Reflecting on my experience as a student of kayaking, I was thinking there could have been a way of speeding up my process of growth, had I known a few things.

Rather than summarizing what I alone think will be helpful, I wrote to a number of renown coaches, mentors and instructors, and asked the question of “How to get the most out of your instructor”, asking for tips to pass along and received a gracious outpouring of suggestions. Every coach will admit that they can ramble on forever because people love to listen to them , but these experienced and well trained educators also realize that to do so will become information overload; just more “blah, blah, blah” to ignore; so they remained true to form and kept their replies succinct.

I noticed there was a pattern to the replies and categorized them as

• Traits students should bring to class

• Goals

• Traits of coaches

• Communication

• Personalization

• Post instruction

 

Student Traits

Coming to class with goals as well as an open mindedness to the instruction seems to play on the beginners as well as the more experience learner. We may think we know what we want to learn, but those with more experience instructing may see what is needed before we can get started on our goals. Being rigid in your thoughts will limit your possibilities.

“It’s useful to keep an open mind while the instruction is taking place” Anthony Schmitz

“Come with an open mind” John Carmody

“Be prepared to change as you learn more:” Peggy O’Neal

“Flexibility is good” Alec and Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin

Goals

Whether your goals are humble or lofty, they become the reason you keep paddling. Simple examples of goals work best when looking for a class or instructor: take better photographs (stability), paddle a Mississippi river trip next spring (edging, currents), become a more competent participant in group trips (BCU 3*), lead trips (BCU 4*), paddle the ocean (surfing, navigation), paddle active environments (rolling, stability/bracing), get to know your boat (turns, strokes), fitness (forward strokes). Make sure to let your coach know, they want really want to see you meet these goals.

“There is nothing better than a mentee that knows what they want to learn” Christopher Crowhurst

“Don’t come with the idea of covering a syllabus, but covering your needs.” John Carmody

“Ask for an action plan to reach both your short term and long term goals. John Carmody

“Since newer paddlers aren’t as knowledgeable about specific skills or coaching styles, they are best off explaining their paddling ambitions and sharing any limitations (physical or psychological).” Alec and Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin

“If you have clear goals for your training, let the coach or instructor know.” Alec and Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin

Coach traits

First off: your coaches love this sport as much (or more) as you, and really want to share that one key aspect: enjoyment.

Second: Coaches are people too. They get their kicks in ways that may be different from each other and they understand that everyone has different goals.

Taking a little time to find a coach that not only appeals to you but who will also key in on your needs, will advance you along your path (even though you might not fully know what that path is) and mostly: appropriately challenge you. How do you go about this? Ask. They’d love to talk to you and see you get the most out of your instruction. If they can’t meet your needs, they will refer you to someone who can.

“If we instructors don’t learn as much from the students as they do from us, we just ain’t doing it right.” Dave Olson

“He/she [the coach] also wants you to have the best experience possible and to grow as a paddler.” Ryan Rushton

“I’d research the coach a bit, and figure out what she or he most enjoys about paddling.” Bonnie Perry

“Do some advance research into the instructor’s certifications, teaching style and approach (e.g. directed analytical, playful, guided discovery).” Alec and Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin

Communication

At this point, I’m not thinking of this as a talent of the coach, but a necessity of the student. Before, during and after is when the student needs to engage the coach. As in the previous section, let them know what your goals are.

During the instruction, being engaged in your activity stimulates the coach too; perform as instructed and seek clarification or elaboration if there’s a point you don’t understand, ask what would be next on the learning spectrum.

But you can’t learn if you’re the one doing the yacking.

[A student should]“communicate [your] desire, and then listen” to the advice provided. Christopher Crowhurst

“communication is a two way street” Christopher Crowhurst

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions or make requests!” Ryan Rushton

“Ask why: We don’t have to do much paddling before we start running into instructors and coaches and other paddlers who have differing opinions or tell us to do things in different ways. When you run into that, probe for why the person has come to their conclusion. Peggy O’Neal

“Newer paddlers will generally get the most out of an instructor by being as clear as possible about their goals for the instructional session.” Alec and Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin

“Talk to the coach or instructor before signing up for the course. If you have clear goals for training, let the coach or instructor know. Come to a course with questions.” Alec and Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin

Personalize

If you want to get the biggest bang for your buck consider personalizing it, perhaps to fine tune an area that’s been a little sticky for you.

