We had a weekend of wet and windy weather down in SF Bay for the ACA instructor certification course I was teaching this past weekend. My personal goal was to stay warm for three very long days of much sitting around in cold rain (you don't actually paddle a lot during these types of classes) and sleeping in a boat house. I can't emphasize enough what a difference a dry suit makes in these circumstances.
On the instruction side it was a blast. We had a great group of candidates who never let the weather get to them. We ended up with some good unplanned scenarios - always the best kind. We had lots of interesting presentations and great discussions about teaching techniques. And we got a little bit of play time in the messy surf at Half Moon Bay on Sunday. It all went like clockwork which is not easy when conditions and plans are changing and you have a large group (eight of us total) to move around.
Going through the certification process takes a significant amount of time, effort and money. It shows a true dedication to the sport and a serious commitment to teaching. It can also be quite bruising to the ego and requires a good dose of humility and openness to criticism. The end result is normally a trans-formative experience in the life of a kayak instructor and well worth it. It makes me happy to be a part of that process for others like those I have learned from were to me.
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures or video due to the rain and being constantly busy teaching...
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