American canoe association (ACA) level 1/2 sup instructor training
Become an American Canoe Association Level 1 or 2 SUP Instructor
Train to become a safe and effective paddle board instructor with this industry leading credential.
🏄🏽♀️ Are you a strong paddler looking to become an instructor?
🏄🏻♂️ Are you already a SUP instructor wanting to add an industry-leading credential?
🏄♀️ Are you ready to fine-tune your paddle strokes while learning how to teach SUP skills in a safe, fun, and effective way?
🏄🏾♂️Do you want to share the stoke and help others fall in love with stand up paddle boarding?
🏄🏿♀️Do you want to learn rescue and tow skills to make your lessons and tours as safe as possible?
If you said “YES” to ANY of these questions, keep reading to find out more! 🏄🏽♀️🧘🏼♀️
what is ACA sup instructor training?
The American Canoe Association is the industry gold standard for paddling instructor certifications. The training includes both on water and off water instruction with the following topics:
Paddleboard stances: comfortably move around the board and paddle from neutral stance, hybrid stance, and surf stance
Paddleboard strokes, & maneuvers
Level 1 strokes & maneuvers: falling safely, self-rescue, forward stroke, forward sweep, reverse sweep, stopping the board, side draw, walking around the board, low brace
Level 2 strokes & maneuvers: nose draw, cross-nose draw, pivot turn, high brace, skulling side draw, side slip, canted forward stroke, smoothly combining various strokes
Paddleboard rescue techniques: towing with a tow line, towing with board stacking, assisted self-rescue, flip rescue & more
SUP etiquette to help you lead with confidence
Safety planning for injury prevention
PFDs for paddleboarding so you understand coast guard regulations and local regulations
Water dynamics and how to read water and select appropriate locations
Group management to help you step into the role of leader confidently
Effective teaching methods that will bring more clarity to your instruction
Board & equipment considerations to help refine your technical knowledge
how do i know if i’m ready for ACA SUP Instructor training?
🏄🏾♂️ To successfully complete ACA Instructor Training and obtain certification, paddling experience and a high level of comfort on the water and on a paddleboard are pre-requisites. During the workshop, you will need to demonstrate and effectively teach all level 1 and 2 strokes and maneuvers with demonstration quality, demonstrate a high quality teaching ability, and demonstrate ability to lead groups, select venue, and show a high level of safety awareness in order to achieve certification. Please review the attachments below to review the level 1 criteria and the level 2 criteria.
🏄🏽♀️Current CPR & First Aid credentials are required in order to pursue ACA SUP Instructor certification. This must be an in-person training (not an online only one). American Red Cross training is recommended for CPR & First Aid to be accepted by ACA. If you don’t already have current & valid CPR and First Aid credentials, you can either take a course locally in advance of our ACA L1/L2 Instructor Training, or you can opt to add on our blended learning American Red Cross CPR & First Aid to your Instructor Training if that is more convenient.
🏄🏻♂️ You must be an ACA member in order to take any instructor course. It costs $40 to join the ACA as an individual member (paid directly to the ACA through their website).
🏄♀️ If you are interested but do not have familiarity with all of the paddleboard strokes and maneuvers required, please reach out about taking a skills development workshop beforehand! This is highly recommended for all Instructor Candidates and will help set you up for success. We strongly recommend talking this skills workshop in advance, even if yo are an experienced paddler, as during the instructor workshop, Instructor Candidates are expected to show up ready to teach and demonstrate all L1 and L2 skills and maneuvers.
🏄🏻♂️ As with any training, being open to learning new things and having a positive attitude and growth mindset are key!
Please note: This training is not for you if you are a beginner paddler who is still developing basic skill and balance. You need to be able to demonstrate skills at an instructor-level with demonstration quality. You need to be comfortable and competent enough on your board to quickly help others in an emergency. This is not a skills course. If you are still developing your skills, please consider taking an ACA Level 1/2 Skills Workshop first.
what equipment will i need?
You will need the following:
Paddleboard (all-around style board recommended), paddle, leash, PFD, dry bag, tow line.
The expectation is that you will come prepared with your own board and equipment. If you are traveling/flying and cannot bring your board, please reach out to me ahead of time in order to coordinate a board rental.
Upcoming training:
Next training date: July 30-August 2, 2024 in (and around) Pompano Beach, FL
During this training, I will be completing my lead teach, as the next step to becoming an ACA Level 2 SUP Instructor Trainer. My Instructor Trainer Educator, Anna Levesque will also be present to observe my teaching and add her critical eye and input to the SUP Instructor Candidates. This means that you will benefit from learning from both myself and Anna!This is an intensive 4 day training. You will be expected to show up ready to demonstrate and teach level 1 and level 2 strokes, maneuvers, and concepts. You will be given several “formal teaching topics” to prepare in advance. You will also be asked to do some impromptu teaching during the training. Please understand that payment and participation do not guarantee certification. Possible outcomes include no certification, continued at level 1, level 1 certification, continued at level 2, or level 2 certification. Participants must be able to execute all level 1 and 2 paddling strokes and maneuvers with demonstration quality as well as demonstrate quality teaching ability, group leadership, venue selection, and safety sense in order to become certified at level 2.
