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SUP Yoga Certification – How to Become a SUP Yoga Instructor

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SUP yoga teacher training is perfect for people who love SUP, yoga, and maybe teaching. It is awesome to be able to share something you enjoy with the world. 

But you can’t just pick your board, find students, and start teaching. You need to obtain SUP yoga certification first.  

The good news is that it’s not a complicated or expensive process. Once you’re done, you can open your own SUP yoga business and help other people have fun.

So here is everything you should know. 

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Key Takeaways

  • Obtain SUP yoga certification before teaching.
  • You should have adequate SUP skills before you can teach SUP yoga.
  • You must have a current CPR and first-aid certificate too.
  • Your instructor trainer should be certified by a major association like American Canoe Association (ACA), World Paddle Association (WPA), etc.
  • Water safety should be your top priority when leading a paddleboard yoga class.

What You Need to Get SUP Yoga Teacher Certification 

There are important skills that you must have before becoming an instructor. 

1. Yoga Teacher Certification 

Every student wants to be taught yoga by someone who knows what they’re doing. 

Anyone can claim to be an experienced instructor. Yoga teacher training certification assures your students that you are legitimate. 

You should be able to safely and properly instruct yoga on dry land before you move on to water. 

Many SUP yoga teacher training courses require you to have at least a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification. It should be from a reputable organization like Yoga Alliance.

2. SUP Instructor Certification

Stand up paddle boarding is a big part of SUP board yoga. Having SUP skills is, thus, important if you want to effectively teach your students. 

Some, if not most of them, will be completely new to the paddling experience. It’s up to you to teach them basic paddle boarding strokes and techniques as well as anchoring. 

You can’t safely lead a SUP yoga class if you can’t paddle confidently and properly. 

It also helps to know stand up paddle boarding laws and safety requirements. 

This knowledge ensures your safety and that of your entire SUP yoga class. Don’t take it lightly.  

Some paddle board yoga teacher trainings won’t have this certification as one of their course requirements. SUP instruction may be part of their training package. 

Others may not require the certification but you’ll need to be an experienced paddler to join. 

The bottom line is that you need to have adequate SUP skills before you can teach SUP yoga. 

3. Up-to-Date CPR and First Aid Certification

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Stand up paddle board yoga is a relatively safe activity. But there’s no guarantee that accidents won’t happen. It’s always good to be prepared. 

Yoga teachers are responsible for the safety of their SUP yoga classes. First aid knowledge comes in handy in an emergency and it could save a life. 

For this reason, you must have a current CPR and first-aid certificate. 

Some trainers require you to have it before you enroll in their paddleboard yoga teaching course. 

4. SUP Yoga Teacher Training

When you search Google, you will find tons of people offering SUP yoga teacher training classes. 

If you’re not careful, you can end up wasting your money and time on a course that won’t help you. 

Taking a group of people out into the water is serious. You need to be well-trained and have the proper certification.

Your instructor trainer should be certified by a major association like American Canoe Association (ACA), World Paddle Association (WPA), etc. 

Next, check to see what you need to join and the topics they cover. 

Why You Should Get SUP Yoga Teacher Training

a. To Learn How to Customize Yoga Poses

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As you can imagine, SUP yoga practice on a standup paddleboard is different from yoga on land. The floating yoga mat is unstable. You have to focus on maintaining balance and transitioning between poses at the same time. 

Even seasoned SUP yogis fall in the water from time to time. So if you try to make a beginner do poses perfectly, they’ll spend more time in the water than on the paddle board.

Your instructors will teach you how to modify poses and build your students’ confidence. You will know how to handle everyone in your class, regardless of their skill level. 

b. For the Safety of Your SUP Yoga Class

Water safety should be your top priority when leading a paddleboard yoga class. 

When you take people out into the water, their safety is in your hands. As their SUP yoga instructor, you are responsible for each one of them. 

That said, water conditions can be unpredictable.

Paddle board yoga teacher training helps you understand the different situations that may arise. You will learn what to do in different scenarios to ensure that everyone gets out safe.

With these skills and knowledge, you will feel confident exploring different SUP yoga spots with your students. 

c. To Learn Proper Anchoring

It is difficult to get into yoga poses while your stand up paddle board is drifting away. Anchoring keeps the paddle board in place.

When practicing yoga as a group, you have different anchoring options. Your instructor trainer will help you learn what option to use depending on the weather and water conditions. 

There are also other factors to keep in mind such as social distancing. 

d. The Skills Could Come in Handy

SUP yoga teacher training is not just for those who want to teach SUP fitness classes. 

It is a short, fun course that could be useful if you are passionate about SUP yoga. Within a short time, you will learn a lot about SUP, yoga, water safety, and much more. 

These are skills that could improve your paddleboard yoga experience. 

Besides, if you are ever in an emergency situation, you will know how to handle it and maybe even rescue someone. 

ALSO READ: What does SUP yoga mean?

Important Tips for SUP Yoga Certification

1. Be Humble

If you are a seasoned yogi on land, you may think that you know all there is to know. 

Some of the lessons in the SUP yoga teacher training may seem easy and basic.

But you should keep an open mind. You will soon realize that you have so much to learn. 

2. Teaching SUP Yoga Won’t Be Easy

As a SUP yoga teacher, you will have several tasks. You will quickly understand that managing a group of people in the water is no child’s play. 

Fortunately, you will learn all the necessary skills in your training. 

3. Know Where You Will Teach

Knowing where you will hold your SUP yoga classes helps you prepare well in advance. Research the water and weather conditions so you can avoid unpleasant surprises.

4. You Don’t Have to Teach After Getting SUP Yoga Certification

Just because you have a SUP yoga certificate doesn’t mean that you must teach. We have talked about how the skills could be useful in different scenarios. 

Learning more about the SUP yoga world could help you enjoy your yoga practice even more. 

Final Thoughts

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Getting SUP yoga certification is not hard or complicated. Find the right trainer and you will have all the skills you need in no time. Make sure they are certified before you commit. 

Hopefully, now you know what it takes to become a certified SUP yoga teacher. Not only will you learn more about paddle board yoga, but you will also be able to share the knowledge with others. 

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