UPDATE: This course is full but names are being taken for the waitlist.
What are you doing this summer for employment?
If you’re looking for a fun, exciting, and skills-intensive career for the summer then you should consider becoming a sea kayak guide. At this point you might be asking yourself, “What, is that even a job? Sounds cool, but how do I get into something like that?”
Look no further than the VIU Outdoor Recreation Program’s Level 1 sea kayak guide course taking place this May 13–17, including certification with the Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC (SKGABC).
Level 1 sea kayak guides typically take clients on day tours in relatively protected waters in and around populated areas. There are plenty of opportunities for employment, as small-to-medium size kayak companies need Level 1 guides to lead their local tours.
As a sea kayak guide working a day tour, you are responsible for knowing weather forecasts, navigation, natural history interpretation, client safety, lunch preparation, route selection, and teaching people the art of sea kayaking.
The Level 1 course will get you ready and give you the skills you need to potentially get your foot in the door of the sea kayaking industry. Even if you don’t want to become a guide, the course is full of information that is useful for recreational paddlers who are looking to increase their skills and to be challenged.
One of the things that guiding forces you to learn is how to manage time and how to be organized, as both of these skills are critical for delivering a tour that clients enjoy. The other skill that might not be so obvious to someone considering sea kayak guiding as a career path is the development of leadership skills.
From the second guides get their first group of clients they must step up and lead, and with a few trips under their belt most guides slip into this roll easily as their confidence builds. The leadership experience obtained through guiding will serve any guide well as they transition through different career paths en-route to future aspirations.
Outdoor Recreation Program’s Level 1 course is only $300 for current VIU students ($600 for non-students) and for some current students in Recreation and Tourism this course even counts as an exit requirement.
If you are interested in sea kayak guiding and the Level 1 course, please contact staff in VIU’s gymnasium (bldg. 190) or email Outdoor Recreation Technician Matt Kellow at <matt.kellow@viu.ca> for further information.