about than sea kayaking, I’m very troubled by the fact that I’ve run into ACA and BCU instructors with very lofty credentials who appear to know little about the subject and who present a garbled and often inaccurate picture to their students. ACA itself continues to promote the dangerously misleading Air Temp + Water Temp = Save vs Unsafe formula, and it remains to be seen how difficult it will be to get them to change that particular aspect of their approach to cold water safety.
Wayne Horodowich and David Johnston also raise the troubling issues of certification dogma and snobbery. It’s not a small point and it’s worth some humble introspection. Our Western hubris is so ingrained that, however odious it becomes, it often passes unchallenged. Think about it: Those foolish, primitive, low-tech Inuit – what do they know about kayak and paddle design and techinque? Oh, I dunno, maybe nothing.
But wait a second, didn’t they kinda invent sea kayaks? Yeah, dude, they sure did. And after thousands of years of real-world R&D, they just might know one hell of a lot more than we’ll come up with in the next 250. High angle strokes, wing paddles, and 90 degree feathers may be just fine and dandy for racing or whatever, but in real-world sea kayaking, where sculling has a high value, gusts of wind arrive from port and starboard, and mastering a multiplicity of rolls can save your life, we would do well to pay closer attention to those aforementioned masters of the game.
Just heading out the door for a weeks back country skiing here in the Snowy Mountains, but I thought it timely to at least make some comment before we go–but this will be brief.
As a small kayak business owner, I have never required those working with me to have “badges”. I look for people skills, personality, etc. (assuming they have the boating skills and are happy to learn as they go, the necessary guiding skills). But then I am in a different position to most business owners as I am out on the trips myself and can oversea things personally.
I’m not big on qualification schemes. Generally seem to be money generating, self perpetuating type organizations with personalities that I don’t find atractive in the world of outdoor adventure!
Mark
You learn something new every day. I had no idea that Moulton worked with Chuck Sutherland to get the ACA coastal kayaking gig off the ground. Thanks to people like Moulton and his friend Brian Price and the venerable Mr. Sutherland that sea kayaking got the boost it did way back then. I’m sorry that the ACA today doesn’t recognize your achievements by giving you a free pass. They certainly owe you. Lest you feel your story is an isolated incident, I offer the following little tale:
I’m a retired college professor. Recently my old university contacted me to see if I would teach an MBA class for them (obviously, they were desperate!). I retired three years ago and do pretty much what I want nowadays, such as teaching jujitsu to kids and messing about in boats. Anyway, it turned out that I did not have enough “professional contributions” in the past 3 years to make me eligible to teach this class. Of course not–I’m retired!!! The irony? I developed the class that I was no longer qualified to teach! And, I won outstanding teaching awards! And, I hired and trained the poor guy who had to tell me I no longer cut the mustard. I got a big laugh out of it and realized this was one of the main reasons I retired in the first place. It seems that many big organizations have their feet up their wazoos and no longer function at maximum productivity. Why? They’ve burdened themselves with cumbersome and ineffective rules and regulations.
Now, on to Mark’s comments. So your guides don’t wear no steenkin’ badges, eh? It’s heartening to see at least one kayaking business not intimidated by the herding reflex common among so many people.
Hey, well now I gotta chime in. I turned away for five minutes and there’s already 16 comments on this topic! I think both the ACA and BCU are great programs, so I won’t say anything (well almost anything) negative about them. But they are only one aspect of instruction and aren’t necessarily for everyone. Ok, here goes, and I’ll try to be brief.
I spent a lot of years working with the ACA and helping structure the earlier (more ‘old school’) instructional Coastal Kayak program which was primarily based on teaching people good basic kayaking skills and safety. The whole idea, and I think this builds on what Reg Lake was saying, was to address the huge influx of new paddlers, providing enough instruction to allow paddlers to get out on the water with at least a basic understanding of safety and enough technique to survive long enough to learn more. “Badges,” “levels,” “awards,” “prizes,” etc had nothing to do with it. That came in later and I fought tooth and nail against it, unsuccessfully, but I’ll leave that out of the present discussion.
