Arizona SUP Academy
Book
The Coach Path · age 14+

From paddler
to ACA Master Coach.

One ladder, six tiers, every credential earned along the way. Age-14 Peer Mentor on-ramp, paid Junior Coach Assistant at 16, adult Apprentice → Master Coach above 18. The certifications below power tier promotion at every step.

6-tier coach ladderACA-credentialed deliveryISA international pathway
Apply for a certification →See the Coach Path
The Coach Path

From age-14 Peer Mentor
to ACA Master Coach.

One ladder, six tiers, every credential earned along the way. The Coach Ladder below shows the role, age range, pay, and credentials at each tier. Below that, the two federation lanes (ACA + ISA) show the certification progression that powers tier promotion — plus the endorsements that stack on top.

01The coach ladder

Tier 1 starts at age 14 as a volunteer Peer Mentor and ladders to Master Coach at the top. Youth tiers (1–2) are AZ child-labor compliant; adult tiers (3–6) follow the firm ACA 18+ minimum for any SUP Instructor cert.

  1. Peer Mentor

    · age 14–15
    Volunteer · ACA L1 Skills cert reimbursed at 25 hrs

    Show up. Support younger paddlers. Earn your way onto the paid Junior Coach tier at 16.

    Credentials at this tier
    • SafeSport Trained
    • Parent or guardian consent on file
    • One full season completed as an athlete (Academy Season or Field School)

    Unlocks tier 2: 25+ documented mentor hours · 16th birthday · ACA L1 SUP Skills (the youth student cert) complete

  2. Junior Coach Assistant

    · age 16–17
    $15/hr W2 stipend · max 18 hrs/week (AZ child-labor compliant)

    Paid mega-board assistant on Salt River runs. Never the instructor of record — always the trusted assist.

    Credentials at this tier
    • SafeSport Trained · CPR + AED current
    • ACA Level 1 SUP Skills (the youth student cert, age 8+ floor)
    • Junior Lifeguard certification (American Red Cross or YMCA)
    • Parent or guardian consent · limited-scope background check (16–17 minors variant)

    Unlocks tier 3: 200+ paid Junior Coach hours · 18th birthday · ACA L1 SUP Instructor course in progress · NCSI full background check on file

  3. Apprentice Coach

    · age 18+
    $25/hr 1099

    Starting tier for adult instructors. Paddles every practice. Building toward ACA L1 Instructor.

    Credentials at this tier
    • Be 18+ · SafeSport Trained · CPR + First Aid (in-person, not online-only)
    • NCSI full background check on file
    • Active Paddler Verification (internal assessment by a Senior or Master at intake)

    Unlocks tier 4: ACA L1 SUP Instructor cert · Lifeguard or WAFA · 50+ pod hours under a Senior · 1 clean season

  4. Lead Coach

    · age 18+
    $35/hr 1099

    Instructor of record for Academy Season practice cohorts + Field School.

    Credentials at this tier
    • All Apprentice baseline requirements
    • ACA Level 1 SUP Instructor cert
    • Lifeguard or Wilderness/Aquatic First Aid (WAFA)

    Unlocks tier 5: ACA L2 SUP Instructor cert · Swiftwater Rescue · Paddlecraft · 200+ pod hours · 2 clean seasons

  5. Senior Coach

    · age 18+
    $50/hr 1099

    Open-water + currents authority. Salt River Expeditions lead. Race Team co-coach.

    Credentials at this tier
    • All Lead baseline requirements
    • ACA Level 2 SUP Instructor (Open Water)
    • Swiftwater Rescue · Paddlecraft (ACA-delivered or Rescue 3 International)

    Unlocks tier 6: 500+ pod hours · 3+ full seasons · trains Apprentices + mentors Junior Coach Assistants

  6. Master Coach

    · age 18+ (typically 25+)
    $75/hr 1099 · Director-track salary conversion available

    Trains trainers. Top tier of the in-house coach ladder. Director-track on the table.

