 Poster: A snowHead
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I have now been boarding for 10+ years with a couple of seasons under my belt (I'm 2 and have looked into instuctor courses several times. I am now very close to booking one however would like a few peoples opinion.
Are the tutors hard going (as in army style) or are the courses pretty easy going?
Are any fails due to customer care rather than boarding ability?
I'm only looking to teach one evening and maybe a Saturday here and there. How easy is it to find dryslopes/domes who will give you work?
If anyone has found full time work instructing what kind of salary can you expect (I understand this might be a bit imposing)?
Can you teach in Scotland (real mountains) under a BASI level 1 qualification?
Any help and advice would be welcomed, thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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manicpb, I did BASI L1 and L2 last season (ski, not board). The tutors (called Trainers by BASI) I had weren't like an army drill sergeant, but it's a serious course so you need to treat it seriously otherwise the Trainer will have words to say to you.
People can, and do, fail because their teaching lets them down, even though they might be reasonably proficient skiers.
Technically the BASI L1 only qualifies you for work on artificial slopes, although I'm not sure how the Scottish ski schools would react if you apply for a job (I'd guess you wouldn't have much luck).
stab recently did the snowboard L1 course in Zermatt and seemed to find it a useful experience.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You cannot teach on real mountains with a BASI level 1, you have to have level 3 and then you can teach anywhere in the world except france unless you do a conversion course.
The courses themselves (at least the one I did) are not at all army style and I enjoyed mine, the 2 day first aid course is a bore though.
The salary depends hugely on where you go, at sheffield ski village with no experience and only a BASI level 1 you will only get minimum wage however sheffield is exremely stingy and I believe that others pay much more, I heard that sunderland pay £20 an hour but not sure about the reliability of that information.
You won't fail with 2 seasoins for boarding with 2 seasons under your belt and noone fails for lack of customer care.
All of this information is from a ski view but I presume that it is all but identical for boarding.
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manicpb, if you've done 2 seasons (with plenty of time on snow) and are prepared / able to listen and adapt to what the trainers say, I'd take a punt you would be able to achieve the L2 relatively swiftly.
Don't feel nervous about the teaching side of things - you're not expected to be a naturally talented teacher, you will be taught what to do and again as long as you take on board what is said and take the course seriously it's achievable for most people.
After qualifying, just before I taught for the first time I was more nervous than I've ever been in my whole life - more so than A level French oral exam!! But that's normal and healthy - a trainer recently told me he was nervous just before he was due to start a week's teaching.
So i guess what i'm saying is don't worry about that side of it, go for it!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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rob@rar, did you get any work following your qualification? I did have a seasonnaire freind who got a teaching qualification however has never taught since passing it (it did get him work at an outdoor activity centre though)! Did you do the gap year option seeing as though you did L1 + L2 in one year?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks for the rapid replies!
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manicpb, I've done one week in Italy this season, and planning another week over Easter, plus hoping to do some part-time hours at my nearest indoor slope when it opens later this year. No, I didn't do a gap course, just the L1 (December) and the L2 (March), plus the shadowing, 1st aid, and child protection. Starting on ISIA this season.
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manicpb, I did the L2 (BASI 3) as then was in a Gap year course. Didn't really use it for a few years then started again, few weeks teaching here and there for Interski and an indoor slope in the UK. Now coach at local ski club every Saturday afternoon. Also working towards my ISIA and have done several courses.
You'll be able to get work with L2 no problems.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The Rookie Academy does BASI snowboard 1 & 2 courses in Wanaka, Treble Cone. certainly a option to look at. we have a 90+% pass rate.
Any questions get back to me. dean@rookieacademy.com
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| rambotion wrote: |
You cannot teach on real mountains with a BASI level 1, you have to have level 3 and then you can teach anywhere in the world except france unless you do a conversion course.
...
All of this information is from a ski view but I presume that it is all but identical for boarding. |
Ah not quite... some Oz resorts will not hire boarding instructors unless they can cross over to ski instruction....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| manicpb, I've done one week in Italy this season....... |
I remember you made some fascinating posts about your experience - quite the best I have seen about the trials and triumphs of a new instructor. Might be useful for you to throw up a link here?
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| achilles wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
| manicpb, I've done one week in Italy this season....... |
I remember you made some fascinating posts about your experience - quite the best I have seen about the trials and triumphs of a new instructor. Might be useful for you to throw up a link here? |
This is the relevant entry from my blog.
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You know it makes sense.
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rob@rar, That's what I was thinking of, thanks. Puts this thread into a perspective, I think.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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achilles, I should point out that the trials were self-inflicted, and the triumphs belonged to the girls I was teaching!
