Sea Kayak Employment & Certification | Recreational Sports Outdoor Program

Make sea kayaking your job!

Build your resume with leadership, teaching, and coaching experience!

Start as a school year activity leader. Stay for the summer as a trip leader.
Do you like to paddle? Do you like teaching, coaching, and getting to know people from all over the country? Our Sea Kayak Instructors gain lots of hands-on experience teaching, and spend their summer in the beautiful Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Duluth Harbor and Lake Superior! We provide training and support for you to become the instructor you want to be! No jobs available at this time. Watch the UMD Jobs website and check back here for openings!
Contact person: Melody David-McKnight, SpHC 153, phone 218-726-8231, email [email protected]

Staff Training and Professional Development

We offer Skills Assessments, and Instructor Certification Workshops through the American Canoe Association! Skills Assessments are a great way to assess if you’re ready to safely take trips on Lake Superior. They are required for anyone guiding in the Apostle Islands, and are a prerequisite for participation in the ACA Instructor Certification Workshop. Instructor Certification Workshops are a pathway to becoming an Instructor through an Internationally recognized organization. All courses are instructed by highly experienced instructors and instructor trainers.

American Canoe Association Level 3 Coastal Kayak Instructor Skills Assessment

This ACA Assessment Course is designed to evaluate a participant's ability to perform Level 3 Coastal Kayak Instructor skills in 10-15 knot winds, 1-2 foot waves or surf, within 1.5 nautical miles from shore, along with demonstrating an appropriate level of knowledge. Participants will receive documentation of having achieved a certain level of paddling ability. Prerequisites: participants will have participated in a minimum of three, full day journeys e.g. longer than 8 nautical miles.

May 29, 9am-5pm

FREE for UMD Student Members
$125 Non-Student Members / Community
Package (ICW + L3 Skills Assessment): FREE for UMD Student Members / $585 Non-UMD Student Members (Community)

REGISTER ONLINE

American Canoe Association Level 3 Coastal Kayak Instructor Certification Workshop

In this supportive environment you will demonstrate and hone your skills, receive a professional evaluation of your paddling skills, technical knowledge, group management, interpersonal skills, rescue and teaching ability. You will prepare lessons, develop your teaching methods, analyze videotape, refine paddling skills, give and receive feedback.

During the first three days we will help you to develop and expand your knowledge of teaching and learning theory, and we will practice effective models of providing feedback. The last two days are the Certification Exam, and you will be assessed on the teaching, interpersonal and paddling skills that you’ve been honing throughout the week.

June 10 - 14, 2026

Register by: 6pm on Friday, May 22, 2026
We Provide: Instruction, large library of sea kayak resources, projector and screen, chalkboard and chalk, sea kayaks / safety / paddling equipment upon request.
You Provide: Sea kayak, paddle, cold water immersion wear, rescue and safety equipment, 2 full water bottles, lunch and snacks for each day, casual clothing for classroom, paddling clothing and extra layers. (See equipment list for full detailed list of what to bring. Please contact us at [email protected] if you need to use a sea kayak or sea kayaking equipment).
Meet: UMD Boat Shed, 1421 St. Louis Avenue, Duluth, MN 55802

Cost:
-ICW: FREE for UMD Student Members / $495 Non-UMD Student Members (Community)
-Package (ICW + L3 Skills Assessment): FREE for UMD Student Members / $585 Non-UMD Student Members (Community)
-Practice Students: FREE for UMD Student Members / $300 Non-UMD Student Members (Community)

Call 218-726-7128 to register.