    Credentials at this tier
    • All Senior baseline requirements
    • Wilderness First Responder (WFR · 80-hr course, NOLS / WMA / SOLO)
    • On track for ACA SUP Instructor Trainer (IT) — the top of the U.S. national lane
02Federation fork — the cert progression

U.S. SUP instructor credentialing splits into two federation pathways. ACA owns the U.S. national lane and goes deepest (four tiers including Instructor Trainer) — its progression drives Lead → Master tier promotion above. ISA owns the international lane (three discipline modules, IOC-recognized) — an optional add-on for instructors who want global mobility.

ACA · U.S. national lane

→ leads to Instructor Trainer — you certify the next generation

American Canoe Association — the U.S. national paddlesport instructor body

  1. ACA Level 1 SUP Instructor
    Entry instructor
    ACA Level 1 SUP Instructor — Introduction to SUP

    Teach absolute beginners in calm, protected flatwater (ponds, sheltered bays)

    Format: 2–3 day IDW + ICE (or combined ICW)

    • Pass the ACA L1 SUP skills assessment (demonstrate L1 stroke + rescue competency)
    • Hold current ACA membership · current CPR + First Aid (in-person)
  2. ACA Level 2 SUP Instructor
    Open-water authority
    ACA Level 2 SUP Instructor — Essentials of SUP

    Adds wind-exposed flatwater + longer-distance touring + trip leadership

    Format: 3–4 day IDW + ICE

    • Hold active ACA L1 SUP Instructor cert
    • Demonstrate all L1 + L2 strokes, rescues, and trip-leadership skills
  3. ACA Level 3 SUP Instructor
    Discipline specialty
    ACA Level 3 SUP Instructor — Coastal · Surf · River

    Three discipline-specific variants — pick the environment you actually teach in

    Format: 3–4 days at the appropriate venue

    • Hold active ACA L2 SUP Instructor cert
    • Pass an L3/L4 skills assessment in your chosen discipline (Coastal · Surf SUP · River)
  4. ACA SUP Instructor Trainer
    Top of the U.S. ladder
    ACA SUP Instructor Trainer (IT)

    Authorizes you to certify new SUP instructors — open application, not invitation-only

    Format: Online self-study → ITDW or co-teach IDW/ICE → lead-teach under ITE supervision → SEIC vote

    • Be 21+ · current ACA member + SEIC-registered
    • 2+ years as an active SUP instructor in discipline
    • 2+ reported skills courses at the requested level in the past 4 years
    • Endorsement letter from an Instructor Trainer Educator (ITE) + 2 additional recommendations
ISA · international lane

→ leads to ISA-recognized teaching authority across 100+ member countries

International Surfing Association — IOC-recognized world governing body for SUP

  1. ISA Flat Water SUP Instructor
    Foundation cert
    ISA Flat Water SUP Instructor

    Foundation credential — teach beginners on lakes, bays, and sheltered water. Required prereq for the next two ISA modules.

    Format: ~2 days in-person + Flat Water SUP workbook + 20 documented practical teaching hours

    • Be 18+ for independent teaching (16+ allowed under supervision)
    • Hold valid ISA / ILS Water Safety Certification
    • Competent stand-up paddler · complete ISA Introduction to SUP Instructing e-learning module
  2. ISA Open Water SUP Instructor
    Distance + open water
    ISA Open Water SUP Instructor

    Adds distance SUP across ocean, large lakes, and rivers — the touring/expedition discipline

    Format: In-person course + workbook + 20 documented practical teaching hours

    • Hold active ISA Flat Water SUP Instructor cert
  3. ISA SUP Surfing Instructor
    Surf-zone authority
    ISA SUP Surfing Instructor

    Teach SUP in breaking waves — etiquette, lineup positioning, wave technique

    Format: In-person course + workbook + 20 documented practical teaching hours

    • Hold active ISA Flat Water SUP Instructor cert
    • Prior surf experience helpful (not a formal prereq)
03Endorsements — stack your specialties

Endorsements stack on top of an active instructor cert. They unlock specific environments, populations, or risk profiles a base instructor cert doesn't cover. Add the ones that match the kinds of programs you want to lead.

