From: Chuck Holst
Subject: [Paddlewise] Guide Training
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 11:25:21 -0600

A few years ago a kayaker named Sam complained to me that though both the ACA 
and BCU have instructor training programs, those programs do not necessarily 
train you to be a guide. Now, Sam is a professional guide, but I think that 
many if not most of the skills of a professional guide are also needed by 
amateur guides -- in other words, leader and organizers of both personal trips 
and club trips.

What brought Sam's comment to mind is a sea kayaker I know who has ACA   and (I
think) BCU instructor training, who nonetheless has on several occasions 
shown poor judgement by leading club trips in conditions that were beyond the 
capabilities of some of the participants. Two trips resulted in capsizes and/or 
tows, while on another trip the leader felt compelled to use his tow line to 
help participants land through surf. In my opinion, those paddlers should not 
have been taken out in the first   place in conditions that they could not 
handle by themselves.

What do you think? Does instructor training also equip one to be a guide,   or 
is that a separate, if related, discipline that deserves its own   program?

Chuck Holst  



From: SGScorpio
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Guide Training
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 12:58:48 EST


IMHO seperate.  While instructor training emphasizes teaching technique in a
controlled environment, guiding usually involves leading people in a variety
of conditions.  The most challenging situations I have encountered have always
been in guiding, not instructing.  Students usually know what is to be
expected of them in a class.  Clients on a trip may be asked to handle
conditions that were unexpected.  (ie: weather, surf etc.)  We teach both.
The instructor is much easier to train than the guide.  
Steve Scherrer
President Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe



From: Mark Zen 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Guide Training 
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 11:31:24 -0700 (MST)

and i would have to agree, being both an instructor and a guide occasionally.
when teaching, my students are given a [bunch!!] hand out about what to 
expect, what we will cover, what to bring, etc, etc... i generally teach the
basic courses, and go under the assumption the students know nothing. when
guiding on the other hand, [also depending on _why_ i'm guiding/leading]
everyone shows up at a designated site, and unless i've taught or paddled
with someone, i _really_ don't know their experience level. _i_ don't lead
any trips over class II for the RMCC, because of people's representaions of
their skill levels. we had the same issue when teaching the advanced classes.
the RMCC finally had to say "OUR intro courses ARE the prerequisites" as many
people would say "oh yeah, i did that course with XXX" and they showed up
totally unprepared/unexperienced. so to add "quality control" we had to say
the prereq., was a course from one of our club instructors.

mark


#------copaddlr[at]netbox[dot]com--------------------------------------
mark zen                      o,    o__              o_/|   o_.
po box 474                   [/     [\/              [\_|   [\_\
ft. lupton, co 80621-0474 (`-/-------/----')      (`----|-------\-')
#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~@~~~~~
http://www.diac.com/~zen/cpr   [Colorado Paddlers' Resource]  
http://www.diac.com/~zen/rmskc [Rocky Mtn Sea Kayak Club]  
http://www.diac.com/~zen/rmcc  [Rocky Mtn Canoe Club Trip Page] 
http://www.diac.com/~zen/mark  [personal]



From: Wayne Langmaid 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Guide Training (long winded)
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 20:34:05 +1500

G'day -

Here are my two cents worth as an Australian operator of a full time
year round sea kayak tour company.  This guide/instructor issue a
situation I have experienced many times in the past and is a point close
to my heart .

I have included the opening letter of a discussion paper I submitted to
a national body.  The idea was dismissed as not really needed - by a
board consisting largely of kayak instructors (hmmmm, and why am I not
surprised???).

Here goes (you should maybe get a beer first!!!)


There has been discussion as to the need for a Sea Kayak Guides Award in
the ... (name withheld to protect the guilty).... Program.  At this time
I can provide the names of ten operators who are either at present
operating, have recently started up or will be starting up their
operations in the very near future in New South Wales.  Whether these
official operators are operating with operations manuals, standards,
approvals or insurance is a matter of conjecture.  What the unofficial
operators are up to is even more unclear.

"Section  of preamble snipped"

At the moment there is nothing stopping someone from grabbing a couple
of boats and paddles and declaring "I am a guide with a sea kayak
company."  The inevitable negative results of this are rather daunting.

Waterways (our regulatory authority) as you know are in the process of
setting up a code of practice for commercial operators.  There is a
distinct need for a process specifically geared to provide training and
resources for the guides and operators themselves.

There are many issues that I feel are very important, especially in the
context of the guide involved in sea kayaking.  I also believe that
there are considerable issues which differentiate the sea kayak guide
from the sea kayak instructor and I will explain briefly some of the
issues here.  I am willing to propose how these ideas could specifically
be incorporated into a training scheme, but will leave this until later.