My focus as an instructor trainer was to certify instructors at a high level of competence and make sure the certification actually meant something. It should mean you are a highly skilled paddler, and a far better than average instructor. Early on, it did. But then there was a move to numerous certification levels, including some very basic ones that threatened to water down and sabotage the whole system, in my opinion. Still there was, and is, a need for instructors or guides for the inland ponds and sluggish rivers, so I guess there is a need. But I contend that should be totally separate from SEA or COASTAL kayaking.
Now, the one and best thing I got out of the ACA is stroke technique. Strokes can be taught and practiced in a systematic and objective fashion. Judgment on the open sea, surfing, kayaking in rock gardens, ‘sea sense,’ seamanship, and other important skills can not be taught in the same way. They depend on experience and to some extent, a mentoring process. The ACA and BCU can certainly contribute with various courses, but getting to more advanced levels doesn’t happen by taking courses. It happens through experience, hopefully with some like-minded mates who can support each other in the quest. That’s where a team like the Tsunami Rangers, or any team of paddlers, comes in. There’s no substitute for on-water experience. And each individual has to assess and take their own risks. You can’t ask an instructor to take on all the risks for you!
I do think the ACA provides an important service, especially in terms of providing a good introduction to kayaking in a safe manner and also as an important lobby for paddlesports. For example, the ACA has fought successfully (so far) against the idea of paying a registration fee for each and every kayak you own! And, to some extent, the focus on safety has held off government regulation. If thousands of paddlers were drowned every year, the government would for sure pass severe restrictions on us. Not that we’d all abide by them…
Well, I tried to be brief.
Oh, I should have added, my instructor trainer educator, level ‘something or other’ status has expired. I cannot get up at 6 am to teach kayaking after playing my sax on a Friday or Saturday night gig until 2 am. So now I’m back to kayaking strictly for FUN.
You bring up an excellent point, John, when you state that routine skills such as “stroke technique” and basic flatwater knowledge can be taught quite well through ACA. But advanced activities (like sea sense, surfing), take a long time (years) to master and perhaps can best be done in a mentoring situation.
Of course, the ACA and other big orgs could have courses that “introduce” students to surf, open sea, rock gardens, etc. Why not?
I heard somewhere that in at least one big country, a paddler must be “certified” to paddle on an exposed coastline. I don’t know if this is true, but if so that BS rule would never stop me.
I couldn’t agree more with what John says. The irony for me is that a program of instruction that I helped launch is now an obstacle to my desire to share “the gift of knowledge” with students. It dramatically limits the opportunities for me to teach. I wasn’t looking for a rubber stamping of my former credentials, but by the same token, I have no interest in paying good money and starting from scratch at the bottom, taking Level 1 – Intro To Kayaking / Sheltered Water, Level 2 – Essentials of Kayak Touring / Sheltered Water, Level 3 – Coastal Kayaking / Sheltered Water etc etc ad nauseum before I can even be considered for a Level 1,2,3, etc Instructor certification. It’s an expensive proposition and a waste of precious time – time better spent on the water mentoring others or learning something new from teachers whose experience and ability I respect.
I appreciate what you encountered in academia, Eric; both your experience and mine exemplify the nonsensical Catch 22’s that large, inflexible organizations foist on people like us – all in the name of maintaining “quality” education. No question about it, mate, the whole thing burns my toast.
Very good debate on the continuing discussion on this subject. I recall in 1985 at Port Townsend during the early days of organized sea kayaking certification in the US this was a big debate, and it continues to this day. I still remain ignorant on the functions of the ACA and BCU, never having taken a course or even read the manual. When I started river kayaking in 1973 I joined the AWA (American Whitewater Affiliation) which was founded in 1954 as a member based organization of people and clubs that loved rivers and kayaking. The AWA, now called the AW (American Whitewater) was an excellent source of information on kayaking rivers in the States and Canada. I believe the AWA developed the river classification system of 1-6 that was very useful for river runners in determining the difficulty of rapids or a stretch of river. They also reported accidents and worked on safety issues as well as protecting wild and scenic rivers and access for paddlers. I have not been a member of the AW for more than 25 years but as an organization it was very useful and helped me in my development of skills and awareness of what other paddlers were doing, a great “older” brother that I was glad to have as a young kid learning the skills sets necessary for safe paddling.
