Essential: Understanding how to impart information to your clients is a vital aspect of being a good coach. Your final assignment is detailed at the bottom of this page.

Paddleboard instruction beyond basic beginner level starts to bring in new challenges, as the relationship with the client changes from straightforward ‘do this‘ instruction, to the more flexible, two-way process, known as coaching.

Coaching is about assisting the client on their own learning journey. It’s much more than just knowing the technical details, it’s also about the methods of imparting that knowledge, along with the associated factors such as motivation and feedback processes.

This lesson takes a brief look into this world. It’s a massive topic and becomes ever more important as you move into the realms of higher performance sport. In this course we just touch upon it. If you want to learn more then this is what our further coaching levels will touch on, when they are complete.

This lesson will take around 25 minutes to view, plus the time taken for your assignment.

This training video discusses:

• Instruction vs coaching
• Factors that influence learning
• Principles of coaching
• Motivation & Feedback

As explained earlier in this course, teaching the paddle stroke gets rather more complex once you’ve moved beyond the basic beginner level. There may be obvious work-ons, but often it can be quite hard to explain to the client what they’re doing wrong, because they have no actual idea of what their body is doing! As detailed in the lesson you just watched, video is by far and away the best trick in our toolbox for this. It is a very powerful way of working with a client. Here’s a quick example – it’s rough and ready, but that’s the point. This is how it works in real life. You video your client, then you go through it with them. Ideally at least on a laptop or decent sized tablet, so that the picture is big enough to look at, but even on your phone it can be useful.

Note the positive comments, and the work-ons. The client goes away feeling positive but knowing where to go next.

There will be questions on feedback in your final test. It will also play a part in your final assignment, see below.

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Check Understanding!

Do you understand:

• The different ways your clients take on information
• The different factors that can influence your clients’ ability to absorb information
• The importance of motivation
• What constitutes good feedback

If you’re unsure on any of these, go back and review the lesson again. Otherwise, move on to the assignment below.

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Assignment #4

Ok, so this is likely to be the most challenging assignment in this Level 2 course, but hopefully also the most rewarding for you. The assignment is as follows.

1: Get a friend to video you paddling past the camera

2: Now, view that video and give yourself some feedback, based on what you see. (Not what you think you know about your paddling, but purely on what you are seeing on the video). Discuss what you are doing, using the terminology from the paddle technique lesson. (ie talk about your reach, entry, catch, release, blade angles etc). Using the feedback techniques discussed here, discuss what you are doing well, and what the video shows you could work on. The example vid above should hopefully help with this.

If you possibly can, watch the video of yourself paddling at a slow setting for this assignment, as shown in the example abov. You will find much more to discuss and comment on, this way. Half speed or quarter speed is really good. If you have never done this before with your own paddling, you are going to find this an extremely useful and interesting exercise!

There are no rights and wrongs for this assignment. We are not expecting you to rip your technique apart, if your paddling is perfect and there is nothing to work on then good for you! Nor are we judging your paddling skills – although if there are any significant problems revealed that you don’t identify in your analysis, we will bring them to your attention. (So you’re getting even more bang for your buck from this process. It’s also a free technique analysis!)

The primary aim of the assignment is to get you looking closely at paddle technique, and how to give feedback on it. If you’ve never done this before then you may well find it a daunting challenge. However, if you want to teach progressors, you are going to need to learn to develop a critical eye. To actually see and understand what they are doing. So, where better to start, than with a critical eye over your own technique!

Video requirements

• The video of you paddling should clearly show you paddling; all the board, all of you, and your paddle.
• The video of you giving yourself feedback doesn’t have to show you . If you have the technology, you are welcome to dub your comments directly on to the video footage of you paddling and submit that.
• The audio must be of sufficient quality to be easy to listen to.
• Video from mobile phone is absolutely fine, this does not need to be a professional studio project!

Submitting your videos

Once you’ve made your videos please send them to us by any of the following methods:

• Email (if the file is of a sensible size to send this way) to supinstructorsnz@gmail.com
• Dropbox
• Wetransfer or any similar file sharing system
• Post it on youtube (or similar)
• Share it from Google Drive (not iCloud)

Whichever method you use, send us an email to supinstructorsnz@gmail.com with the details as to what you have posted and the link, and your username on this website.