American Canoe Association
Endorsements from
American Canoe Association

Adaptive Paddling Endorsement

What it unlocks

Teach paddlers with disabilities · required for adaptive cohort lead-coach roles

Prerequisites

Active ACA SUP Instructor cert · complete the Adaptive Paddling Workshop

SUP Yoga Endorsement

What it unlocks

Teach paddle-based yoga to your existing students

Prerequisites

Active ACA SUP Instructor cert

Smart Start for Safe Paddling

What it unlocks

Entry-level paddlesport safety facilitator credential · a useful pre-Instructor stepping stone

Prerequisites

Be 18+ · current ACA member

Swiftwater Rescue · Paddlecraft

What it unlocks

Lead moving-water SUP programs (Salt River class I/II is the local case) · ACA-delivered course (Rescue 3 International is a valid alternate)

Prerequisites

Be 18+ · 100m swim · 24-month recert cycle

Cross-recognized credentials we honor

Paddle UK · British Canoeing SUP Instructor + the 2025 SUP Sheltered Water / Tidal Leader awards (useful for instructors working UK/EU). The World Paddle Association (WPA) Class I → II → Master ladder (lower-barrier alternate). Bring whatever you hold and we'll map the gap.

Apply for a certification →
FAQ

Real questions,
real answers.

Is the ACA the official U.S. body for SUP instructor certs?+
Yes. The American Canoe Association is the U.S. national governing body for paddlesport instruction. ACA SUP Instructor certificates are recognized nationally and transfer to any paddle outfit, summer camp, university outdoor program, or paddle school. Our trainers hold ACA SUP Instructor credentials at Level 2 and above, which authorizes us to deliver and assess ACA SUP Instructor Development Workshops + Certification Exams.
What's the difference between the ACA and ISA pathways?+
ACA is the U.S. national lane — the credential most U.S. paddle outfits, summer camps, and university programs want to see. ISA is the international lane — the world governing body for SUP, IOC-recognized, accepted in 100+ countries. Most working U.S. instructors get the ACA L1 first; instructors who want global mobility or who plan to teach abroad add the ISA Flat Water cert on top. They stack — they don't compete.
Is ACA Instructor Trainer invitation-only?+
No — it's an open application process, despite a common misconception. The pathway: register as an IT candidate → complete the ACA online self-study → attend an Instructor Trainer Development Workshop (ITDW) or co-teach an IDW/ICE with an IT or ITE → lead-teach an IDW/ICE under ITE supervision → submit an IT Application within 30 days with an ITE letter + 2 additional recommendations → SEIC Standards Committee + discipline chair vote. Open to any ACA L2 or L3 SUP Instructor with 21+ age, 2+ years as an active instructor in discipline, and 2+ skills courses reported in the past 4 years.
How is the ISA SUP instructor pathway structured?+
ISA SUP is three parallel discipline modules — Flat Water, Open Water, and SUP Surfing — not a numbered L1/L2 ladder. Flat Water is the prereq for both Open Water and SUP Surfing. Each course is roughly 2 days in-person + workbook + 20 documented practical teaching hours before the final certification is issued. In the U.S., ISA SUP instructor courses are delivered through the Surf Education Academy under an exclusive ISA partnership (you don't need individual USA Surfing membership for U.S. enrollment).
I'm an existing coach at another paddle school. Can I add a cert here?+
Yes. Many of our certification candidates already work at paddle outfits, summer camps, or outdoor schools and want to add a specific cert (ACA L2 to unlock open-water teaching, ACA L3 for currents/coastal, Adaptive Paddling Endorsement, Swiftwater Rescue, or the ISA pathway for international mobility). Bring your current credentials and we'll map the gap.

Make it
official.

ACA-credentialed delivery on the U.S. national lane · ISA-aligned on the international lane · endorsements that stack on either. Apply and we'll have your prerequisite check + course dates back within 48 hours.

Apply for a certification →Or join the coach team

Arizona SUP Academy · 501(c)(3) determination pending · ACA-credentialed instruction · ISA-aligned international pathway

Stand up. Stand out.
Field Science · Performance · Stewardship — read the Code →
Browse the catalog
Every offering on one page
Field Science
Wild Horse · Watershed STEM · Ecology · ESA-eligible
Performance
Academy Season · Race Team
Stewardship
Coach Path · Adaptive · Volunteer · Sponsor