I have tried in vane for two years to do a windsurfing instructors course here in w.a and have had no joy,so its of to flying fish in nsw, where i will gain a rya qualification which will be reconized overseas.It seems that you need a level 3 or higher it is a shame to have to travel so far to obtain what is at our front door.I think this is the greatest sport of all (and i have tried them all)and would like to pursue a carer in it .Has anyone accutally done a course in australia to level 3 or higher been over the working visa age and got a job teaching windsurfing overseas or is this just a story you here through a friend of a friend.

Michael,
Have you spoken to Simon?
I am sure he told me he held the highest quals in the country and was capable of teaching instructors.
Maybe you are talking about a different level to what Simon was.
Surely someone out there has also checked it out as a career.
Go for it if you can, it would be the best way to travel and meet people with the same interests.
It would beat working a real job.

Paul Kelf

good point,
I didn't mention it as I thought that you would have thought about him.
But Yes Simnon is the guy to see and he's got lots of contacts in the UK and Ireland, and probably elsewhere like Fiji now (lucky b*****)

Hey Mike,
I've been trying to talk you into doing the course for the last few years!!!
Will be running another this year, dates to be arranged soon.
Oh, in case you are wondering, Fiji is horrible,windy all day, tropical climate ,beutiful ocean, great beer, and we even have our own cook!!!!

www.gowindsurfing.com

Simon

hey simmion yer i am know of the your course but as you have told me on the forum when i asked for some work with you,that i was to old to help,but found out the real reason . I wont go into it now, thats our secert cheers

frustrated

soooooo what are the job prospects like for a windsurfing instructor..

and what is the pay like..
and are there pretty ladies?
oooooooohhhhh (devilish laugh)

I LIKE WATER

oooohooohhhh (devilish laugh)
i think i will be looking at this for a career path..



I LIKE WATER

There seems to be a bit of mis infomation going out on this thread.
Firstly , the instructors course I run are approx 40 hours long, over 5 days. This is the minimum required to fully appreciate the basics of coaching windsurfing, and is the standard world wide. An ISA or RYA course will be the same length, and most students will be asked back for at least one weekend of coaching experience after, just to build up their confidence and see other coaches operating.
Once the course has been completed, you need a TL3 (powerboat cert) and a Senior Fist Aid cert. Once all this is completed you then need to pay YA a registration fee. Only once all this is done is a YA centre allowed to employ you to run windsurfing courses. This applies to any instructor world wide, so that if an RYA instructor teaches in Aus without YA accreditation ,he/she will not be covered by insurance . For a YA instructor to work in an RYA overseas they just need to arrange an assesment with an RYA trainer at an RYA school in the UK to transfer their qualifications over.
I hope this clears up any confusion.
As for employment, there are plenty of jobs going in Aus. Whenever i put up employment notices I recieve 90% from from overseas instructors who are all fully qualified and very experienced. The rest come from locals, who then balk at the cost of getting qualifed.
Mike, I am not sure what our little secret is, please let me know.


www.gowindsurfing.com


Simon

what is currently being debated is whether all powerboat owner need a licence..
There are a few places that do the TL3 course. My brother has one..

The reason that you need a tl3 course is due to the fact that ayf require schools to have a "rescue craft" available to them. The motorised dingy is usual way to satisfy this point..ayf also require the instructor to be able to rescue people in a safe manner...A TL3 is the only way to do this in a recognisable and creditable manner..

whether it is a proficiency test or a real licence,, Ayf require you to be a creditable rescue personnel...

i think this is a load of crap personally but afy my give their instructors creditations that will protect their insurance and protect everyone else from negligent instructors..

This has been a very interesting topic ,it seems that my question may have been unconsciously answered ,it seem to me that if you hold only one passport (Australian) your chances of teaching anywhere out side of Australia are nill as for your tL3 go drive a boat with a motor size greater than 6hp in any other state and see what happerens when you get caught.Just tell them that you are from the kingdom of W.A that should justify not having a boat lic ,anyway enough of that . its now clear that if you want to travel teaching water sports marry a european or take up kiting peace out kaos69

A good place to look for english speaking instructors jobs are the back of the english windsurf mags, there are several companies that run resorts around the med that need qualified watersports instructors.

The pay is pretty crap, the accom is crowded, and you don't get to eat the guest food, but you do get a lot of water time and work with lots of fun people. You may need a EU type work permit though, I worked in Turkey and we were all illegal anyway.

Age isn't really a problem, I was 30 and one of the instructors was 63! It was a great party, most of the pay got spent on beer, and the locals looked after us. Lots of girls, staff and guests. I'm thinking of going back after getting my kitesurfing qualification.

Gav

I was living in the UK, did my RYA course over there, level 1 instructors, with the powerboat as well.

I just checked the website of the company I was working for and they now require an EU passport and permanent NI number so it is a no go for you I'm afraid.

Best of luck finding a sweet deal, it is getting harder and harder to be a beach bum

its been a bit quite laterly on this matter as i now have net exess again i feel it is my dutie as a #$%#@$ %$ aussie who hears a lot from all these " so called " instructors and there pretand courses to move this topic to the front line of life again be strong and keep up the fight

to chady thanks for your surport and help to show me to the light . then nowlater(]

hello,
1st time ive read this discussion, (new to seabreeze forums)
Beleive it or not have have done it all and have also had all the same silly probs - bar a few.

there are heaps of good ops for EVERYONE and heaps of really ****ty situations involving AYF, and boat lisences and intructor courses.

Let me start from the beginning........
i moved to Melb (from Syd) just be be a windsurfing instructor.. i did it in 97/98 got to senior level. (level 3 RYA) Then I met some brit chicks in Melb, that told me about the clubs OS. I sent 35 resumes overseas and it cost me HEAPS....didnt get a thing!

So...I just went to the UK (having a uk passport did help - but my friend did the same without one). When I was there thats when they wanted to interview me. I got 3 jobs in 1 week. (They LOVE aussies over there, its like a romantic kind of thing, being taught by an aussie).

I got flown out to Greece with NEILSON, I didnt work well there (bit too rigid for me) but did get to go to the funnest club around, Club Vass (check it out clubvass.com/ ) From there I becoame a level 5 RYA intrsuctor and got flown to Club Margarita (venezuela) and back to greece again!

When I came home I got mage into a Trainer - one that make intstructors..... that was good for a while until i found it SO difficult to get any up to date traing books and help from the AYF.

So for the past 2 years Ive been terribly dis-heartend by the lack of support from the so called 'Governing body of windsufing '- the AYF!

Only 1 month ago Windsurf Victoria has re-united and my role it to get a working, up to date training scheme together so we can make more intructors and make more people enjoy the sport.

I dont know how to go about it but i think we do need to get the RYA scheme and adapt it for oursleves, but how? and who will support it?
we have been told in Victoria that Yachting Victoria dont want anything to do with us anymore!

one more thing.....I dont know about simons courses, but they sound reasonable, Trainers have paid lots of money to aquire their skills that they can pass on. then when you have them then you can make money off them too, so no matter of the cost if you want to be an instructor, you have to pay for it!
the Flying fish courses are excellnt courses but remember that they are so expensive because they are catererd to the Poms with lots of money (exchage rate) They get great istruction, awesome accomm and a good time in Oz.

My advice to Kaos69 - if you want a job os, you have to go and get it! (at the mo the aussie qual is meaningless - hate to say, but am working on changing that)