This doesn’t have to be done right now, but must be completed before your certification can be issued.

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Assignment Small Print

The assignment process goes like this.

• Once we have received your assignment, we will review it.

• We will respond by email with a debrief of the assignment.

• If the assignment is satisfactory, it will be marked as completed.

• If it is not satisfactory, the reasons will be given in the debrief, and you will be invited to have another go at it.

• Once we have received your second attempt at the assignment, we will review it and debrief it.

• If the assignment is satisfactory, it will be marked as completed.

• If the assignment is still not satisfactory, the process will repeat. You can take as many attempts as you need to complete the assignment, and each time we will give you feedback, and if it is still not satisfactory, a full debrief on what needs to be done to reach the standard required. However, there will be an additional $30 charge for each review, after the first two, to cover the reviewer’s time. This fee will need to be paid before any further assignments can be marked. Realistically though, multiple failing is an unlikely scenario. You may not get the assignment right first time, but with the feedback you then receive there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to nail it second go.

Important: Planning the contents of a progressor lesson in advance is a smart way of ensuring that everything gets covered. Your third assignment is detailed at the bottom of this page.

Whereas beginner SUP lessons follow a very standard and predictable format, no two progressor lessons are alike, especially when working towards specific goals such as improving sup performance for racing or surfing.  Therefore, planning the lesson in advance is a great way of ensuring that the right things get covered. 

Lesson plans become a standard requirement in the more advanced coaching courses, so we strongly commend getting into the habit of planning your progressor lessons. It only takes a few minutes, but makes a whole lot of difference in productivity and learning outcomes.

This lesson will take around 18 minutes to view, plus the time taken to complete your assignment.

This training video discusses:

• Why plan lessons?
• What sort of things to include
• Some example scenarios. 

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Check Understanding!

Do you understand:

• The benefits of preparing a lesson plan in advance
• The sort of things you might include in a lesson plan

If you’re unsure on any of these, go back and review the lesson again. Otherwise, complete the assignment below.

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Assignment # 3

You get a call from a brand new client. You have never seen them before, so you know nothing about their paddling other than what they tell you.

They are a 30 year old male, 75kg, 5’10.

They tell you that they have been paddling for some time, got a 10′ all-rounder, do a bit of paddle surfing on it (“yeah, I’m OK, I can catch waves”).

And now they want to get into SUP racing. Can you help?

Yes, you most certainly can (even if you’ve never raced in your life). This is an entirely realistic scenario – you may well get this exact phone call! So…

Your assignment is to write out a lesson plan for this person, covering all the relevant areas discussed in the video above. How can you best help this person, and what might their lesson actually look like?

Save your lesson plan as a word doc (ideally) or a PDF file, and upload it using the form below.

We are not looking for perfect prose, grammar, punctuation (although correct spelling would be nice). It can be notes, bullet points, whatever works for you. We are looking for content, and evidence that you’ve understood how this process works.

We look forward to reading your lesson plan!

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Assignment Small Print

The assignment process goes like this.

• Once we have received your assignment, we will review it.

• We will respond by email with a debrief of the assignment.

• If the assignment is satisfactory, it will be marked as completed.

• If it is not satisfactory, the reasons will be given in the debrief, and you will be invited to have another go at it.

• Once we have received your second attempt at the assignment, we will review it and debrief it.

• If the assignment is satisfactory, it will be marked as completed.

• If the assignment is still not satisfactory, the process will repeat. You can take as many attempts as you need to complete the assignment, and each time we will give you feedback, and if it is still not satisfactory, a full debrief on what needs to be done to reach the standard required. However, there will be an additional $50 charge for each review, after the first two, to cover the reviewer’s time. This fee will need to be paid before any further assignments can be marked. Realistically though, multiple failing is an unlikely scenario. You may not get the assignment right first time, but with the feedback you then receive there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to nail it second go.

Optional: The relevance of this lesson will depend entirely on whether you/your SUP business has the opportunity to teach NCEA credits at nearby schools.

