Owner Operator of Elements Watersports. Peter is also a Yachting New Zealand Course Facilitator. Many of you coaches will have been taught by Peter in becoming a Learn to Sail Coach, qualified powerboat driver or windsurfer. I caught up with Peter to ask him about the changing environments we face as coaches and what makes a good coach.

Q - How did you get into coaching and how long have you been involved?

A - 20 odd years ago I trained as an instructor after leaving school, 4-5 years teaching during the British summers , and the winters studying Coaching and Maritime Management at college and then Southampton University. After that I headed off around the world working in various sides of the watersports industry.

Q - How many days a year are you on the water and what do you spend most time doing/teaching?

A - I spend most of my time delivering sailing, windsurfing and powerboating courses. This is a mix of taster, entry level through to instructor and commercial boat courses in Tauranga and around the New Zealand.

Q - You are involved in coaching and Instructing windsurfing and Sailing, what main differences do you come across, and how do you adapt your style?

A - With the right boats and weather it is easy to get people sailing around under control, the challenge is then to get them to recognise there is more to it and so much more they can do, places they can go with it. It’s also straight forward to get a windsurfer up and going on beginner kit, but they soon realise that they are a long way off doing the windsurfing secene on a windy day locally or on video clips. I tend to teach windsurfing more from a board, when students see it being done right next to them then they have no excuses but to give it a go.

Q - What do you find the best way of delivering skills are? Are you using more video, hands on?

A - The more practical and hands on the tuition is, the more students tend to enjoy it and want to come back for more. The ease of taking and sharing photo’s and video has made it so much easier to get students to coach themselves.

Q - What is the best way for young coaches wanting to get into coaching as a job?

A - Sailors and windsurfers can make coaching into a career, get into a YNZ Coach Course, get to as many locations as possible. Explor and apply different forms of learning. Making watersports a career can be accelerated by Taking a Coaching or Sports Management course at University or one of the outdoor Polytechnics around the country. There is plenty of work out there for those that want to take Watersports professionally.

Q - As a YNZ facilitator, what skills make a young coach stand out?

A - Sailors with empathy for their students tend to remember what it was like to learn and be able to work out the best key points for the student at the time. Having new (young and older) blood getting into sailing is important for fresh ideas and energy to keep sailing strong.

Q - What do you never go on the water without?

A - A plan.

Q - Strangest thing you have ever seen coaching on the water?

A - Some crazy DIY inventions and additions to boats, defying normal design, stability and often common sense! They always smile and wave.