Becoming an Assistant Guide

You must have the following qualifications to be eligible for Assistant Guide Certification:

  1. Successful completion of a certified ACSKG Leadership Course
    Until further notice, CFOKE Leadership Course graduates qualify for ACSKG assistant guide certification.
    ( CFOKE = Canadian Federation of Ocean Kayak Educators )
  2. A recommendation by the Leadership Course Instructor to the ACSKG.
  3. First aid; you must have a current Explorer certificate (offered by Wilderness Alert) or an equivalent recognized by the ACSKG evaluation committee.
  4. You must have a valid restricted VHF radio operator's certificate (maritime).
  5. You must submit your paperwork, an application form, and the annual fee of $20.  (You may download the application form in PDF format, print it, fill it out and mail it to the ACSKG.

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Apprenticeship Period as an Assistant Guide

Apprenticing is working as an assistant guide on commercial sea kayak trips in Canadian Coastal Waters (CCW).  There are essentially three ways to complete an apprenticeship in order to qualify to take the ACSKG Full Guide's Examination;

  • 100 days apprenticeship with an ACSKG full guide.
  • 50 days apprenticeship with an ACSKG full guide plus a letter of recommendation from that guide.
  • 100 days or more apprenticeship with an non-ACSKG full guide in CCW of Class II plus the approval of the ACSKG Evaluation Committee.

Becoming a Full Guide

You must have the following qualifications to be eligible for Class I and II Full Guide Certification:

  1. You must have completed an apprenticeship as described above.
  2. 2) You must have logged at least two non-commercial trips, both longer than 10 days and 60 route miles each on Class II or III coastline
  3. First aid; you must have current Explorer and Advanced Medicine certificates (offered by Wilderness Alert) or an equivalent recognized by the ACSKG evaluation committee
  4. You must have a valid restricted VHF radio operator's certificate (maritime)
  5. Successful completion of the ACSKG Full Guide's Examination
  6. All full guides will be required to complete a Guide Log each year, submitted by Oct. 15.
  7. You must submit the annual fee of $50 and any updated first aid certification to stay current each year.

Becoming a Class III Full Guide

You must have the following qualifications to obtain a Class III Full Guide Endorsement:

  1. You must have operated as a Full Guide for 180 days in Class II CCW and logged at least 200 miles on Class III coastline
  2. A recommendation by another Class III guide.

Class II coastline can be extremely dangerous and requires the utmost in caution and preparation.

Instructors

To be eligible as an Instructor for the ACSKG you must have logged 300 days as a Full Guide, at least 200 of which were in CCW of Class II level and you must be recommended by another Instructor of the ACSKG.

Leadership Courses

ACSKG certified guide training programs are offered by a number of companies. Any new leadership course must submit its curriculum and agenda for review and be approved by the Standards Committee and an ACSKG Instructor. All ACSKG certified leadership courses follow the ACSKG Core Curriculum and are run in a northern Pacific Ocean outer coast region. Courses must be taught by one ACSKG Instructor and either one ACSKG Full Guide, or one ACSKG Assistant Guide with 100 days guiding logged in Class II Canadian Coastal Waters.

Entry

|

Leadership Course
(Commercially available)
(Taught by an ACSKG certified Instructor)

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Apprenticeship as Assistant Guide

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Full Guide Exam
(operated by the ACSKG)

|

Full Guide

|

Class III Full Guide / Instructor / Examiner

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