Hi, Moulton,
You don’t need to go Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, etc… If you want Level 4, you take a Level 4 Instructor Development Workshop (IDW) and a Level 4 Instructor Certification Examine (ICE). Once you pass the ICE, you’re certified to teach Level 1 to 4. It’s a bit different to get Level 5. You should talk to an Instructor Trainer or a Instructor Trainer Educator in your area about your situation. They’re the folks that will certify you.
It’s not an easy system to figure out, Bryan, and I appreciate what you’ve said. Still, I have my doubts. For example, The River Connection in Hyde Park, NY is recognized by the American Canoe Association (ACA) as a “Pro Paddlesports School”. If you want to obtain a “Level 3” ACA SK Instructor Certification from them, it would cost $1,040 which consists of $390 for the IDW, $260 for the Level 1 and 2 Exam, and another $390 for the Level 3 exam. Also, the “ACA Coastal Kayak Instructor Update” is another $390…
Another example: Sea Kayak Carolina says: “The L4 3-day workshop is designed to offer training, development and certification to ACA Coastal Kayak Instructors for Open Water, Level 4. It is open to Coastal Kayak Instructors Level 3, or Coastal Kayak Instructors Level 2 that have previously attended a Coastal Kayak Instructor Level 3 ICW. Whew! Makes my head spin. Don’t see any provision for simply reviewing the requisite material and testing.
I really didn’t want to get into the ‘nitty-gritty’ levels, etc, in all this, but now it’s come up, Moulton you perfectly illustrate why I was so much against the ‘L1, L2, L5…’ and on up (where’s it go, where’s it end, and what does it mean?) system. It’s all way too complex and relatively meaningless because you can’t really evaluate everyone by slotting them into a given ‘level.’ And there are levels for both students and instructors! The levels for students are partly intended to indicate kayaking skill level and what they are capable of. I won’t judge a paddler’s ability based on a ‘badge’ they received!
Imho (and yes it’s just an opinion), no one should be certified as a kayaking instructor who isn’t at a fairly high level of competence already, both as a paddler and as an instructor. Not all good paddlers make good instructors, but all instructors should be good paddlers first. So I see one level. Either you’re above the bar–you have extensive kayaking skill and experience as well as teaching ability, or you don’t. Anyone can set themselves up as a teacher or mentor, but if the ACA or BCU or any organization wants to certify an instructor, they need to meet that bar, and not be certified at some ‘part way’ level 1 or 2. Perhaps that’s too simple, but it’s how I see it.
This is not a rant against the ACA or any certifying organization, just an illustration of how a large bureaucracy can get derailed. I realize they are trying to service everybody and be everything to everyone, so maybe it’s just the nature of the beast.
I agree, John. That’s the way the ACA Whitewater Canoeing Instructor certification went when I qualified. One level, one standard; you either measured up both as a paddler in Class 3-4, and as a teacher or you didn’t. My IT was Bunny Johns at Nantahala Outdoor Center. A petite tornado, excellent paddler, and gifted instructor. Also tough in terms of where she set the bar. That certification was hard-earned, and it meant something. As noted earlier, that’s exactly how the ACA Coastal Kayaking program was structured in the beginning.
I’m not questioning the integrity of the ACA program or the quality and expertise of it’s instructors; nor do I have a problem with the qualifications they’ve set for Instructor certification. It’s the Catch-22 that stops me cold. There is no provision for re-certification as best I can tell. If I’m mistaken, they’ve certainly hidden it well.
