BKSA iko crossover

[kiwimike]

seems there have been alot people asking about doing a crossover from the IKO qualification to the BKSA instructor qualification. my school is changing over to the BKSA system and my 9 partner schools will be doing the same. i will be running some 2 day crossover training courses on feb 26 in thailand. i believe andy will be doing more of these courses when he is in perth in jan. the 2 day crossover course will give you a 3 year BKSA instructors licence which will soon be recognised australia and asia wide. soon it will become the new world standard. please contact me on this forum if you would like to join a crossover course or if you would like to do the 5 day BKSA course. i will probably hold some of them while andy is here as well. it is pretty much the same as the IKO instructor training programme but as it it run non profit so it is quite a bit cheaper.

[Laughingman]

you must of meant "not for profit" instead of "non profit"

with all this talk about the BKSA, and I am definitely not in support of the IKO, it reminds me of things that I have read that suggested that the BKSA and the IKA were and are in co-operation with each other.

Does anyone from either organization wish to comment? Are these people trading one bad apple for another? Is it not true that the head of the BKSA is also on the board of the IKA?

[kiwimike]

ok so they are not for profit but either way they are not profit motivated.

[concerned_kiter]

Excellent point laughingman.
Everyone seems happily blind to the amazing conflict of interest. Tell me that this not-for-profit association has the industry's best interests at heart.... everyone remembers how IKA developed. These two orgs are fuelling each other.

By the way: lets not forget that BKSA and IKO were partners for many years until 2006 or 2007..it was money that made them split, but the training concept is the same. Basically- don't fool yourselves into thinking one is better than the other, or that one is "cleaner" than the other. Demand accountability from both before you knock one in favour of the other.

[B-MAN]

Is there any cross over courses scheduled in the UK towards summer again?

What does the course contain?

[gazxtreme]

Cross over courses or "conversion courses" as they are known are not so much scheduled as provided on demand, unless things change slightly in 2011. How it has worked as far as I know is that you would contact the head of training to find out where your nearst provider is then contact the provider to discuss the possibility of he course. It is in the interest of the provider to have more than one person on the course but some may be happy to run for one person.
Content wise it runs through the syllabus and discusses the differences in the methods and running order of the skills to teach, one example is the self rescue practice and executon in the water, with the BKSA both are done on the first day, with the IKO I beleive this is now done on day 3.
Also discussed are things like UK legalities and health and safety issues unique to teaching in the UK and robably some other EU countries. Some live teaching observation also takes place to assess the ability of the candidate. Types of equipment, setting up that equipment for teaching i.e "stopper balls on safety lines", teaching ratios etc.
To end there is a level 1 instructor exam, you will be certified for 3 years and recieve a current teaching manual.
Hope that's of some help.

[ltdsurf]

thank u god ,,,finally ...crossover...

[Feng]

Excellent point laughingman.
By the way: lets not forget that BKSA and IKO were partners for many years until 2006 or 2007..it was money that made them split, but the training concept is the same.

As far as understand the main difference between the BKSA and iki curiculum is the issue of high tide and low tide.
You do not have this problem in Cabarete. In UK this is a serious issue that can put you in deep shit if you are not aware. For example:
- You can literaly sink in the mud at low tide in Weston Super Mare.
- You can face an unfriendly wall at high tide at Swansea and Aberavon
- .....

[kiwimike]

the Kite Safe Association will recognise any IKO instructor level 2 and give an automatic KSA instructor level 2 instructors licence. we are just setting up the crossover system. any expired iko instructors or level one instructors will need to do a 2 day crossover course. the website kitesafeassiciation.com will be running in a few days and you will be able to register for your new internationally recognised licence.