Did you know that paddleboarding is on the school curriculum? If your local school(s) have students doing physical education at NCEA level then they could be doing paddleboarding as part of that, at Levels, 1, 2 & 3.

In this training video we describe the various NCEA unit standards on offer and how to go about making them happen.

The video will take about 15 minutes to view.

There will not be any questions on this in your final test – it is only of relevance to instructors with the opportunity to work in this particular area. If this is not yet you, we hope that you’ll manage to get something going with your local schools, and help spread the love of the sport!

Important:  Understanding what needs to be considered when exposing your progressor clients to more challenging conditions is an essential skill for the L2 instructor. 

This lesson looks at what needs to be considered when taking your clients into more challenging conditions. While the initial beginner lesson should always be carried out in the most benign, flat-water, windless conditions possible, your progressor paddler needs to learn to paddle in more challenging conditions, possibly even right up to an introduction to dealing with surf etc.  This lesson gives a general overview of the issues that will be encountered and how best to approach them. 

This lesson will take around 20 minutes to complete.

This training video discusses:

• Dealing with more bumpy conditions
• Dealing with more windy conditions
• Dealing with shorebreak
• Preparing for surf

There may be questions on this topic in the final test.

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Check Understanding!

Do you understand:

• The challenges that the progressor and the instructor will face when running a session in more bumpy or windy conditions
• The challenges that the instructor will face when dealing with a shorebreak
• Why a vital part of the L2 instructor’s role is ensuring that their clients understand the basic rules when taking their SUP anywhere near the surf environment.

If you’re unsure on any of these, go back and review the lesson again. Otherwise, you can move on to the next lesson.

Optional.  If working with progressor paddlers is going to be a regular part of your operation then you may well need to invest in some equipment that is appropriate for the role. 

This lesson looks at the equipment requirements for working with progressor paddlers. While it is possible to achieve a reasonable amount of progressor instruction using basic beginner boards, you really do need the right gear in order to progress properly into faster paddling,  improving balance and preparing clients for paddle surfing etc. This lesson gives a general overview of the sort of equipment you might consider utilising for progressor teaching. 

This lesson will take around 10 minutes to complete. The video discusses:

• Boards for progressors
• Paddles for progressors
• Other equipment for progressors

You will not be asked about progressor equipment choices during the final test.

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Check Understanding!

Do you understand:

• What sort of boards, paddles and other equipment will assist in working with progressor paddlers. 

If you’re unsure, go back and review the lesson again. Otherwise, you can move on to the next lesson.

Essential:  Understanding the fundamentals of paddling is an essential skill for the paddleboard instructor. 

This lesson looks at what is actually going on when we paddle. It explores the various phases of the stroke and what is going on with the blade in the water. It also looks at what paddle instruction should be aiming to achieve, and how there is absolutely not just one right way to paddle.   There are myriad different ways to use the paddle in order to propel a paddleboard forward – some are undoubtedly more efficient than others, but ultimately it comes down to the requirements of the individual, as to which type of paddling will be best for them.  This is vital material for the instructor to understand.

This lesson will take around 35 minutes to complete. The video discusses:

• The goal in coaching progressor paddling
• How paddling actually works
• Blade angles
• The phases of the stroke

Assessment 4 will include some aspects of paddling knowledge. The full assessment will be described in the Coaching and Feedback lesson.

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Check Understanding!

Do you understand:

• The four phases of the paddle stroke
• What positive, neutral and negative blade angle means
• Why there is no one right way to paddle!

If you’re unsure on any of these, go back and review the lesson again. Otherwise, you can move on to the next lesson.

Important:  Knowing how to assist paddlers in improving their paddling skills is a fundamental aspect of teaching progressor paddlers

This lesson looks at some of the main inefficiencies that progressors tend to exhibit when paddling. It is just skimming the surface of the topic, as this is getting into the realms of paddle coaching, which is beyond the remit of this Level 2 qualification. However, the information here, combined with the information in the previous lesson on what proper paddling should look like, will combine to give a good general feel on how to start finding your way into paddle stroke coaching. 

This lesson will take around 16 minutes to complete. The video discusses:

• A quick refresher on beginner faults
• Some of the things you are likely to see with progressor paddlers.