Hey, Moulton,
Feel free to send me an email or give me a call. Because the ACA doesn’t regulate the copy on member or instructor sites, sometimes it can get confusing. On top of that, that school may do it differently than others. To get L4, you just need to take a L4 IDW/ICE. You do need to take both the workshop and the exam. Your best bet is to talk directly to an IT or ITE. If you drop me an email, I can give you the phone # and email of one of the best, and he can point you to someone in your area. I always find it better to talk to someone in the know, then try to figure it out via web, email, etc.
But, regardless of what you’ve read, for the Level 4 certification, all you need is this:
— Level 4 Instructor Development Workshop
— Level 4 Instructor Certification Exam
— The required skills to pass the ICE.
The update is a course that you take every three years to update your certification and make sure that you’re teaching the newest and best stuff. It’s required every three years. To do mine, I just take another IDW.
As with any organization, there’s a learning curve to it, but once you spend a little time in the organization, it becomes pretty easy to navigate.
Thanks, Brian. I really appreciate that. I could use a good guide and some navigation tips. I’ll be in touch.
After reading comments like John’s and Jim’s, there’s no doubt in my mind that certifying organizations have a place. However, I have never been a joiner. When I was little my mom took me to Brownies (little girl Scouts), and I climbed up to the top of a tree and wouldn’t come down until my mom said I didn’t have to go back. I’m still pretty much that way about organizations. But everybody’s different and some people clearly thrive within the box. After all, boxes provide boundaries and safety, both physical and psychic.
But the money thing is problematic. I love Mark’s epithet: “money-generating, self-perpetuating” groups. The yogis warn us about teachers who teach for “filthy lucre”. The idea is that once money is involved, interaction is tainted. Especially in larger organizations, issues of power and control arise, even in so-called “non-profits”, and quality often suffers. In the martial arts organization to which Eric referred, I know two 5th degree black belts. They are ranked the same, but these two men are about as different in ability and technique as two people can be. One of them is a formidable martial artist. One of them couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag. One of them is admired and respected; the other is mocked behind his back within the same organization that elevated him. It makes me think that the certifiers who allowed these men to reach the same level of certification are incompetent and it makes me distrust their certification process. The kayakers I know are mostly way beyond competent, regardless of certification, both as teachers and as paddlers, but I’m lucky. I bet the same principles (or lack thereof) that allow two completely different men to be ranked the same as to martial arts ability by one organization apply to most certifying bodies, kayaking included.
I also think it’s useful to ask, are we teaching for money, or for love of the sport? Nothing wrong with teaching for money; after all, livings have got to be made. And people who can’t find a mentor or don’t know anyone who kayaks can contact the ACA or whatever to get started. However, I think the mentoring process is far more rewarding to both teacher and student; it’s free and in my opinion it ends up producing a superior kayaker. Even if Deb weren’t certified, I’d still let her teach me. But just because Eric isn’t certified doesn’t mean I won’t let him teach me – in fact on the water he is always the boss.
I may be the boss on the water, but not at home! Anyway…
Nancy, you make a good point in saying that two paddling teachers could both be certified (as in the 5th degree black belts example), but be night and day as far as teaching ability and depth of skill go. This is an area that certifiers in any field need to constantly address.
“If you meet the Buddha on the road, you must kill him.” – Zen koan.
In other words, we must all become our own teachers at some point…
Nancy, I do want to explain something about how money plays a part in our version of the ACA Instructor Certification program at California Canoe & Kayak. We realized very early on that we wouldn’t make money from it, but we still pursued it as way to develop quality new instructors that could teach to our standards (we use the mentoring system IN ADDITION to the certification process, as it is the orgiinal tried-and-true training regime – just ask Darth Vader, right Eric?). So, we offer the certification at a much discounted rate to instructors that we identify as having great potential, and they can even work in trade for the training (this is a long-accepted practice in the workplace – trade for training). Our Intructor Trainers get paid pretty well by the standards of kayak instruction, so we can’t give it away. And, once the new guys are certified – which is never a guarantee, and is serious committment – they get paid better, and they can take that certification with them. We also have individuals from outside our organization come from all over the US to pursue instructor training and certification because they know it’s a bargain, and a quality program.
