General volunteer

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This is an essential role and a great starting place for many volunteers. Some tasks might include:

• Assisting with equipment

• Helping skiers get ready (promoting independence wherever possible)

• Food prep

• General motivation & encouragement from volunteers – new skiers can often be anxious

• Taking photos and videos – everyone loves to see their progress!

• Site maintenance

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Jetty Management​​

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• Coordinates the ski list

• Prepares equipment & helps get the skiers ready

• Communication between the skier(s) and boat crew

• May also involve assisting people to use our kayaks & paddleboards, ensuring the appropriate adaptations are made/ adaptive equipment is selected and set up correctly for the individual

 

Observer

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• We never send skiers out without a trained observer on the boat

• Responsible for communication between the skier(s) and driver while out on the water

• May need to assist the skier(s) from the side of the boat

• A separate training presentation gives information on the boat set-up and safety procedures

• An observer must complete a minimum of 3 training sessions on the boat with a qualified driver before being signed off​​

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Assistant Instructor (seated)

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• There to assist the lead instructor

• That can mean assisting them on-land with the equipment set-up, as well as helping support the skier on the water

• Training starts with the experience of being a student, then progresses to trying the instructor boards with a ‘fake’ student, experiencing mock-up scenarios

• You need to be confident with your own board control before becoming an assistant instructor

• The lead instructor will decide when it is safe for a new assistant instructor to start supporting disabled skiers. The time this takes differs for each individual​

 

Lead instructor (seated)

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• Responsible for the skier assessment & equipment set-up

• Responsible for coaching the student - progressing towards independence as appropriate for that individual

• Responsible for on-water safety

• Becoming a lead instructor takes a lot of practice & time on the water with different skiers. Teaching adaptive students can be unpredictable so you need to gain experience by skiing with a variety of students to see the various challenges & potential solutions

• The Access Adventures crew will decide when someone is ready to progress from assistant to lead instructor

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Instructor (standing)

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• We teach students with a variety of disabilities to ski & board in standing. This may involve additional (adaptive) equipment, adapting the standard land lesson, and providing support from the boat and/or in the water

• Practical training on this role is delivered separately

 

Driver

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• All our drivers have a Ski Boat Driver qualification from British Waterski & Wakeboard and hold a current First Aid certificate

• In addition to that, they have had experience driving specifically for disabled skiers & riders

• Drivers have ultimate responsibility for the safety of everyone on the water​​

 

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COMMUNICATION IS KEY for all volunteer roles.

Between the person on the jetty, the instructors, the observer, the driver & of course the skier.

 

Having knowledge of the disability awareness, adaptive equipment & skier assessment sections delivered as part of our training is important for all volunteer roles – and the confidence to ask us if you are ever unsure about anything.

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