There may be questions on progressor faults in the final assessment test.

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Check Understanding!

Do you understand:

• What a paddle stroke should look like, in terms of reach, entry, power phase & release 
• Why it’s generally not a good thing if the blade doesn’t enter far enough forward, or enters in a backward-sweeping motion
• What that looks like, in practice.

If you’re unsure on any of these, go back and review the lesson again. Otherwise, you can move on to the next lesson.

Essential: Introducing your clients to new stances is a very important part of progressor teaching. Your second assignment is detailed at the bottom of this page.

This lesson looks at the sequence of stances that can be taught to progressors. Teaching more advanced stances is an excellent way to improve your clients’ paddleboarding capabilities – the more advanced stances are also a vital requirement in developing skills for SUP surfing, downwinding and other more advanced activities, and it may well help them with their paddling technique too. 

This lesson will take around 20 minutes to view, plus the time required to complete the assignment detailed below.

This training video discusses:

• The importance of stance
• Teaching stances
• The various stance options
• Using props

Check Understanding!

Do you understand:

• The sequence of stances that can be taught to progressors?
• The main reasons and uses for each type of stance?

If you’re unsure on any of these, go back and review the lesson again.

If you’re unsure on any of these, go back and review the lesson again. Otherwise, you can consider making a start on your assignment as detailed below, or leave that for later and move on to the next lesson. (There is a full reminder of all the assignments required at the end of the course).

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Assignment #2

We want to see you teach the Part B (on the beach) for the staggered stance detailed in this lesson. (Extra points if you use a prop!) You are going to need at least one other person to act as your student, plus someone to film the process.

As with any part B briefing, remember to clearly explain and demonstrate what you are doing, and to be carefully watching your client(s) to ensure that they are doing and feeling exactly what you are telling them.

Video requirements

• The video should clearly show your face and upper body (so that your hands can be seen)
• The audio must be of sufficient quality to be easy to listen to.
• Video from mobile phone is absolutely fine, this does not need to be a professional studio project!
• The video does not necessarily need to be shot at a paddleboarding venue, but it will add authenticity.

Submitting your video

Once you’ve made your video please send it to us by any of the following methods:

• Email (if the file is of a sensible size to send this way) to supinstructorsnz@gmail.com
• Dropbox
• Wetransfer or any similar file sharing system
• Post it on youtube (or similar)
• Share it from Google Drive (not iCloud)

Whichever method you use, send us an email to supinstructorsnz@gmail.com with the details as to what you have posted and the link, and your username on this website.

This doesn’t have to be done right now, but must be completed before your renewal can be issued.

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Assignment Small Print

The assignment process goes like this.

• Once we have received your assignment, we will review it.

• We will respond by email with a debrief of the assignment.

• If the assignment is satisfactory, it will be marked as completed.

• If it is not satisfactory, the reasons will be given in the debrief, and you will be invited to have another go at it.

• Once we have received your second attempt at the assignment, we will review it and debrief it.

• If the assignment is satisfactory, it will be marked as completed.

• If the assignment is still not satisfactory, the process will repeat. You can take as many attempts as you need to complete the assignment, and each time we will give you feedback, and if it is still not satisfactory, a full debrief on what needs to be done to reach the standard required. However, there will be an additional $50 charge for each review, after the first two, to cover the reviewer’s time. This fee will need to be paid before any further assignments can be marked. Realistically though, multiple failing is an unlikely scenario. You may not get the assignment right first time, but with the feedback you then receive there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to nail it second go.

Essential. Introducing your clients to new turning techniques is a fundamental part of progressor teaching. Your first assignment is detailed at the bottom of this page.

This lesson looks at the sequence of turning techniques that can be taught to progressors. Teaching more advanced turning is an excellent way to improve your clients’ paddleboarding capabilities – it is a well-defined thing that they can learn, and feel that they have gained a new and valuable skill, that will increase their enjoyment of the sport.

This lesson will take around 35 minutes to view, plus the time required to complete the assignment detailed below.