It's taken a fair bit of effort to gain the instructor qualifications I've passed so far (and much more effort will be required if I'm going to progress further), and it's qualified me to spend a lot of time snow ploughing and doing slow, skiddy parallel turns. To get any sense of reward from this, especially considering the effort and money I've put into getting qualified, you really must enjoy teaching. If you're tempted to do it to improve your personal skiing or for the pose value I'd say there are much better ways of spending your time and money.
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Poster: A snowHead
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rob@rar, it was much better when you could do 2 weeks with Interksi. Then there was a pretty good chance of part time instructors (the one who could ski ok at least!!) getting a decent group for one of their weeks. I got a really good group one week - taught them short turns and intro to carving! It was great fun. So it's not all snow plough and skiddy parallels.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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beanie1, I really enjoyed teaching beginners, that's not a problem for me. But no matter what level of group you end up with you're not going to be skiing at your own level. So unless you think you're going to enjoy teaching people it's an expensive way to end up compromising your own ski time. Although it is nice to be paid to be in the mountains 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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rob@rar, true. I think a lot of people who do the gap year courses never use the qualification though, and don't renew their membership. It is a cheap way to get high end instruction and spend a season in the mountains, and from a cv perspective much more constructive than bumming a season.
I have no problem with this - it ensures basi is making money which enables them to represent career instructors' rights on an international platform - which they do a lot of, and I'm not sure a lot of members are aware of it.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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beanie1, yes, I have no problem with gap students subsidising the cost of BASI's upkeep
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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rob@rar, some people seem to have a problem with people who have no intention of teaching doing instructor courses, i think we've had threads on that a few times haven't we!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I don't have a problem with it, I just think there are better options if you don't want to teach.
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rob@rar, no i agree, but i think for younger gap year people it gives good structure and an element of pastoral care and those on a tight budget it's probably one of the cheaper ways of doing a season of high end instruction.
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beanie1, ... plus a long party.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| beanie1 wrote: |
| rob@rar, no i agree, but i think for younger gap year people it gives good structure and an element of pastoral care and those on a tight budget it's probably one of the cheaper ways of doing a season of high end instruction. |
For younger people its usually a way of getting mummy & daddy to pay for it 
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I thought this thread had died so had left it, but seeing though it's been ressurected I thought I'd let you know I booked onto the level 1 BASI course at Tamworth earlier this week. I spoke to the head of snowsports there and he said they provide you the chance to get your 35 hours work experience however they don't pay a wage (which I was'nt expecting them to), if I am to give up my time for free I'm thinking of asking Ackers Trust (Dry slope in the centre of B'ham) if they would like a helping hand! Does anyone know where I might get a bit of paid work experience?
Finally I have looked into BASP (British Ass of Snow Patrols) for my first aid course. Seems good for the course content being aimed at snowsports, however at £125 (I'm willing to pay it) I was wondering what first aid courses did anyone else do?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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manicpb, I would have preferred to do the BASP course but all their courses were fully booked so I did the Activity 1st Aid 2-day course run by St John Ambulance (about £65 IIRC). I'll try to be a bit more organised next time and book a BASP course.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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manicpb, I don't think you'll find anywhere willing to pay you for your shadowing hours, you will after all be shadowing a qualified instructor they're already paying. However, once you're qualified you should be able to get paid work for the 70 hrs you have to do before your L2.
£125 seems about right. British Red Cross and St John's Ambulance also run 2 day courses.
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Two good suggestions in St Johns and Red Cross, will look into them.
I was never expecting to get paid for the 35 hours but no harm in trying, also I don't want to give the huge money making machine (Tamworth Snowdome!) free labour! I would much rather I gave a stuggling grass roots dryslope my time even if its repairing the slope or sweeping the car park! That said I may try and have a couple of days at the snowdome as I guess it would be a good learning expereince and the more my name gets around the better!
By the way don't you two sleep? No matter what time I post something who's fisrt in with the reply, rob@rar/beanie1!!!
Thanks again!
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You know it makes sense.
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beanie1, Why would you think 'decent groups' = more advanced? Decent groups are people who want to learn, and beginners progress more in their first week than at any other time in their skiing life - that in itself is fantastically rewarding.
this idea that 'quality/decent/fun' work was always with advanced skiers was prevalent in Scotland when I was up there. At the end of the day, if you do this for a living you need variety. Any level becomes boring if that's all you do.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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easiski, by decent i meant advanced / good skiers, not a good group from a learning / teaching perspective. Rob was saying it had qualified him to do spend a lot of time doing snowploughs and skiddy turns, I just pointed out that you can get advanced groups, it's not all beginners.
I don't mind teaching beginners, but i think it is good as an instructor to get variety.
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Poster: A snowHead
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beanie1, I realised what you meant - I was asking why 'decent' = more advanced. Of course variety is good as I said, I just take issue with the description.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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FAQ
there's snowboard instructing jobs
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