“I’d research the coach a bit… I’d approach her/him… Of course not limiting the instruction to that one area.“ Bonnie Perry

“Develop a long term relationship with one coach.” John Carmody

“Consider taking a private lesson. Working one on one (or one on two) is a different experience. The focus on your specific needs and interests can be very rewarding.” Alec and Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin

Post instruction

This is the time to reflect, grow and adjust your goals. If the instructor has a debriefing period, this may be where the most is gained from your learning. Debriefing should put things in to perspective: past, present and future.

“Wait until later to think critically about how it jibes with information from other instructors or with [your] own sensibility.” Anthony Schmitz

“At the end of each training session, ask for an action plan to reach both your short term and long term goals.” John Carmody

“Commit to spending way more time outside the training incorporating the new skills into your repertoire. Learning safe effective and efficient paddling skills is difficult.” John Carmody

“Be patient.” John Carmody “Take notes: Make the time to take notes after a class or other learning experience. That lets you process what you’ve learned, and also lets you remember and review in the future. . Peggy O’Neal

“Then time can be spent with quality practice time and tweaks.” Ben Lawry

Summary

One point that should now be evident is that if you want grow your kayaking skills, it may take forever to learn on your own. Why not speed up the process and take instruction from a qualified coach? Take these suggestions as you like to aid you in your growth. Above all else have fun and be safe.

“Train for the worst, hope for the best”

Credit Sea Kayak Safety.com

Time/Lesson Management

We have all been there. There is only an hour left in your lesson but you have two hours of material left to teach. Where did the time go?

A sign of a good instructor is the ability to keep on top of your lesson plan and finish things off in the allotted amount of time. With one eye on the students and the other on her watch, the instructor can keep the lesson going without getting flustered or stressed that she behind schedule.

Below is a set of random tips and ideas to help you manage your time while out teaching this summer:

Lesson Planning

• Write your lesson plan out on paper in a chronological order throughout the day so you don’t need to waste time trying to find your place while on the water.

• When planning your lessons, be realistic in how long something is going to take or learn. Travel and paddle time always takes longer then you think and don’t forget to take into account wind and a beginners paddling pace.

 

Teaching Time

• Streamline housekeeping. If your students need to fill out paperwork at the beginning of the course encourage them to get there early to take care of it before the course starts. As students finish up their paperwork use that time to learn names and morning expectations.

• Set realistic time expectations with your students. Let them know how much time they have for lunch so they are back on time. Tell them your goal is to be on the water in x number of minutes so they know if they have time to find that last minute item in the trunk of their car.

• Watch your travel time on the water as it eats up a lot of time very quickly. Don’t move your class unless you need to.

• Getting on and off the water always takes twice as long as you think it does (did I mention that before?).

• Try to teach your on-land segments at the same time (just before or just after lunch) to minimize water/land transition time.

 

 

• If you need to paddle for a short distance to your planned teaching location, watch and lean how long it takes. It’s important to know how long the paddle home is going to take!

• Take advantage of class downtime for quick mini lessons. For example, lunchtime is a great time for a fast weather or safety lesson.

• When your students are off practising their newly learned skill take a moment look ahead in your lesson plan to figure out what’s next. That will help keep the lesson momentum from stalling out.

• Watch your mouth. If you are running out of time it’s likely because you are talking too much. Start with the goal to cut your talking down by half then go from there.

• If your class runs over two days, hand out homework for them to read. It’s great for theory topics and other easily digestible material.

• If you realize you are running out of time and can’t teach everything in your lesson quickly prioritize and teach only what you can. Is there anything that you can get students to read or learn via a follow-up email later?

• At the end of the day make note of what worked and what took more time then you thought. This will allow you to properly adjust your schedule as necessary next time.

 

Daily Assessment Sheet

Name: ____________________________

Day #_______

Personal Paddling Skills 1 2 3 4 5

Coaching Skills 1 2 3 4 5

Assessment Skills 1 2 3 4 5

Rescue and Risk Management 1 2 3 4 5

Comments:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 (least) 3(pass) 5( best)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forward Paddling Key Points

Catch

• Positive, upright body posture (try not to bob)

• Forward arm extended for maximum reach

• Keep your top hand relaxed

• Use good body rotation to gain maximum reach

• Paddle blade should enter water at about 45 degrees to support transfer of weight onto blade

• Power comes to blade “straight away”

 

Power

• Unwind your body rotation to produce power Push on peg on the same side as the stroke and use your core muscles to transfer the power through the boat

• The transfer of power is achieved by putting pressure on the footbar and pushing the hip back. Hold your paddle away from your body to help maximize your body rotation.

