Position Openings - Sea Kayak Instructor / Guide

About The Position
If you are an experienced sea kayaker and want to share your knowledge, skills, experience and love of the sport with others, AND get paid for it - then this might be the right job for you. We have several immediate openings for full and part time sea kayak instructor- guides for the coming year. Southwind has high standards and great rewards for kayakers who want to become part of a team that has become Southern California's premier source for kayak lessons, tours and equipment.

As a Southwind instructor you'll be trained in the finer points of kayaking skills, the theory and practicalities of open ocean touring, how to teach the sport to others, as well as trip leadership and group dynamics. You'll also get to paddle our class fleet of over 80 models of kayaks. We ask in return is that you be an enthusiastic, dedicated paddler, eager to learn more about the sport, and be willing to share that knowledge with others a couple of days each month. Read on for further details on part time and full time positions.

Class Locations Newport Beach, Ventura, San Onofre
Class Times Most Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season, March to November and occasionally mid-week and winter
Trip Locations Destinations throughout the Southwest U.S. Click around this web site for details.
Trip Dates Two to four weekends per month, June through October

Part-time: Part-time sea kayak instructors are needed to teach classes for all different skill levels. All instructors will go through a training and apprenticeship period, usually teaching two and three hour classes and leading day trips, during which time you will learn methods for teaching our very popular class, "First Strokes." As an instructor trainee you will begin by observing several classes then you will team teach classes along with a senior instructor. When your teaching skills are fully developed and you feel you are ready to start teaching a particular class on your own, one of our senior instructors will observe you teaching a class and, if all goes well, you will then be certified as an assistant or lead Southwind instructor for that level course.

You may attain lead instructor status as your teaching skills improve and you are able to oversee and manage several classes at a time. Your training period will take between one and three months depending on your skills and your willingness and ability to learn. You can become certified to teach as many other classes as you want in this same way as time goes on. Once you have become an assistant instructor, you will be eligible to assist in leading kayak tours too. Those who have a working knowledge of natural history or other interpretive skills pertaining to the areas in which we paddle will get preferential trip leadership assignments.

Pay Rate: We have a two-tier pay scale that covers assistant and lead positions. Part time or seasonal trainees will receive pay as soon as they can assist teaching a class or assist leading a trip. We'll discuss the details.

Required for Success
We'll provide you lots of training and guidance but we're looking for pretty independent individuals who can manage priorities and takes a long-term view of success in a position. The right person will have most or all of ....

Lots of personal kayaking experience (the more, the better) in a variety of conditions
An orientation to learning on your own: reading about kayaking, trying new skills, exploring tide pools, birdwatching, etc.
Strong enough to move kayaks all day occasionally and keep on smiling
A clean driving record (three years), reliable transportation, and trailer driving skill
Friendly, outgoing personality
Well-spoken and articulate
And, of course, being eager to excel, willing to do whatever it takes, able to learn a wide range of skils and able to work many weekends. Living in Orange County is practically essential.
Something extra? Natural history knowledge and interpretative skills
Something extra? Experience touring in open ocean and surf; and kayak surfing skills
Something extra? A vehicle with towing hitch
Something extra? Skilled with hand tools or power tools

Full-time As a full time instructor-guide you will receive the same training and will have the same teaching and guiding responsibilities as described above. In addition you'll learn a lot about all the equipment available while working in the Kayak Center in retail sales. You'll work a five day work week which almost always includes weekends and holidays. When full time staff are not out on the water, they perform a variety of duties at the Kayak Center including retail sales and store stocking, telephone reservations, miscellaneous office work, equipment repair and maintenance. For those with additional skills, tasks such as preparing press releases, computer system management, web site design, data entry and fiberglass repair are also available. In essence, your job description will be tailored to fit your particular skills and abilities so that you will be working to your fullest potential, both for your gain and ours.

We'll provide you lots of training and guidance but we're looking for a pretty independent individual who can manage priorities and takes a long-term view of success in a position. The right person will have most or all of ....

Personal kayaking experience (the more, the better) in a variety of conditions
An orientation to learning on your own: reading about kayaking, trying new skills, exploring tide pools, birdwatching, etc.
Strong enough to move kayaks all day occasionally and keep on smiling
A clean driving record (three years), reliable transportation, and trailer driving skill
Friendly, outgoing personality
Well-spoken and articulate
Something extra? Natural history knowledge or interpretative skills
Something extra? Experience touring in open ocean and surf; and kayak surfing skills
Something extra? A vehicle with towing hitch
Something extra? Skilled with hand tools or power tools
Something extra? Computer skills

Your Next Step...
To begin the application process, please email or fax us a complete resume and a letter about why you would like this specific position, or contact us at 1-800-SOUTHWIND. We'll be eager to learn more about your experience, skills, abilities and motivations for becoming a staff member. Please tailor your response to this particular position with Southwind - generalized resumes won't get you too far. Our general manager, John, will personally contact you and we'll take it from there.

About Southwind
Look around our web site and you'll quickly see the services and products we offer. Southwind Kayak Center Inc. has been teaching kayak lessons and leading tours since 1987. Over the years we have earned a reputation of excellence from both the local paddling community and the national kayaking industry. In 1993 we opened our retail store, the Kayak Center, which has one of the largest and most diverse inventories in North America. We maintain top professional standards in all our endeavors while having lots of fun running our business. As a result of our hard work and efficiency, and the great response of our customers, we have been growing steadily.

As a Southwind employee you will be an integral part of a small, successful, and growing kayak company. You will learn about and contribute to the adventure recreation industry in Southern California and to our retail business. You'll also learn lots of kayaking skills and have plenty of opportunities to enjoy some great paddling.

Located in Southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego, we are very close to the ocean, deserts and mountainseven though we are in an urban area. If you can thrive in this urban playground adjacent to wilderness, you'll be able to take advantage of the best of many worlds.

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