OUTDOOR INSTRUCTOR TRAINING COURSES

PEMBROKESHIRE WALES

Course days are Monday – Thursday 9am – 4.30pm. There will be a mixture of time spent in the classroom and on the water.

You’ll develop your skills and get trained in:

• Surfing
• Coasteering
• Beach Lifeguarding
• Stand-Up Paddle boarding
• Kayaking 
• Bodyboarding
• Bushcraft
• Team Building
• First Aid
• And more… 

Your day-to-day schedule might include:

• Planning and preparing activities
• Participating, explaining, advising on and demonstrating activities
• Instructing in specialist areas e.g surfing or stand-up paddle boarding 
• Making sure all equipment and facilities are safe and clean
• Explaining safety procedures and carrying out risk assessments
• Completing log / work books and theory
• Centre cleaning and kit management
• Pre-class swims and post-work surf sessions go without saying – expect some real camaraderie on the course. We’ll do our very best to show you the most amazing beaches, coves, estuaries and gullies in Pembrokeshire !

We aim to supply you with the toolbox to become a successful outdoor instructor. This isn’t just leading activities – it also includes the less glamorous side of the job such as kit management and risk assessments. These small parts all build the bigger picture of a successful, internationally employable instructor. 

Pre-requisites:

You don’t need any previous qualifications to enrol on this programme. You also don’t need to be proficient in the course activities.  You do not need to be able to surf, we will teach you all the skills you need to become an instructor.

However, this course requires competent swimming skills and a good level of fitness. Are you passionate about the coastal environment? Great! You’ll also need excellent leadership and communication skills. Your office for the next 2 months will be beautiful beaches and your colleagues will be other like-minded outdoor lovers.

Paid work during the course

If you need to work while you are following the course please let us know. We hold relationships with local companies that offer flexible working hours so that you can receive paid work during the time that you are following the course. This ranges from working in the local surf shop employment to other freelance rolls.

The course includes training/assessment, as well as shadowing hours, so you can instruct in a variety of areas. You’ll get the chance to find direct employment and further training opportunities, depending on your interests and abilities.

• 18+ years old
• Able to swim 
• Enthusiasm to learn
• Good level of fitness 

After the course:

After successful completion of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to interview for a job as an instructor or event manager with Pembrokeshire Surf & SUP Centre. You’ll also have the chance to interview to work for Outer Reef Centre as a multi-activity instructor or within their logistics/bookings team. There will also be paid work available with their sister company Surf Centre Wales where you’ll gain invaluable experience shadowing our team.

Outer Reef Centre has an instructor exchange programme in place with (among others) an activity centre in Bali, Morocco, France, Spain, Portugal, Canary Islands & Australia & New Zealand. Successful instructors who are looking for year round work can be employed from spring to autumn in Wales and then travel to Australia or New Zealand to work the summer season there.

Over the course you’ll have the opportunity to gain the following qualifications:

• ISA/Surfing Level 1 Surf Coach
• ISA Flat water SUP Coach
• SLSGB National Vocational Beach Lifeguard Qualification (NVBLQ)
• SLSGB Surf Coach Safety and Rescue Award
• BC Paddlesport leader award Kayak
• In House Coasteering Guide award
• In House Super SUP leader
• In House Bushcraft & Foraging
• In House Snorkelling and wildlife awareness
• REC Incident management, safety and rescue
• ISA Bodyboard Coach
• Outdoor First Aid Award

Additional training included:

• Safeguarding
• RIDDOR awareness
• Risk Assessing (including COVID 19 RA)
• Health & Safety in the Workplace
• Manual Handling
• Longevity in the industry & personal development
• Interview & CV writing skills
• Coaching barriers and adaptations
• Team Building and icebreakers
• Housekeeping, (invoicing, time management, professionalism)