American canoe association (ACA)
level 1 sup instructor update
Renew your ACA L1 SUP Instructor Credentials!
Maintain your active certification and extend its validity for another 4 years!
🏄🏽♀️ Are you a currently certified ACA L1 SUP Instructor?
🏄🏻♂️ Are you ready to complete and Update and extend your certification’s validity for another 4 years?
If you said “YES” to these questions, keep reading to find out more! 🏄🏽♀️🧘🏼♀️
what is ACA l1 sup instructor update?
The American Canoe Association is the industry gold standard for paddling instructor certifications. ACA Certifications are valid for 4 years and expire on December 31st of the 4th year of certification. In order to maintain your certification status, an Instructor Update is required to extend your certification for another 4 years.
This workshop is an opportunity to demonstrate that your skills are current with all of the ACA L1 SUP Instructor criteria including:
Paddleboard stances: comfortably move around the board and paddle from neutral stance, hybrid stance, and surf stance
Paddleboard strokes, & maneuvers
Level 1 strokes & maneuvers: falling safely, self-rescue, forward stroke, forward sweep, reverse sweep, stopping the board, side draw, walking around the board, low brace
Paddleboard rescue techniques: towing with a tow line, towing with board stacking, assisted self-rescue, flip rescue & more
SUP etiquette to help you lead with confidence
Safety planning for injury prevention
PFDs for paddleboarding so you understand coast guard regulations and local regulations
Water dynamics and how to read water and select appropriate locations
Group management to help you step into the role of leader confidently
Effective teaching methods that will bring more clarity to your instruction
Board & equipment considerations to help refine your technical knowledge
other details about l1 sup Instructor update:
🏄🏾♂️ This is an abbreviated workshop of only one day. It is intended for currently certified ACA L1 SUP Instructors that would like to complete an Instructor Update before the end of their 4 year certification period. This workshop does not offer the opportunity for initial certification nor for leveling up from L1 to L2. If you are interested in an initial certification or leveling up from L1 to L2, please consider one of our ACA L1/L2 SUP Instructor Certification Workshops.
As with your initial Instructor Certification, you will be expected to show up ready to demonstrate and teach level 1 strokes, maneuvers, rescues, and concepts as well as demonstrate ability to safely select areas to teach, and ability to give feedback with a critical eye. You will be given several “formal teaching topics” to prepare in advance. You will also be asked to do some impromptu teaching during the training. Please understand that payment and participation do not guarantee update at level 1. Possible outcomes include no update, and updated at level 1. Participants must be able to execute all level 1 paddling strokes and maneuvers with demonstration quality as well as demonstrate quality teaching ability, group leadership, venue selection, and safety sense in order to be updated at level 1.
about the instructor trainer:
Hi! I’m Meghan Swanson. I’m the owner of TFY and will be leading this training. I’m an ACA Level 2 SUP IT and SUP Yoga Endorser. You can find out more about my background and experience here:
upcoming workshop dates & locations:
August 10th, 2026 at Tigertail Lake in Dania Beach, FL
value & investment
When you sign up for our ACA SUP Instructor Training you will get the following:
ACA L1 SUP Instructor Update Workshop
Q&A Virtual Meeting prior to Training
Paddle Skills Videos to Practice before the Update
investment: $299