Have any questions or want to chat to find out more about the training? Call or email and we’ll be happy to help you out!
training schedule / what to expect:
Please note that this is an expected schedule and we may need to make adjustments based on weather considerations!
Day 1 (Pompano Beach, FL). 7:30am - 3:30 pm. We’ll start the morning at our Air BNB “home base” with at least 2 hours on land for a meet & greet, introduction to the ACA, and review of possible outcomes of the course. Then we’ll prepare our gear and launch our boards into the waterway to give all instructor candidates the opportunity to teach their level 1 flatwater strokes and maneuvers (your specific formal teaching topics will be assigned in advance so that you can prepare). Expect to give and receive feedback on teaching! We will also record all instructor candidates performing the L1 skills which will be used for video review later in the day. We’ll get off the water and have an opportunity to change and get back into the air conditioned AirBNB for lunch time. After lunch, we’ll complete a video review to practice critical eye. Instructor Candidates will also have the opportunity to teach off water topics and end with a review of teaching and learning concepts.
Day 2 (Pompano Beach, FL). 7:30am - 3:30 pm. We’ll meet at our Air BNB “home base”. We’ll open with a Q&A opportunity of skills covered on day 1. We’ll then launch into the waterway. All instructor candidates will have an opportunity to teach their assigned level 2 strokes and maneuvers (assigned in advance). Expect to give and receive feedback both on teaching and paddle skills! We’ll also do some buoy work in order to provide all instructor candidates an opportunity to refine their level 2 skills. We’ll get off the water and have an opportunity to change and get back into the air conditioned AirBNB for lunch time. After lunch, Instructor Candidates will also have the opportunity to teach more off-water topics. We’ll end the day with individual check-ins with all Instructor Candidates.
Day 3 (Pompano Beach, FL). 7:30am - 3:30 pm. We will meet at another nearby location to start the morning. We’ll start with a discussion of safety awareness and safety priorities. Then we’ll launch our boards and Instructor Candidates will teach and practice towing and rescue skills. After wrapping up rescues, we’ll set out buoys for one more opportunity to practice skills and maneuvers in L2 conditions. We’ll get off the water and head back to our air conditioned AirBNB “home base” for lunch time. After lunch, Instructor Candidates will also have the opportunity to teach their remaining off-water topics. We’ll end the day with a discussion of trip planning and will assign Instructor Candidates some planning to do in preparation of our excursion the following day.
Day 4 (Riviera Beach, FL then Pompano Beach, FL). 7:30am - 3:30 pm. This will be a trip day! Our goal is to do an excursion to Riviera Beach (approximately an hour’s drive north of Pompano Beach) - however, this is dependent on wind conditions and weather. We’ll meet near the launch site in Riviera Beach at 7:30 am. Instructor Candidates will have an opportunity to share location specific considerations based on the planning they did. Instructor Candidates will then each have opportunities to lead the group and select venues for various activities throughout the morning. We’ll get off the water and head back to our air conditioned AirBNB “home base” for a late lunch. After lunch, Instructor Candidates will have the opportunity to do a collaborative activity around planning paddle lessons. We will wrap up with some information on maintaining ACA certification and course reporting. We’ll wrap up with individual meetings with each Instructor Candidate.
training location:
The training home base will be Pompano Beach, FL (which is just north for Fort Lauderdale) and the surrounding area. We will also be taking a trip to Riviera Beach, FL which is 35 miles north (approximately an hour’s drive north of Pompano Beach). If you are traveling for the training, there are several hotels nearby as well as many AirBNBs, depending on what you are looking for. I recommend either staying in Pompano Beach to make your drive short the first 3 days, or staying between Pompano Beach and Riviera Beach if you want to be in between the two locations. There are many hotel and AirBNB options nearby. Please note that if you choose to stay south of Pompano Beach, you will have significant drive time to our excursion that we have planned for day 4.
*Please be aware that on days 3 and 4 we will travel to other locations in Pompano Beach and Riviera Beach, depending on wind/weather conditions. This is in order to ensure that you are able to demonstrate your skills in both level 1 conditions and level 2 conditions.
about the instructor trainer:
Hi! I’m Meghan Swanson. I’m the owner of TFY and will be leading this training. This will be my lead-teach in order to become an ACA Level 2 Instructor Trainer. You can find out more about my background and experience here:
ACA Level 2 SUP Instructor Trainer Educator, Anna Levesque, will also be present to observe my leading of the training and provide insights based on her extensive experience. This is an exciting opportunity to learn from both of us within the same training!
value & investment
When you sign up for our ACA SUP Instructor Training you will get the following:
ACA SUP Instructor Training $799 Value
Zoom Q&A Session prior to Training $50 Value
Paddle Skills Videos to Practice before Training $50 Value
TFY Digital Instructor Manual $50 Value
Total Value $949
Total investment only $799