And just to be clear, anyone that thinks they can make good money in kayak instruction is either dreaming or drunk. I’m a dirtbag kayaker, but a happy one. We do it because we love it, and want to share our expertise and joy with others. Sometimes we do it for free with friends and family, but sometimes it’s nice to get paid for your hard work – and believe me, you have never seen anyone work harder than ACA Instructors Trainers like John Lull, Deb Volturno, and Marce’ Wise. Their dedication to the cause is phenomenal, and they set the bar high. An instructor workshop or exam is typically a 3-day marathon that will test your mettle and separates the tigers from the pussycats. We want to know a little bit about how a prospective kayak instructor will do in pressure situations, because it’s not always a picnic out there on the water! It’s mostly fun, but you need to know what to do when the situation calls for action.
Instructor Certification isn’t for everyone, as so passionately expressed by some of the wonderful iconoclasts that have commented to this blog. We see it as the stepping stone to greater things. As our old friend and task-master Derek Hutchinson of the BCU told us once, “First you must learn the rules, then you can break them.”
With love,
-Kenny
Kenny, You dirtbag kayaker! You are a dedicated teacher who does it for love, that is for sure. I’m glad you do get paid; though truthfully, you and Marce and all sea kayak instructors deserve a lot more money for what you do.
BTW: I AM YOUR FAAATHER! Darth Soareus
Good point about instruction not being the road to riches, Kenny; and that those who teach do it more because they love teaching and sharing knowledge about a sport, activity, or subject that they love. That’s definitely been my personal experience. Ditto if you want to master a skill, learn to teach it. I learn something new every time I teach. Nothing wrong with being compensated for one’s time, effort and expertise, either. Hell, that’s how Eric put bread on the table before he retired.
You’re certainly in a position to know where the bar is set for ACA certification, and I’m glad it’s high. A hard-won certification is something that the instructor can be proud of earning, and that the students and wider community can respect. That said, many great teachers are not certified – Jim Kakuk, Eric Soares, Helen Wilson, Dubside, and the Down Under Gnarleydog, to name just a few. Plenty of room for all of them at events like GGSKS, which is one reason that it’s a world-class symposium.
Speaking of teaching, I just saw a program on the difference between chimps and humans. Even though in many ways there are great similarities, almost identical DNA, similar brain size, use of tools (crude ones for chimps), etc, for some reason humans have evolved well beyond other primates in terms of creativity, cognition, arts & sciences, skills, and all the other obvious ways. So what evolutionary trait can explain this?
It seems the difference is our ability to teach!
Other primates can learn from observation, mimic various acts, they tend to cooperate to get a plate of food or other reward, but they DON’T teach each other. So there you go. Teaching is that important. Without it, we’d still be swinging around in trees, and using rocks to crack open nuts.
I’m remember a funny experience that I had with my River Kayak instructor. I was taking a RK, I, II, III package with an outfitter on the South Fork of the American River.
Day One were just getting stated, some students had never paddled. I brought all my own gear. I mentioned in passing to another student that they were holding thair paddle upside down. My ACA Certified IT instructor overheard this and began to verbally dress me down in front of the other students. He accused me of trying to “teach HIS CLASS” and that HE was the teacher. OK, cool I’m the student.
As we were doing other excercise, I noticed that my teacher had not screwed in the drain plug on his boat. Since I’m not the teacher, I didn’t say anything, I’m here to learn, not teach. His stern sank lower and lower into the river until he had to exit and drain his boat on the river bank.
Very informative!
Rainer, I can understand that a teacher doesn’t want a student “teaching” his class, but he should not have dressed you down publicly, and then he should have looked to see what in the heck you were talking about re the upside down paddle. It’s funny that his boat sank!
Many moons ago my scuba teacher almost kicked me out of the class for showing off. (My bad). Luckily, he gave me a second chance, because he lost his brand new mask (that his wife gave him as an Xmas present) in Monterey Bay. I, Mr. Showoff, dove down and found it 50 feet down in the muck. He thought I was okey-dokey after that.
