Certification Course Overview

Fundamentally, participants are expected to have the paddling skills, technical knowledge, rescue ability, teaching ability, group management, and interpersonal skills commensurate with this level of certification prior to presenting themselves for evaluation as Instructor Candidates at an Instructor Certification Course (IDW, ICE, or ICW).

Course Prerequisites

• Acknowledgement of personal compliance with the ACA Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC)
• Be a current ACA Level 2: Essentials of SUP Instructor in good standing
• Completion of the appropriate level skills course, assessment course, or equivalent skills

Course Duration

Combined Instructor Development Workshop (IDW) and Instructor Certification Exam (ICE) - minimum 2 days (16 hours).

Course Location / Accessible Venues

Level 3: Coastal SUP certification cannot be completed unless three of the four conditions necessary for rough water assessment are present during some portion of the certification course. Specified conditions must occur, but they do not have to be simultaneous. Area of escape from rough conditions must be accessible.

The four criteria include:

• 10-15 knot winds
• 2-3 foot/0.6-0.9 meters seas
• 1-2 foot/0.3-0.6 meters breaking waves (required)
• 2-3 knots of current

Course Size

5 Instructor Candidates : 1 Instructor Trainer; with an additional qualified assistant, the ratio can be 10 : 2. The maximum number of instructor candidates permitted is 10.

For additional details, see SEIC Policy Manual Chapter 6.

Instructor Trainer

This certification course may be offered by Level 3: Coastal SUP ACA Instructor Trainers or Instructor Trainer Educators.

Succeeding Courses

• Instructor Skills, Assessment, and Certification courses in the appropriate discipline
• Level 3: Surf SUP

General Requirements for all ACA Certification Candidates

• Be at least 18 years old
• Demonstrate a general knowledge of paddlesports and the ACA
• Demonstrate a general knowledge of ACA Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC), ACA Code of Conduct, and ACA’s Equity and Access Initiatives
• Successfully complete an Instructor Certification Workshop (combined ICW or IDW and ICE)
• Upon successful completion, register with the Safety Education and Instruction Council
• Have and maintain venue-appropriate first aid and age-appropriate CPR
• Demonstrate the ability to appropriately perform, model, and teach all of the following material, unassisted, in the appropriate venue
• Demonstrate the ability to appropriately perform, model, and teach all of the material contained within the official ACA skills course and assessment course outlines corresponding to their level of certification and all levels below, if applicable