 

Recovery

• Your top hand now guides and pushes the paddle, to get ready for the next catch, and should remain high (level with your eyes).

• The blade should exit after the knees move past the hand, this will be before the blade get to the hip. Exiting by the hip is not a good

 

 

blade angle for generating forward power and is in fact slowing the boat down.

• Your top hand is high and your body in position for the final rotation in preparation for the next catch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KEYS TO KAYAKING

Quiet Boat: Your boat should be steady and not move around (bobble). Whether your goal is to paddle straight ahead or create beautiful turns, smooth transitions while blending strokes, heel control and a solid boat is key to efficient paddling. KAYAK STROKE DETAIL

Quiet Paddle: Your paddle should not create a lot of noise or splash. If it does, work on feeling how the paddle moves in the water and practice quietly. For most strokes, avoid pushing down on or lifting water. Make your paddle “stick” during the catch phase.

CPR: All strokes have at least three parts: Catch, Power, Recovery. Many strokes also have a fourth part – Exit.

Move to the Paddle: The boat moves up to the paddle during a stroke. The paddle stays at the catch position. You are not pulling the paddle to you.

Power Stops at the Hip: During the forward stroke all power stops at the hip.

Dynamic vs. Static: Dynamic strokes the paddler applies power to the paddle [the distance between the boat and paddle change during the stroke], while during static strokes the movement of the boat applies power to the paddle; paddle is

planted and held firmly in place while the boat moves. [the distance between the boat and paddle does not change during the stroke]

Posture & Pelvis: By sitting up straight and balancing equally on your sitz bones, you create a strong pelvic base that will liberate your upper-body motion. Once your arms and legs are connected to a reliable center, tension decreases and flexibility improves.

Nose and Navel Over The Centerline: Keep your nose and navel over the centerline of the kayak and you will stay upright. This position is important for good posture, balance, presentation and effective heeling. The eyes also help maintain balance…so maintain a well-aligned head and look up.

Torso Rotation: Arms are connectors to the real source of power. Incorporate torso rotation into your strokes. The large torso muscles are an efficient source of power. Wind them up and use them.

Stay in the paddler’s Box: Keep arms and hands in front of the shoulder plane to create a “paddler’s box.” By using torso rotation to maintain this position during strokes, power is maximized and shoulder safety is maintained.

Breathing: Don’t hold your breath – let it go. Awareness of your breathing will help minimize tension, enhance the flow of your strokes and improve balance.

Intention: Intention is the beginning of every movement. If you focus on a movement a split second before you initiate movement, the ensuing movement will be clearer. Visualize it, and then do it. Look where you want to go.

Less is Usually More: Go for quality not quantity. Practice maneuvers, strokes, heeling and transitions slowly and precisely and then build up speed.

Remember: “Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly ever acquire the skill to do difficult things easily.” -Johnann C. Schiller

On-Water Stroke Teaching Evaluation Form

Name________________________________

Assigned Stroke: _______________________

Second Assigned Stroke: _________________

Sell It: Y or N

How

Show It: Y or N

Quality of Demo

Explain It: Y or N

CPR: Y or N

All Do It: Y or N

Feedback: Y or N

Catch the plant: Y or N

What was it?

Group Management: P or F

Incident: Y or N

What was it?
Game or Challenge: Y or N

Other Notes on the presentation of Stroke:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACA teaching style –

to be used by all instructors

S S E DO pronounced “see doo”

Sell

Show

Explain

DO

S Sell the stroke

The Instructor explains WHY we use this stroke

S Show the Stroke

The Instructor DEMOS the stroke, QUIETLY

E Explain the stroke

Break it down into the components

CPR- Catch, Propulsion, Recovery

Do Students PERFORM the stroke

Instructor provides feedback

S S E DO

S Sell the stroke

S Show the stroke

Instructor DEMOS the stroke, Quietly

E Explain the stroke

Break it down into the components

CPR- Catch, Propulsion, Recovery

Do Students PERFORM the stroke

Instructor provides feedback

Instructor Behavior and Legal Defenses

Maintain a logbook

• Document: Each training All your continuing education

 

• Incident: Names of participants and WITNESSES

 

• First Aid Kit: Document its presence using a camera

 

• Investigation: Perform a thorough, objective investigation

 

• Standards: Follow industry standards for courses and instruction

 

• Competence: NEVER certify or access a person who is NOT competent

 

Note:

• A Level 4 instructor paddling in a group has a legal “duty of care”. In the event of an incident, he/she may be HELD RESPONSIBLE.