When I teach jujitsu, sometimes an adult or kid will correct me if I explain something bass ackwards, which does occasionally happen. I never get mad or dress them down. I thank them, and fix it. No big deal. That way, if my boat is sinking, someone will let me know.
P.S. I learned river kayaking from Jim Kakuk initially, and later took a class in it from an American Whitewater Affiliation dude in 1980. And I learned downriver canoeing from my dad, and later took a class in slalom river canoeing from the Red Cross I think (or was it the ACA?) in 1985. Anyway, both classes were great, as were the instructors. So, instructors vary.
One thing I can say for sure is that the ACA program at CCK (California Canoe & Kayak for those who don’t like all this alphabet soup) is top notch. At CCK the ACA certification is held to the highest standard, without question. Of course here on the west coast, between the wind & strong currents on the Bay and the waves, surf, and rock gardens on the open coast, a wide range of conditions are available for testing candidates and skill development. So that helps. And one strength of the ACA program is a lot of leeway in terms of what part of the program you want to pursue. I know that CCK pursues the top end, not the ‘level 1’ bathtub brigade.
Even though I no longer work for CCK, I did work for them for many years and I’m aware of the high-quality instructional program that Kenny is running!
The names on this thread are a who’s who of sea kayaking. Fascinating debate, thanks Eric. I just want to say two things:
I never certified through the BCU to teach – why? It was just to damned complicated and expensive. Congratulations to the ACA for designing a program that allows dirtbag kayakers like me (and Kenny) to access a system that allows us to teach (and get paid!) but is affordable and relatively straightforward when compared with the horror of the BCU monstrosity.
And I choose to work for Kenny and CCK for one reason. And it’s not the money!
Sean, all of us in the sea kayaking community are grateful that dirtbag (that is, guys so dedicated that they can’t make a decent living) kayakers such as you and Kenny are out there furthering the sport and helping people get competent on the water. Before you, guys like the original Wilderpimp–Mr. Reg Lake, and Bo Bo Barnes, and Jim Kakuk (who made so many beautiful Tsunami X boats, and still never made much money), did the dirtbag routine and still do it. Praise Neptune!
Good little read by Michael Pardy….
http://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/2009/FA09/planningandsafety.html
Thanks, Peter, for forwarding Michael Pardy’s balanced take on certification in Canada. I think what he says makes a lot of sense. I know John Dowd and his views on the issue. Though not as adamantly against certification as he, I can relate to his harsh words, as I am one of those anti-Big Brother type of people.
I see two major unique bennies to certification: group rate insurance and assurance that lower-level skills get taught. That is it.
Decades ago I would have gone along with the “expert in isolation” benefit that Michael espouses, but that is bogus in today’s world. Certification standardization within a group simply makes them homogeneous (note the Boy Scouts and martial arts examples, which were two of many I could have used). Non-affiliated experts today can follow chat forums and blog posts and the like. Plus there are dozens of how-to sea kayaking books and DVDs extant. Unless a person cannot read there is no reason to be isolated. And there are symposia such as the above-mentioned GGSKS where experts can get together and see what’s new.
When I say homogeneous, I mean that certifying organizations ordain “the standard” for sea kayaking, which I find in some instances to be substandard. Here’s a prime example. Up ’til just recently most of the ACA’s sea kayaking curriculum has centered on “standard” sit-inside kayaks, and not surf skis and sit-on-tops such as the Scupper (low end) or Tsunami X15 (high end), though many thousands of people paddle these types of boats (especially novices in Scupper-type plastic kayaks). Yet certification orgs are lock step in teaching sit-inside and ignoring the rhino in the room. My question: “Who is in isolation, or denial?”
All this talk has left me thirsty for water…
“…Yet I cannot tarry longer. The sea that calls all things unto her calls me, and I must embark. For to stay, though the hours burn in the night, is to freeze and crystallize and be bound in a mold.”
Touring, Surf ski, SOT, K1, SUP…ahh, what shall it be today!?
Ahh, the words of the Prophet. And so true.