The video discusses:

• The sequence of turns to teach
  
• How to coach each of the various turns
  
• Refinements and adjustments to make them work even better
  
• The mistakes your clients will make
  

One point that we forgot to mention in the video. Once your client has got to grips with rudder turns and the drawing technique (ie taking the paddle over the nose) they will find them so much more effective that they’ll rarely need sweep turns any more. You should encourage this – get them using rudder turns and draw strokes wherever possible, and be sure to demonstrate them as part of your own paddling.

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Check Understanding!

Do you understand:

• The sequence of turns that can be taught to progressors?
• The main teaching points of each type of turn?

If you’re unsure on any of these, go back and review the lesson again. Otherwise, you can consider making a start on your assignment as detailed below, or leave that for later and move on to the next lesson. (There is a full reminder of all the assignments required at the end of the course).

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Assignment #1

We want to see you teach the Part B (on the beach) for TWO of the five turning techniques detailed in this lesson. You can choose which ones to pick. You are going to need at least one other person to act as your student, plus someone to film the process.

As with any part B briefing, remember to clearly explain and demonstrate what you are doing, and to be carefully watching your client(s) to ensure that they are doing and feeling exactly what you are telling them.

Video requirements

• The video should clearly yourself in full, plus your student.
• The audio must be of sufficient quality so as to be able to hear what you are saying.
• Video from mobile phone is absolutely fine, this does not need to be a professional studio project!
• The video does not necessarily need to be shot at a paddleboarding venue (ie it could be in your garden!), but it will add authenticity.

Submitting your video

Once you’ve made your video please send it to us by any of the following methods:

• Email (if the file is of a sensible size to send this way) to supinstructorsnz@gmail.com
• Dropbox
• Wetransfer or any similar file sharing system
• Post it on youtube (or similar)
• Share it from Google Drive (not iCloud)

Whichever method you use, send us an email to supinstructorsnz@gmail.com with the details as to what you have posted and the link, and your username on this website.

This doesn’t have to be done right now, but must be completed in order to gain your qualification.

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Assignment Small Print

The assignment process goes like this.

• Once we have received your assignment, we will review it.

• We will respond by email with a debrief of the assignment.

• If the assignment is satisfactory, it will be marked as completed.

• If it is not satisfactory, the reasons will be given in the debrief, and you will be invited to have another go at it.

• Once we have received your second attempt at the assignment, we will review it and debrief it.

• If the assignment is satisfactory, it will be marked as completed.

• If the assignment is still not satisfactory, the process will repeat. You can take as many attempts as you need to complete the assignment, and each time we will give you feedback, and if it is still not satisfactory, a full debrief on what needs to be done to reach the standard required. However, there will be an additional $50 charge for each review, after the first two, to cover the reviewer’s time. This fee will need to be paid before any further assignments can be marked. Realistically though, multiple failing is an unlikely scenario. You may not get the assignment right first time, but with the feedback you then receive there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to nail it second go.

Optional. This lesson is to help you understand the sort of clients you will be dealing with and problems you are likely to encounter.

Unlike beginners, who all have pretty much the same requirements, progressors come in an almost infinite variety when it comes to needs and aspirations. This lesson looks at why this variation exists and the challenges it can sometimes cause.

The lesson will take about 15 minutes to complete. The video discusses:

• Who your clients are likely to be and where have they come from?
  
• What do they want to learn?
  
• Considerations from your side of the deal
  
• Issues & challenges that their goals may create

Understanding this stuff in advance makes it a whole lot easier to anticipate & plan your sessions. Teaching progressors is a whole lot more freeform than teaching beginners and thus a lot more interesting – and challenging in a good way! This is where the instructor:client relationship starts to blur as you get to know your clients better, and quite possibly you end up with new friends as well as happy customers.

There is nothing in this lesson that you will be specifically asked about in the final test.

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Check Understanding!

Do you understand why:

• Progressor clients can come from many sources?

• Progressor clients will have many different aspirations?

• Working with progressor clients will almost certainly mean utilising more than one venue for your work?

• Working with progressor clients may require the use of some more advanced teaching equipment?

• From time to time you may end up having to tell a prospective client that you can’t help them?!

If you’re unsure on any of these, go back and review the lesson again. Otherwise, you can move on to the next lesson.