Kiteboarding career.......

[blade]

Hi

 

Just wondering how much the average kiteboard instructor gets paid if he works for a centre?

Looks like such a great job and was wondering if you can live off it, without having a second job

 

cheers for your help

 

Blade

[kiteingcolin]

live of it?? not in this country, unless you live with your parents for life,

 

to be realistic you would need to take loads of water borne qualifications, so you could could teach other sports, even dry sports like rockclimbing, so you could work in a centre that taught a variety of aventure sports, there will be a point where kitesurfing will not be the buzz sport, windsurfing was just like kitesurfing, only you were free as a bird to teach any where, very little risk!!

 

teaching abroad for a company is a good way to make a bit of spare cash, loads of jobs there, work your way up to centre manager,

 

getting your I.K.O. level two is now a bit of a task, look into it! costs a packet, and takes ages, and the insurance issues are yikes!!. and you can not go to a beach and teach, public beaches are not available without council permission, and that will be another mountain to climb,

 

teaching for an instructor would be for beer money,and not for long,

 

and you stilll need your level one, and i think that costs over £1000 , unless you live at the centre, and sleep in your car.and already have your first aid and power boat certificate.

 

it is not a job, its a hobby that might pay for a few kites in summer,

 

 

sorry to blow away your hopes,

 

colin . level two I.K.O. instructor, and R.Y.A. windsurfing instructor,

and always in full time employment,

 

but nothing to do with my hobbies.

[Gary.]

Totally agree with you Colin. It's hard work getting there, complex managing lessons, outlay is massive (courses, equipment, rescue boat, insurance etc.) I'm running the show on my own and it makes a little more sense - you make more money. I worked for a local shop last year, albeit a little far away and I got paid about £65 a day. How crap is that? Especially when they take £700 for two days. Then, the kite school have massive overheads, such as approval fees, school insurance, equipment base is bigger etc etc.

 

If you are intending to travel and fancy earning a buck or two abroad it's probably worth it, as in the UK we are flooded with kite schools and instructors. Which only run for 6 months of the year anyway!

 

One last point - think of the REALISTIC TYPICAL DAY > Get to beach early, show students basics, start running through routine of course structure etc, then...

... all other kiters tuirn up and are having a blast all day while you are on the beach getting frustrated! It's a friggin knightmare. The only way round that scenario is either

 

1) Teach when the wind is ****

2) Double up with another instructor and half the profits.

 

Anyway, hope I hav'nt put you off!

 

Cheers

[sunset]

If you enjoy meeting other people and passing on the spirit of your sport go for it.

There still nothing like the thrill of seeing a client take their first ride.

If you want money forget it.

[shemKSW]

I own and run my own school, and as much as its a fun job when its sunny, its horrible when its raining and cold. Im certanly not doing it for the money, but I do get to play every day!! As Col suggested, the problem is when you end up cancelling for a whole month due to not enough wind or to much wind. So back up sports are nessecary.

 

having said that, I really wouldnt fancy a 9-5 office job, YYYUUUUUUKKKKKKKK!!

[kiteingcolin]

I own and run my own school, and as much as its a fun job when its sunny, its horrible when its raining and cold. Im certanly not doing it for the money, but I do get to play every day!! As Col suggested, the problem is when you end up cancelling for a whole month due to not enough wind or to much wind. So back up sports are nessecary.

 

having said that, I really wouldnt fancy a 9-5 office job, YYYUUUUUUKKKKKKKK!!

 

i allways thought that when that happens ( and it does) a good power boat with a wake board would be the way to keep the pupils happy, and give them good board skills, which would reduce the pain of the sorry i have to cancell phone calls,

 

but that costs a packet, and you need a big boat with a big engine,

[akamini]

I used to teach rock climbing and abseiling at a multi-sport type outdoor adventure centre just outside weymouth. Kite-surfing hadnt been invented then, but some of the instructors taught sailing and kayaking. I got paid the minimum wage but the centre paid for all my instructor courses which was cool. I could live off the money - had to share room (thats a room, not a house) with another instructor - and just about run my rusty old car, but only for 1 summer season. The best bit is meeting other people you can go climbing/kiting with in the evenings and weekends, and being close to good spots. Some instructors would do multiple seasons, I only did 1 - loved every minute but wouldnt do it again unless I could make it pay better. Besides, climbing is a cheap sport, dont need much money, but kiting is a whole different game!

[akamini]

I used to teach rock climbing and abseiling at a multi-sport type outdoor adventure centre just outside weymouth. Kite-surfing hadnt been invented then, but some of the instructors taught sailing and kayaking. I got paid the minimum wage but the centre paid for all my instructor courses which was cool. I could live off the money - had to share room (thats a room, not a house) with another instructor - and just about run my rusty old car, but only for 1 summer season. The best bit is meeting other people you can go climbing/kiting with in the evenings and weekends, and being close to good spots. Some instructors would do multiple seasons, I only did 1 - loved every minute but wouldnt do it again unless I could make it pay better. Besides, climbing is a cheap sport, dont need much money, but kiting is a whole different game!

 

The other thing is that teaching a sport you enjoy is not the same as doing it. A lot of the time, if the weather was just right and the group was being a pain, you just long to be doing the sport instead of teaching it. Teaching is definately NOT the same as doing.

[8015]

I have been a kayak instructor for a long time (mostly voluntarily) and did work in a multi-activity centre for a while. I say do it now while you are young before you get used to earning a proper wage because the job satisfaction is better than you'll get anywhere else! If you are centre based there are loads of different ways they work but often you will get all your food and board as part of the deal so although you are earning a pittance you only need it for beer money and occasionally replacing some of your personal gear. Freelance is more difficult, you need to pay for your accomodation and transport and you will have to find the work for yourself, but it is more flexible, if say you suddenly decide to head off and do 6 months abroad (although many centres close for the winter so you have 4-6 months to kill anyway).

 

My bro has recently started a job with outward bound, he had several qualifications already but will spend the first year training with them, after that he might take a year off to do a PGCE in outdoor ed (with another subject as a backup for hard times) which is in keeping with their approach. Basically the only way you can make a decent living is through outdoor ed rather than just instructing, and even at that the secret is to get into a proper LEA centre (they are closing all the time) - by the time you have done all that you will be spending very little time teaching kitesurfing and even less doing it for yourself.

 

JIM

[Deej]

its not so much a career but a cheap way to travel the world, i used to be a windsurfing instructor but looking back did very littlle windsurfing myself but the sun sand n parties guess they kinda made up for it. As for money i certainly would not work that cheap again. Bring on the weekend, my time, my kites, my mates