Please find the following points which highlight some important issues:

- The trainee/assistant/lead guide must have good group management
techniques. In sea kayaking there is potential for the group to end up
spread out and fragmented, and therefore out of the control of the
guide. This ability to assess the need and maintain “pod cohesion” is a
critical skill that cannot be overemphasized.  It is a skill that comes
with both education and time on the water with groups.  There is
currently not enough focus, in my opinion, on this aspect with current
instructor standards and this is obvious from anecdotal references to
incidents both here in Australia and overseas involving very well
respected instructors and experienced paddlers.

- The trainee/assistant/lead guide must have the ability to empathize
with the client.  Far too often I have seen extremely fit and skilled
guides fail in their role simply because they were so skilled and so fit
that they did not realise that their group was tired, unfit, scared,
etc. due to the fact they were so far removed from those feelings they
couldn't relate to the position the client was in.

- The trainee/assistant/lead guide must have a good sense of judgment in
regards to group safety and the uncommon trait of common sense.  This is
of course hard to quantify - but I would sooner have someone who is
lacking in specific paddling skills as a trainee or assistant (which I
can identify) than to have someone who is lacking in common sense on
safety issues, which is harder to determine.

- The trainee/assistant/lead guide must have an excellent ability to
read and understand the motivating factors behind their clients
participation in the activity.  This is a big request as it often means
attempting to develop an understanding of a person in a very short
period of time.  An understanding of the different types of
personalities in our society are important.  In addition to this, the
guide needs to understand the principles and methods available to bring
out the best in each individual and the best experience for them.

- The trainee/assistant/lead guide must have an excellent ability to
communicate with the client and the group as a whole, both as a
companion and a leader.

- The trainee/assistant/lead guide must have an excellent knowledge of
risk management and safety management principles, policies and
procedures, including those of the company for which they are employed.

- The trainee/assistant/lead guide must think of the groups well being
as important as his own well being. There needs to be an acute awareness
of their responsibilities and the requirement for professional conduct.

- The trainee/assistant/lead guide needs to be aware that they are
performing a service - not out on an afternoon or weekend lark.  In the
outdoor industry there is a tendency for people to see the activity as a
fun thing to do, on the side - not a professionally held position.

- In regards to the previous paragraph, the trainee/assistant/lead guide
must understand that they are professionally representing not only
themselves and a sport but a company for which they work for as well and
as such need to have some basic understanding of business principles and
customer service.

- Finally, the lead guide needs to have an above average awareness and
skill in paddling techniques, navigation, meteorology, environmental and
physical hazards, group issues, human limitations and all that has been
previous noted simply because of the higher amount of exposures to
potential paddling problems.  Put simply - if you teach classes five
times per year you are a lot less likely to have an incident that
requires good management and a test of your abilities than if you are a
guide on the water with groups in excess of 200+ times per year in a
variety of conditions.

Now isn't that all a mouthful!!

All the best -

Wayne Langmaid
Central Coast Kayak Tours - only one hour north of Sydney Australia
http://www.oznet.com.au/kayak/cckayaks



From: Cooksre
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Guide Training (long winded)
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 09:52:49 EST

Greetings,

Very well stated Wayne.  I was a full time guide in Maine from '87 to '92 and
I continue to work full time in the industry today.  I agree wholeheartedly
with you that it is much easier to teach boat handling skills than "Guide
-Sense".  I still know a number of highly skilled paddlers that are not very
suitable as trip leaders because of their inability to relate to their
clients.

Thanks for the well written post.  I hope you are having a great season down
there.

Sincerely:

Rob Cookson



From: Bearss, Steve
Subject: [Paddlewise] Guide training
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 11:11:45 -0600


I agree with the comments on the distinct skill to be a guide.  I was an
interpretive naturalist for many years.  I led kindergarten children on
45 minute walks up to adults on wilderness canoe trips.  I was also
involved in training new naturalists.  Leading (and being responsible
for) people in the outdoors requires an empathy that many skilled
paddlers, or others, often do not possess.  Many individuals become
involved in paddling and other challenges as part of their individual
growth through approaching their limits.  After a level of expertise is
acquired, an attitude develops.  Not that this is bad, but it often does
not lend itself to guiding and influencing "blank slates".

Training and development of guides should be quite apart from skill
development.  Does anyone know of schools/organizations who do such
training, other than NOLS which trains people to be NOLS instructors?
Just curious as this is an area dear to my heart.