THE FACTS

• Between 250 and 300 people qualify to teach windsurfing through the RYA each year, with over 2,500 RYA instructors in total teaching windsurfing around the world.
• You don’t need to be a rock star windsurfer before becoming an instructor; just have a passion and love for the sport, and most importantly, a desire to teach people. Sound familiar?
• At basic entry level the Assistant Instructor (AI) award recognises the ‘in-house’ training given to windsurfers, looking to help out at a local club or centre. An AI is a competent intermediate non-planing sailor, trained to assist instructors up to Youth Stage 2 and adult Start Windsurfing level. They must work under the supervision of an RYA senior instructor (SI).
• From 16 you can undertake Start Windsurfing instructor training. All you need is an intermediate non-planing certificate with beach starting and non-planing gybe clinics, an RYA Powerboat level 2 certificate and a valid first aid qualification.
• RYA Start Windsurfing instructors are qualified to teach the Start Windsurfing course, Stages 1 and 2 of the Youth Windsurfing Scheme and Start Windsurfing of the national scheme, all under the supervision of a senior instructor.
• The course is five days and a combination of onshore, on-the-water and classroom theory tuition, with not only practical guidance on teaching technique and introducing the kit but highlighting and reinforcing the main teaching points, the teaching sequence (order of delivery) and coaching points for each stage.

Follow Jake Partick, and the story of how he has lived his windsurfing dream…