Become an Instructor
Pass on Your love of Paddling and help Paddlers be safe!
Take your love or paddling to the next level and obtain your ORCKA Instructor Certification. There are instructor certifications for all Paddling disciplines (Canoeing, Kayaking, Voyageur, CSP, and SUP).
Become an ORCKA Instructor by taking an Instructor Course; Instructors are 18 years of age [16 years of age for Basic Canoeing Instructor and all the Camp Instructors], and there are ORCKA Program prerequisites and fees for each particular Instructor Course.
After completing an Instructor Course you receive an ORCKA membership and login, ORCKA's programming support and documentation, and you are able to conduct ORCKA Programming for any ORCKA Organizational Member.
Once an Instructor, stay up-to-date by renewing your membership every year, and by attending a recertification clinic every 3 years.
Bridge Program and Challenge Process
ORCKA organizes bridge courses for members to upgrade to an instructor certification, and a challenge process for members to obtain an instructor certification through 'testing' on instructor course material as an alternative to following the full instructor course.
A bridge course follows the same course outline as its non-bridge counterpart, save the bridge course length will not be as long.
An instructor course challenge is a 'testing-only' scenario providing for instructor certification -- it's available to members who are already ORCKA instructors [e.g., in another discipline], and who have considerable skills and teaching experience; it generally can be accomplished in a weekend.
A Trip Leader challenge is a 'testing-only' scenario providing for Trip Leader certification -- it is available to paddlers who have considerable tripping and trip-leadership experience and generally can be accomplished in a weekend.