So you are planning on getting a ski instructor qualification or snowboard instructor qualification in Canada. But how do you choose from the multitude of ski instructor courses and snowboard instructor courses on offer by different companies and at different ski resorts? What are the differences between these instructor courses? It’s a lot of money that you are planning to spend so I’d like to help you choose wisely.
First of all it’s important to know what it is that you’d like to achieve and how much money you have at your disposal. Generally there are 2 kinds of instructor courses. There are shorter courses that range from 4 to 5 weeks and longer ones that range from 10 to 14 weeks the latter of which are naturally much more expensive. If you are after only the first level of qualification (CSIA or CASI level 1) a shorter instructor course would do. However if you’d like to gain the second level (CSIA or CASI level 2) you have to choose the longer option.
Even so there are quite substantial differences in cost when you compare instructor courses of similar duration. The cost will depend on the number of instruction hours offered by the course, the number of skiers/snowboarders per group as well as the type of accommodation. Some courses include flights (mostly from the UK), airport transfers, meals etc. and these will affect the cost of the course but not necessarily the total amount that you would spend if these were not included.
Some of the most important variables that affect the quality of tuition on ski and snowboard instructor courses are group sizes, total hours of tuition and the certification level of the instructor. Make sure that the course you enroll in guarantees group sizes of maximum 6 skiers or snowboarders to 1 instructor. Any more than this and the quality of training will suffer. 20 - 25 hours of tuition per week is preferred but I would urge you to consider group size before hours of tuition. Also make sure that the instructors are at least CSIA level 3 or CASI level 3 certified instructors.
When it comes to accommodation, meals and additional activities it really is up to the individual to decide. If you’re after luxury, look for a course that offers ski-in/ski-out accommodation, private hot tubs etc. Catered meals are a big plus. I can assure you that you will not feel like cooking or dining out every night and generally this option works out less expensive. Perhaps a good middle ground is an instructor course that offers 5 dinners per week. This will allow you the freedom of doing as you please for the other 3 nights.
Read up on the resort. Some resorts are more commercialized and some are less so. How many bars and restaurants do they have? What about access to a grocery store. Also check the terrain. Is there enough of it and enough variety to suit your liking? How many lifts does the resort have and how new are they. Slow lifts can eat up a significant amount of time that could otherwise be spent skiing or boarding. Most of the courses in Canada are offered in Western Canada and this is exactly where the best snow quality is to be found. So no difficulty in deciding there!
I hope that this will give you an idea of what to look for when you are researching ski instructor courses or snowboard instructor courses.
Have a look at what Snow adventure offers: Ski & Snowboard Instructor Courses
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