Sea Kayak Mentoring

Sea kayak mentoring, since 2010.

The sea brings its own unique challenges. Getting the opportunity to learn and gather the skills, knowledge, leadership and experience, can be slow and at times a frustrating journey. Coastal Spirit has been providing this opportunity since 2010 and they have a great breadth and depth of expertise. Coastal Spirit can offer you a development programme, which would enable you to gain a more precise focus, direction and better use of your limited time.

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Whether you're working towards developing your skillset and abilities, towards becoming a British Canoeing Sea Kayak Guide, or a Performance and leadership qualifications. Or you're wanting to become a more confident and skilled paddler, without the awards - for example, learning to surf a sea kayak or a future expedition, this programme is for you.

What is mentoring?

Mentoring is a learning relationship between two people based on listening, sharing and challenging. The Mentor is there to provide an independent view and remain outside of the situation, avoiding providing straightforward answers and taking decisions for the mentee. It is more about providing direction rather than solutions.

You will benefit from a personalised action and skills development plan, created with you.

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What do I need from you?

It's your programme, after all. A drive and desire to push personal boundaries, whether they be physiological, psychological or both. A personal commitment beyond our time on the water, with an active role in your self-development.

Regular contact with the Mentor is vital to gain and maintain the momentum of progression and development. In many cases having your own sea kayak allows for more significant progress. Between seeing one of the team, you will often be given focused tasks to work on, let's call it homework!. It is the Mentees' responsibility to seek progression and development and to be honest about their desired direction. This may change through the programme.

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What do you get from Coastal Spirit?

Personal skills development ~ a workable personalised action and skills development plan. Created and owned by you and based around what you want to do; when do you want to begin; how do you do it; what is needed to do it; how long it's likely to take and how will success be measured. If it's a BC Personal Performance Award we have now created a Self Profiling Target Model to assist with your understanding and progress.

Continuity ~ Continuity can be a vital and critical element to paddler growth. One of the team will work directly with you to further support your development. Weekend courses now have the coaches name so you can keep that continuity.

Ongoing support & advice ~ You will receive ongoing support on how best to progress further. The programme is entirely flexible in terms of how often, when and the length of time.

Progression ~ As you work your way through your paddler development programme, your requirements will change. Coastal Spirit, can assist you with ongoing training and assessment towards a BC Personal Performance Award - Sea Kayak Award, Coastal or the Advanced Sea Kayak Award. Through to preparing for the BC Moderate or the Advanced Water Leadership & Performance award, as well as with expedition paddling preparation.

Profiles & Interviews:

To gain a clearer picture and to help you decide if this programme is for you, a few personal profiles of people who have been involved or are still involved with the Mentoring programme. Their backgrounds are fairly varied as are their ages and paddling aspirations. What they all have in common is that they want to learn and progress effectively. Just click on the person's name to view.

How does it work?

Book on an open course or arrange a bespoke day and let Coastal Spirit know you're interested in being mentored.

For example. If you're keen to work towards the Sea Kayak Award then look for the Intermediate course. If you are working towards the Coastal Sea Kayak Award (CSKA) or the Moderate Sea Kayak Leader, then join a Moderate Sea Kayaking course. If you're working towards the Advanced Performance or Leadership award, book on an Advanced sea kayaking course. To further assist you Roger has created a Self Profiling Target Model, which is to be used alongside the award content.

If you're in doubt regarding which course to join then consider a Bespoke day as one of the team can give you full attention on a day that's designed all for you.

Frances provided this feedback on TripAdvisor:

Confidence and skill-building fun

Last year I decided to invest in some 1:1 sea kayaking coaching and spent 7 days over a few months with Roger Chandler. I've been kayaking for some years but wanted to boost my confidence and skills, particularly in tidal flows. Roger is a fantastic coach. He is really easy to get on with and took great care to establish what I wanted to achieve. He's a very skilful and perceptive coach and he was excellent at providing the right level of challenge so I could progress at a pace that suited me. He is great at helping you with both your skills and your mindset. I'm so glad I made the investment and there's no doubt that 1;1 is the most effective way to progress.

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Our Facebook reviews

"And I'm probably learning more from his mentoring now, as my paddling horizons expand, than ever before. I can't count how many questions I've asked... and he's answered. Roger has the knack of making that suggestion that radically changes your thinking and moves your paddling on in leaps and bounds."

Simon Turnbull

"I've just completed a two day 4* Sea kayak training course with Roger. Having been coached by Roger in the past, I choose to do this course with Roger because I knew I would get a great deal from the course. My expectations were certainly well and truly met"

Stella King

"There are a number of wonderful things about Roger. He has a very light touch in his coaching, and he's always smiling and encouraging you to relax into the enjoyment of the day"