THE FIRST DAY OF BEING AN OUTDOOR ADVENTURE GUIDE – HERE’S HOW IT WENT & THE REALITY OF IT
Of course, the beginning to anything is absolutely amazing, but the first day of being an outdoor adventure guide was truly all it was cracked up to be.
But then again, just being outside and being around amazing people who want to have a good time is almost always enjoyable!
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STARTING THE DAY
Most adventures with being an outdoor adventure guide start off early in the morning to typically get ahead start on things and to beat the heat or sun.
Oftentimes the day would begin at about 5:45 am and then get right into checking the schedule, clocking in, and beginning to prepare the equipment.
So, preparing the equipment for a day that’s full of paddleboarding, as an example, would look like:
- Getting the vehicle ready & loading the trailer with the equipment/paddleboards
- Loading the life jackets, coolers, snacks, water, paddles, dry bags, etc
- Printing out paperwork, getting waivers, and marking off the checklist
- Driving to location
- Placing signs & making ourselves visible
- Begin setting out gear
- Prepare for people’s arrival
As time has passed, it’s now become about 8 am and then guests start arriving.
Surprisingly, the set-up and cleanup seem to be the most tactical parts. Especially because we’d rather have extra gear than not enough gear!
So, making sure not to miss anything is actually one of the most crucial parts.
DURING THE DAY & ADVENTURES
Following the start of the day, then obviously the day progresses and starts to lead into the actual activities like:
- Greet guests
- Collect waivers and paperwork
- Give guests their gear – life jackets, dry bag, paddle
- Begin safety and proper gear use speech
- Get everyone’s life jackets fitted and secure
- Begin going over the process of how to use the gear and how to do it safely – displaying the paddleboards, the use of them, and even the gear do’s & don’ts
- Slowly get everyone onto their boards
- Begin displaying the best ways to do the activity itself
- Set free to have fun and enjoy!
Overall, getting to actually have the experience with the guests is truly the best part!
Everyone is just happy to be outside, trying something new, and trying to have a good time. It beats working most customer service-type jobs, believe me! Ha!
Most of the guests were smiling, laughing, concentrating on not falling in, or even voluntarily throwing themselves in the water to be funny.
The experience itself typically lasts about an hour, and the explaining/safety can last maybe about a half-hour on average. So, it’s truly a fun time!
ENDING THE DAY
- Finish saying goodbyes to guests
- Grab gear and pack up into vehicle
- Put away signs
- Head back to original location/shop
- Remove gear from the vehicle
- Wash all the gear
- Put away the gear in the proper place
- And prepare for the next trip
- Complete follow-up survey/paperwork
Although this part of the day was probably the least exciting. It’s still a necessary part of any trip.
But, it’s to be expected! This is just like using it ourselves in actuality, we go through all the same steps, this is just also starting and finishing the steps for other people too.
EXPECTATION VS REALITY
Overall, the experience is quite a thrill and is better than expected. However, I’m happy to be a part-time adventure guide.
Although it’s beautiful and fun work, it can also be exhausting too – so finding your balance is key here!
PROS:
- Being present
- Out in nature
- Fresh Air
- Interactive
- Getting exercise
- Soaking up vitamin D
- Get to experience the fun too!
CONS:
- Working in all weather types
- Typically, long work days (Sometimes 12-24 hours long)
- No specifically scheduled breaks/lunches
- Working 5-7 days a week doesn’t allow for much recovery time
- Laborious
Some things that can be seen as a pro or a con could be that the adventures are typically early mornings most days. For example, in the desert, an early morning could be waking up at 4 am to get ready and be at the trailhead or water by 5 am to beat the heat of the sun.
Personally, I had explored many outdoor adventure guide jobs out there and so many of them are looking for 5-7 days a week and all-day work. However, if you love it, can’t get enough, and want to soak it up then totally go for it!!
One of the many great quotes: You’ll never know if you don’t try!
Some links in this post may be affiliate links or this article may contain sponsored content, which means if you make a purchase, we receive a small compensation at no added cost to you. Any purchases you make helps to keep this blog going and keeps our content free. I truly appreciate your support!
If you’re on the lookout for a paddleboard currently, check out this one here! These were some of the ones we used for our class!
These 10’8″ paddleboards are great for those that are confident in their skills. Click here to buy! (The blue one)
Alternatively, the 11″ paddleboards are better for those that are learning for the very first time and offer more balance. Click here to buy! (The green one)
Better yet, they come in a full kit with a pump and a carry bag too!
This is simply the beginning – I’m seeing this as a stepping stone to getting better at leading trips of all kinds for the group travel trips coming soon! Stay posted and come join on some of those fun adventures in store for us soon!!
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